In Men’s Cricket, India stormed into the final of the ICC Champions Trophy, defeating Australia by four wickets in Dubai, this evening.
Chasing a target of 265 runs set by Australia, the Men in Blue successfully overhauled the target, scoring 267 for the loss of six wickets in 48.1 overs in the first semi-final of the tournament. Virat Kohli was the top scorer for India, contributing 84 runs off 98 balls. Shreyas Iyer made 45 off 62 balls, KL Rahul scored 42 off 34 balls, and Hardik Pandya added 28 from 24 balls, all playing crucial knocks. For Australia, Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa took two wickets each, while Cooper Connolly and Ben Dwarshuis picked up one wicket apiece.
Earlier, opting to bat first, Australia was bowled out for 264 runs with three balls to spare, after the disciplined bowling efforts of the Men in Blue. Skipper Steven Smith was the top scorer for Australia, posting 73 runs off 96 balls, followed by Alex Carey with 61 runs off 57 balls. Travis Head also made a valuable contribution, scoring 39 off 33 balls.
On the other hand, Mohammed Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking three wickets, while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja each claimed two wickets. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya took one wicket apiece.
In the second semi-final tomorrow, New Zealand will face South Africa in Lahore. The winners of both semi-finals will clash in the final on Sunday.