DUBAI: Virat Kohli led the way with 84 runs off 98 balls as India beat Australia by four wickets on Tuesday to reach the final of the Champions Trophy.
Kohli’s 74th ODI half-century helped India finish with 267-6 in reply to Australia’s 264 all out in the first semifinal. Pacer Mohammed Shami spearheaded India’s bowling and took 3-48 in 10 overs to restrict Australia on a slow wicket.
“This game is all about pressure – if you go deep, the opposition usually gives in,” Kohli said.
Steve Smith top-scored for Australia with 73 off 96 balls. Indian spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja grabbed two wickets each.
For India, Shreyas Iyer helped put on 91 off 111 balls for the third wicket and anchor the chase.
Lokesh Rahul finished with 42 not out off 34 balls as India registered the highest chase against Australia in an ICC event.
India’s victory confirms that the final will be played in Dubai, where the 2013 champions will face the winner between South Africa and New Zealand, who play on Wednesday in Lahore, Pakistan. Lahore would have hosted the final if India had exited the tournament.
After Australia won the toss and opted to bat, Shami struck early as opener Cooper Connolly was caught behind for a nine-ball duck.
Smith anchored the Australian innings with a sedate half-century as he put on 50 off 32 balls for the second wicket with Travis Head, who started slow but hit five fours and two sixes to score 39 off 33 balls. Chakravarthy had him caught in the ninth over, with Shubman Gill taking a fine running catch in the deep.
Marnus Labuschagne scored 29 and added another 56 runs with Smith for the third wicket but India’s spinners dominated the middle overs after Rohit Sharma changed his bowlers around.
Jadeja trapped Labuschagne lbw in the 23rd over, and then Josh Inglis was out caught four overs later.
It brought Smith and Carey together and they added 54 off 58 balls before Shami returned to bowl Smith for a timely breakthrough in the 37th over. It became a double blow as Axar Patel bowled Glenn Maxwell (7) in the next over.
At 205-6, Carey dug Australia out of trouble by hitting eight fours and a six to shepherd the third powerplay for his side, reaching 50 off 48 balls.
After Carey was run out, Australia crossed the 250-mark in the 48th over and Ben Dwarshuis scored 19 runs with a four and a six, but the total was still under par by about 20-30 runs.
Chasing 265, Sharma hit three fours and a six to score 28 off 29 balls, but Shubman Gill was out bowled for eight. Connolly trapped Sharma lbw in the eighth over, bringing Kohli and Iyer together.
Their partnership proved to be key.
Kohli hit five fours in all and reached 50 off 53 balls. Together, they never let the required run-rate go too high as India exerted control over the chase.
Zampa missed a return catch off Kohli, but made amends by bowling Iyer at the other end. It didn’t trigger the required collapse as Axar Patel scored a calm 27 off 30 balls.
The game went deep as India did lose wickets whenever it looked like it was in complete control – Patel was bowled in the 35th over, and Kohli was caught at the boundary off Zampa against the run of play in the 43rd.
Rahul finished things off with two fours and two sixes, finishing unbeaten in the end. Hardik Pandya scored 28 off 24 balls, with three sixes, to move things along, as India was never really bothered in its pursuit.
“At the halfway stage, we felt like it’s a reasonable score,” Sharma said. “The nature of this pitch doesn’t allow you to play your shots. We were clinical with the bat, and calm and composed in our chase.”