Australia lost to India by four wickets in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy. The result dashes Australia’s hopes of taking home the title. India will play the winner of tonight’s match between South Africa and New Zealand in the final.
What happened
The Aussies batted first and set a total of 264. Steve Smith (73) and Alex Carey (61) both scored half-centuries. The total was the highest set by any team on the pitch at Dubai International Cricket Stadium this tournament. All of India’s matches have been played in Dubai due to geopolitical tensions with Pakistan, where the rest of the tournament’s fixtures have been played.
India responded strongly with the bat as Australia missed its big three bowling attack of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. Kohli scored 84 runs and was named the Player of the Match. India eventually reached Australia’s total with 11 balls remaining and four wickets in hand.
What they said
Captain Smith was gracious in defeat, telling reporters: "India obviously played some really good cricket here. The surface kind of suits their style with the spinners that they've got and the seamers that they have at their disposal for a wicket like that. They played well, they outplayed us and they deserve the victory."
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Semi-final #2: South Africa v New Zealand
The second semi-final will be played at 8:00pm tonight (AEDT) in Lahore between South Africa and New Zealand. South Africa hasn’t been seriously challenged at the tournament so far, dismantling Afghanistan by 107 runs and beating England by seven wickets. The Proteas’ match against Australia in the group stage was washed out. Meanwhile, New Zealand will be looking to get back to winning form after losing their last group-stage match to India.
The last time these two sides played was three weeks ago. New Zealand won that match but South Africa’s lineup has changed significantly since then.
How to watch
You can watch the Champions Trophy on Amazon Prime.
