4 March 2025 Dubai International Cricket Stadium hosted the first semi final of the ICC Champions Trophy where India defeated Australia by 4 wickets to secure a place in the final This was a high pressure match as both teams were strong contenders Virat Kohli played a masterclass innings while Mohammed Shami delivered a brilliant bowling performance to guide India to victory Let’s dive into the complete details of the match
Pre Match Scenario
India and Australia are two of the biggest rivals in cricket Whenever these teams face each other the match becomes highly intense Before this match both teams were in great form India had defeated England and Pakistan in the group stage while Australia had beaten South Africa and Sri Lanka
For India this match was special as they had lost the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan and this time they were determined to claim the title
Toss and Team Combination
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first This decision was expected as Dubai’s pitch usually becomes easier for batting in the second innings
India Playing XI
Rohit Sharma Captain
Shubman Gill
Virat Kohli
Shreyas Iyer
KL Rahul Wicketkeeper
Hardik Pandya
Ravindra Jadeja
Kuldeep Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Siraj
Australia Playing XI
David Warner
Travis Head
Steve Smith
Marnus Labuschagne
Glenn Maxwell
Alex Carey Wicketkeeper
Marcus Stoinis
Pat Cummins Captain
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Adam Zampa
Australia’s Innings 264 All Out 49.2 Overs
Australia started their innings cautiously as Indian bowlers maintained tight lines and restricted the scoring rate
Early Wickets
Mohammed Siraj dismissed David Warner 12 runs in the first over
Travis Head tried to accelerate but was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah for 21
Smith and Labuschagne Steady the Ship
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne formed an 87 run partnership Smith played a classy innings scoring 73 while Labuschagne contributed 45 before getting out to Kuldeep Yadav
Maxwell and Carey’s Crucial Contribution
Glenn Maxwell scored a quickfire 36 runs while Alex Carey added a valuable 61 before falling to Mohammed Shami
Shami and Bumrah Shine with the Ball
Mohammed Shami took 3 wickets for 48 runs
Jasprit Bumrah controlled the death overs picking up 2 wickets for 42 runs
Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav took key wickets keeping the run rate under control
Australia managed to score 264 runs in 49.2 overs before getting all out
India’s Chase 268 for 6 48.1 Overs
India needed 265 runs to win which was a challenging but achievable target given the batting strength of the team
Rohit Sharma’s Explosive Start
Rohit Sharma started aggressively scoring 41 off 28 balls but got out to Mitchell Starc
Kohli’s Classic Innings
Virat Kohli once again proved his class with a match winning knock of 84 runs off 98 balls including 5 fours He built a crucial partnership with Shreyas Iyer who scored 37 runs
KL Rahul Finishes in Style
After Kohli got out India still needed 42 runs KL Rahul played a composed knock of 42 runs and finished the match in style with a boundary and a six
Australian Bowlers Fight Hard
Mitchell Starc picked up 3 wickets
Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins bowled economically but Indian batters handled the pressure well
India successfully chased down the target in 48.1 overs securing a 4 wicket victory and entering the final
Key Moments of the Match
Mohammed Shami’s crucial three wicket spell that broke Australia’s middle order
Virat Kohli’s masterclass innings under pressure guiding India towards the target
KL Rahul’s calm finishing knock that ensured India’s victory
Rohit Sharma’s explosive start that set the tone for the chase
Post Match Reactions
Virat Kohli
This victory is very special for us We all remember the 2017 final loss but this time we played as a unit and delivered a strong performance
Rohit Sharma Captain India
Our focus throughout the tournament was on consistency and we are happy to reach the final with a solid team effort
Pat Cummins Captain Australia
We were probably 20 to 30 runs short and India’s batsmen handled the chase brilliantly
Conclusion
India displayed a superb performance in this semi final and made it to the final where they will face the winner of South Africa vs New Zealand Kohli Shami Rahul and Rohit played key roles in this victory Now the big question remains Can India lift the Champions Trophy this time The final is going to be a thrilling contest