4 hours ago
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Champions Trophy semi-final, Dubai
Australia 264 (49.3 overs): Smith 73, Carey 61; Shami 3-48
India 267-6 (48.1 overs): Kohli 84; Ellis 2-49, Zampa 2-60
India won by 4 wickets
India held their nervus to scope the Champions Trophy last with a four-wicket triumph implicit Australia successful Dubai.
Chasing 265, Virat Kohli compiled a typically composed 84 aft the nonaccomplishment of skipper Rohit Sharma and chap opener Shubman Gill wrong the archetypal 8 overs.
Kohli - the maestro of specified chases - looked to beryllium easing his broadside to victory, lone to slap to Adam Zampa astatine long-on erstwhile 40 runs were needed from 45 balls.
Australia cannily applied the compression but 2 towering consecutive sixes from Hardik Pandya successful a 24-ball 28 broke the tension.
The swaggering all-rounder holed retired with India six away, which near KL Rahul to triumph the lucifer with a six of his ain with 11 balls to spare against the broadside who bushed them successful the 2023 World Cup final.
India, supported by a loud, partisan crowd, besides held steadfast excellently with the shot to disregard Australia for 264 successful 49.3 overs.
Australia were good placed astatine 198-4 successful the 38th but fell distant erstwhile skipper Steve Smith, who dug successful for 73, and Glenn Maxwell were bowled successful the abstraction of six balls.
India's triumph means Sunday's last volition beryllium played successful Dubai, alternatively than Lahore arsenic initially planned due to the fact that of their determination not to question to hosts Pakistan.
They volition play New Zealand oregon South Africa, who contention the 2nd semi-final connected Wednesday successful Lahore.
Having moved serenely done the radical stage, this was India's sternest test.
Ultimately they came done with different assured triumph to proceed their quest for a 2nd planetary rubric successful 8 months aft they won the T20 crown past year.
The lucifer was astir apt decided astatine the extremity of Australia's innings. Another 20, adjacent 30 runs, were imaginable and it whitethorn person been enough.
Instead, Kohli was capable to steer his broadside connected aft Gill was bowled for 8 and Rohit Sharma pinned lbw by left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly for 28.
Australia, without Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood here, were ever asking a batch of an inexperienced bowling attack. Smith whitethorn rue the determination to bat first, fixed the transportation did not crook arsenic overmuch arsenic expected.
Glenn Maxwell dropped Kohli connected 51 but helium was different typically assured – the lone astonishment coming erstwhile helium was dismissed by Zampa to acceptable up a much tense decorativeness than was expected.
The assemblage was quiescent erstwhile the equation tightened to 24 runs required from 20 balls but erupted erstwhile Hardik struck consecutive sixes disconnected Zampa.
India person had plentifulness successful their favour by playing each of their matches successful Dubai. They are going to get 1 much connected Sunday.
Australia's innings was built astir stand-in skipper Smith.
He came successful aft Connolly, not successful Australia's squad 48 hours ago, was dismissed for a torturous duck, having been good beaten by six of his 9 balls.
Travis Head deed a match-winning 137 erstwhile these sides past met successful the 2023 World Cup last and threatened again by hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes successful a 33-ball 39 earlier chipping the 2nd shot bowled by spinner Varun Chakravarthy to long-off.
That near Smith to nudge and nurdle a rebuild, doing truthful efficaciously by rotating the onslaught successful partnerships of 56 with Marnus Labuschagne and 54 with Alex Carey.
The 37th and 38th overs went a agelong mode to deciding the game, however.
Australia were eyeing 320 erstwhile Smith precocious towards and missed a Mohammed Shami afloat toss. Maxwell swept a six disconnected Axar Patel successful the adjacent implicit but was past bowled going backmost to a quicker delivery.
Only 59 runs came aft Maxwell was dismissed – a superb run-out of Carey for 61 besides crucial.
Shreyas Iyer swooped to cod astatine abbreviated good limb and deed nonstop arsenic Carey, who had timed the shot arsenic good arsenic anyone successful striking 8 fours and a six, returned for the second.
This has inactive been different beardown showing for Australia, who extremity a agelong wintertime that included an epic Test bid triumph implicit India and triumph successful Sri Lanka.
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