The cricket world celebrated Team India’s triumph over Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai. Virat Kohli’s exceptional batting performance and consistent form against Australia in ODIs were instrumental in India’s four-wicket victory. He guided India from a precarious 43/2 in a 265-run chase, setting the stage for Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul to finish the game.
Jay Shah, Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), congratulated Team India on their qualification for the Champions Trophy Final, acknowledging their strong team effort against a formidable opponent.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar specifically praised Mohammed Shami and Virat Kohli, highlighting Shami’s early breakthroughs with the ball and Virat’s remarkable innings. Tendulkar noted Shami ‘set the tone’ for the match, while Virat’s contribution was ‘outstanding’.
Jasprit Bumrah, though absent due to injury, succinctly described India’s dominant run with the word ‘Unstoppable’.
Former Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Shikhar Dhawan also shared their joy at India’s victory. Sehwag commended Virat for consistently rising to the occasion in major ICC tournaments, marking India’s third ICC final appearance in just 15 months.
Shikhar Dhawan fondly recalled KL Rahul’s match-winning six, emphasizing its unforgettable nature. He lauded Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya’s exceptional performances and expressed hope for India to bring the Champions Trophy home.
Yuvraj Singh, India’s World Cup-winning all-rounder, celebrated India’s journey to the final. He acknowledged the bowlers’ role, led by Shami, in restricting Australia, and praised the crucial partnerships of Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, followed by KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, for securing the win.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan predicted India’s victory in the tournament. He admired India’s impressive bench strength, suggesting their second-string team could be equally competitive. He recognized Australia’s strong challenge despite missing key players but ultimately favored India to win the Champions Trophy.
In the match summary, Australia chose to bat first after winning the toss. After losing an early wicket, Travis Head and Steve Smith built a 50-run partnership. Smith continued to anchor the innings with half-century stands alongside Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey. Carey’s resilient innings ended in the 48th over due to a direct hit from Shreyas Iyer.
Australia was eventually bowled out for 264 in 49.3 overs. Shami was India’s leading bowler with 3/48, supported by Varun Chakravarthy (2/49) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/40) who effectively utilized spin. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya each took a wicket.
During India’s chase, they faced early setbacks, losing Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill to be at 43/2. A vital 91-run partnership between Virat and Shreyas Iyer stabilized the innings. Virat further contributed with a 44-run stand with Axar Patel and a 47-run partnership with KL Rahul.
Hardik Pandya’s quickfire innings of 28 runs sealed India’s victory, reaching 267/6 in 48.1 overs.
Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa were Australia’s top bowlers, each taking two wickets.
