Mugdha Das

IND vs AUS Champions Trophy 2025 Semifinal: India defeat Australia by 4 wickets

Digital Desk: India sealed a thrilling four-wicket victory over Australia at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday, booking their spot in the Champions Trophy final.

Virat Kohli's composed 84 and Shreyas Iyer's crucial 45 guided India's successful chase of 265. The Men in Blue will now await the winner of the second semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa.

Australia's uncharacteristic fielding lapses proved costly, as they dropped Rohit Sharma twice and Kohli once. Earlier, Steve Smith and Alex Carey scored half-centuries to propel Australia's innings.

However, India's Mohammed Shami struck at crucial moments, claiming three wickets, including the key scalp of Smith. Axar Patel removed Glenn Maxwell, while Shreyas Iyer's sharp fielding led to Carey's run-out.

India's dominant performance has been a hallmark of their tournament campaign, with Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Iyer in top form. Varun Chakravarthy's five-wicket haul against New Zealand in the group stage also showcased his prowess.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, however, is due a big score, having failed to convert his starts into substantial innings.

Australia, missing several key players, including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, will now face a challenging transition to the sluggish Dubai surface, which could test Travis Head and his teammates.