India vs Australia Champions Trophy 2025 Semifinal: Alright, here we go again. India just booked their ticket to the Champions Trophy final for the third straight time, and honestly, they made it look pretty smooth—well, mostly. The Aussies tried, but in the end, Virat Kohli was just too good. The man helps India reach a third consecutive Champions Trophy final, anchoring the chase like only he can.
Kohli Being Kohli (With a Little Help)
Chasing 265? Not too bad. But losing Shubman Gill in the fifth over? Not ideal. Enter Kohli. The guy’s basically built for situations like this, and he didn’t disappoint. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, was doing his usual powerplay destruction. He got dropped twice (thanks, Australia), smashed a quick 28 off 29, and then—boom—missed a sweep shot. LBW. Gone. India at 43/2. Not panic mode yet, but also not great.
But then came Shreyas Iyer, who paired up with Kohli to stabilize things. They weren’t going crazy with big shots, just smart, steady batting. No unnecessary risks, just classic ODI stuff. A 91-run stand later, and suddenly, things were looking a lot better.
Kohli hit his 74th ODI fifty, but right after that, Glenn Maxwell almost sent him packing with a diving effort. Lucky break. Iyer, though, wasn’t as lucky. Adam Zampa sent in a sneaky slider, and just like that—bowled for 45. But no worries, because Axar Patel came in swinging. A slog-swept six off Tanveer Sangha? That’s how you make an entrance.
India was cruising, but Australia kept chipping away. Axar got bowled by Nathan Ellis. KL Rahul joined in, keeping things steady while Kohli kept holding one end. Heading into the last 10 overs, India needed 65 runs. Six wickets in hand. Comfortable, but not quite a done deal yet.
Rahul played his part, lofting some beautiful shots to keep the pressure off. But then, a rare sight—Kohli going for a big hit and getting caught. Who even is this guy? That moment gave Australia a glimmer of hope.
But then Hardik Pandya came in and basically said, “Nah, we got this.” Three sixes, a quickfire 28 off 24, and boom—game over. India chased it down with 11 balls to spare. Just another day at the office.
Bowling First? No Problem
This all started with India bowling first, and honestly, they handled business right from the get-go. They went in with the same team, which meant four spinners—a risky but solid strategy. First up, Varun Chakravarthy struck with his very first ball. Travis Head, India’s usual headache, tried to go big but ended up gifting an easy catch. He did get 39 off 33, but it was far from his best.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami was working his magic. His around-the-wicket line was causing all sorts of problems. First, he had to deal with Cooper Connolly, who struggled big time. Nine balls. Zero runs. Painful to watch. Then, finally, an edge—gone for a 9-ball duck.
India was in control, but then came Steven Smith, and that guy knows how to handle pressure. Right away, he made his presence felt with a lofted boundary off Axar Patel. He even got lucky a couple of times—an inside edge hit the stumps but didn’t dislodge the bails, and Shami dropped a tough return catch. The guy’s got luck on his side.
At one point, India managed to keep Australia boundary-less for 50 balls. That’s wild. But Marnus Labuschagne finally broke the streak with a late cut. Then he tried a slog-sweep. Bad idea. Jadeja trapped him plumb LBW, breaking a 56-run partnership.
Smith, though, kept going. He brought up his fifth fifty in seven ICC ODI knockout games. Just ridiculously consistent. But at the other end? Not much happening. Josh Inglis tried, but he chipped one straight to cover for 11. Ouch.
Carey Tries, But India Closes In
Just when things were looking slow, Alex Carey showed up. His 54-run stand with Smith gave Australia some momentum. Carey wasn’t playing around—he attacked the spinners, rotated the strike well, and kept the scoreboard moving.
But then Smith made a rare miscalculation—charged down against Shami, missed a full toss, and was gone for 73. Axar Patel took out Maxwell immediately after. Australia was stumbling, but Carey kept them alive. He brought up a 50 off 48 balls, making sure Australia had something to work with.
But just as he was gearing up for the final push, Shreyas Iyer pulled off a direct hit run-out. Huge moment. That was Australia’s eighth wicket, and without him, they just couldn’t find the extra push at the end. They were bowled out for 264.
So, What’s Next?
Well, India’s off to another Champions Trophy final. Three in a row. That’s serious dominance. Kohli played a big role, as usual, but it was a full team effort. The bowlers kept Australia in check, the batters paced the chase perfectly, and Hardik’s late fireworks sealed the deal.
One more match to go. Can India go all the way? We’ll find out soon.
