Australian captain Steve Smith acknowledged Virat Kohli as the ‘best chaser the game has ever seen’ after his team’s defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal. In a thrilling rematch, India overcame the heartbreak of the 2023 final, eliminating Australia with a four-wicket victory in Dubai on Tuesday night. Kohli’s exceptional innings of 84 runs was central to India’s win. He expertly navigated the chase, guiding India from a precarious 43/2 to successfully reach the target of 265 runs.
In the post-match press conference, Smith commented on Kohli’s performance, stating, ‘He is arguably the best chaser the game has seen. He has consistently performed under pressure against us. He dictates the pace of the game incredibly well.’
Smith also credited India’s disciplined run-chase, noting their ability to maintain a manageable run-rate. He felt that Australia was close to shifting the momentum with a couple of wickets. ‘KL Rahul played exceptionally well towards the end, and Hardik Pandya also contributed significantly. We pushed as hard as we could, but they executed their chase brilliantly,’ Smith added.
Reflecting on the playing conditions in Lahore and Dubai, Smith pointed out the stark differences between the pitches. ‘This pitch was slower and offered turn, unlike the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which is known for being one of the best batting wickets in the world with its fast outfield and true bounce,’ he explained.
Smith expressed disappointment with his own dismissal, lamenting missing a full toss from Mohammed Shami. ‘My strategy was to attack the seamers and rotate against the spin, but I didn’t execute it well. Losing my wicket at a crucial moment was unfortunate. Had I stayed longer, we might have aimed for a score closer to 300. Alex Carey was batting strongly at the other end, so it was a disappointing time to get out, but that’s cricket,’ he said.
In the match summary, Australia opted to bat first after winning the toss. After an early wicket, Travis Head (39) and Steve Smith constructed a 50-run partnership. Smith continued to build innings, adding half-century stands with Marnus Labuschagne (29) and Alex Carey (61). Carey’s innings was cut short in the 48th over by a direct hit from Shreyas Iyer.
Australia was eventually bowled out for 264 in 49.3 overs. Mohammed Shami was India’s leading bowler with 3/48, supported by Varun Chakravarthy (2/49) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/40) who spun a web around the Australian batsmen. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya each claimed a wicket.
During India’s chase, they faced early setbacks, losing Rohit Sharma (28) and Shubman Gill (8) to be at 43/2. A crucial 91-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (45) stabilized the innings. Kohli also forged partnerships with Axar Patel (27) and KL Rahul (42*).
Hardik Pandya’s quickfire 28 runs helped propel India to victory, reaching 267/6 in 48.1 overs.
Nathan Ellis (2/48) and Adam Zampa (2/60) were the primary wicket-takers for Australia.
