India punched their ticket to the Champions Trophy final, overcoming Australia by four wickets in a tense semifinal clash at Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday. Virat Kohli’s composed 84 off 98 balls and Shreyas Iyer’s clutch 45 steered India to chase down 265 with 11 balls to spare.
Australia’s sloppy fielding proved costly, letting Rohit Sharma off the hook twice and dropping Kohli once. Earlier, Steve Smith (73 off 96) and Alex Carey (61) had powered Australia to a promising position after Smith opted to bat first. But their innings unraveled with quick wickets—Mohammed Shami bowled Smith, Axar Patel snagged Glenn Maxwell, and a sharp run-out by Iyer ended Carey’s knock. Shami shone with three scalps as Australia folded for 264 in 49.3 overs.
Kohli anchored India’s reply, backed by Iyer’s 45, while KL Rahul (42) and Hardik Pandya (28) chipped in to seal the deal. Australia had started strong, with Smith stitching a 50-run stand with Travis Head (39) and a 56-run partnership with Marnus Labuschagne (29), before Carey’s fifty pushed them past 260. Yet, India’s bowlers and fielders turned the tide, setting up a final showdown.