IND VS AUS - 1st Semi-Final (A1 v B2), ICC Champions Trophy, 2025

Remember, Dinesh Karthik will answer your questions ahead of 2025 Champions Trophy Final! Send your questions, cricket videos using #heyCB on X to be featured in our next episode.

India are through to the final which will be played here in Dubai where they've played all their matches this tournament. While it's fair to say that it's been advantageous for them, they have been a gun side for 14 years in ICC ODI events. World Champions in 2011, CT winners in 2013, semifinalists in the 2015 WC, runners-up in the 2017 CT, semifinalists in the 2019 WC and runners-up in the 2023 WC. Can Rohit and Co, who lifted the T20 World Cup last year win another ICC trophy? They'll be facing either South Africa or New Zealand - two teams who'll lock horns against each other in Lahore tomorrow. That's it for today. Until tomorrow, it's goodbye from Abhinand Raghavendran, Ramakrishnan MS and Praveen Kumar!

Stats by Roshan Gede

Rohit Sharma becomes the first ever captain to reach the final in all four Men’s ICC tournaments
ICC World Test Championship (2023)
ODI World Cup (2023)
T20 World Cup (2024)
ICC Champions Trophy (2025)

Australia spinners today (by lengths)
Full: 2/63 (58 balls, ER: 6.51)
Good: 1/26 (46 balls, ER: 3.39)
Short: 0/90 (83 balls, ER: 6.50)

India have now made it to the finals of the Champions Trophy in five out of nine editions, the next best is West Indies (3 finals).

Most ODI wins without a defeat at a venue
10 - New Zealand, Dunedin
9 - India, Dubai (10 matches, 1 tied)
7 - India, Indore
7 - Pakistan, Hyderabad (Niaz Stadium, Pakistan)

IND vs AUS in Champions Trophy knockouts
Won by 44 runs, Dhaka, 1998 QF
Won by 20 runs, Nairobi, 2000 QF
Won by 4 wickets, Dubai, 2025 SF

Highest targets chased down in Champions Trophy knockouts
282 - SA vs ENG, Dhaka, 1998 QF
265 - NZ vs IND, Nairobi, 2000 Final
265 - IND vs BAN, Edgbaston, 2017 SF
265 - IND vs AUS, Dubai, 2025 SF
265 is also the highest target successfully chased down by a team against Australia in ICC ODI tournaments knockouts; the previous was also by India: 261 in the CWC 2011 quarterfinal in Ahmedabad.

Most POTM awards in ICC ODI tournaments
10 - Sachin Tendulkar
8 - Glenn McGrath
8 - Rohit Sharma
7 - Virat Kohli

Rohit Sharma | India captain: Till the last ball is bowled, nothing is certain. At the halfway stage, we felt like it's a reasonable score. The nature of the pitch doesn't allow you play your shots. We were clinical with the bat. We were calm and composed in our chase. Looked better (pitch). Slightly played better than the one against NZ. It's about playing good cricket. There are a lot of experienced guys. That's something I wanted to have - six bowling options and at the same get that batting depth as well. Credit goes to everyone who were involved in making the team. He's done it for so many years. When we were batting, we were calm. Those shots in the end by Hardik were crucial. When you are in the final, you want all the guys in form. All these guys have made an impact and that gives us a lot of confidence. We'll not think too much about it. Both are good teams, that's why they are in the semis. It's a very high pressure tournament, it's always nice to have some time off and relax and then think about the final.

Steve Smith | Australia captain: I thought the bowlers did a really good job, they worked hard throughout, the spinners squeezed and enabled us take the game a bit deeper than potentially could have done. It was a tricky wicket to start on batting and tough to rotate the strike at times, everyone did a really good job tonight. It played pretty similar throughout to be fair. Little bit of hold for the spinners, little bit of spin here and there and a bit of skid. And the pacers, it was just some two-paceness to the wicket, balls were holding a little bit. It wasn't easiest batting conditions, probably why the scores were where they were. Having said that, we probably could have put a few more on. We lost a couple of wickets at crucial times. If we got 280+, things could have been different. Always felt like we were one wicket too many down at each stage of the game. If we were able to drag one of those partnerships, that's probably where we get to 280, then there's a little bit more pressure on the game. (On this campaign) The way we've come together. The bowling attack was quite in experienced, they did a wonderful job throughout. Some of the batters really stood up and got some big totals. That game against England, we played exceptionally well. There were glimpses tonight of some really good stuff as well. Some really good cricketers in that change room and they are going to continue to get bigger and better.

Kohli (2/2): (Asked if he calculates overs ahead while batting) This game is all about pressure, especially in big games like semis and finals. If you go deep into the innings and have wickets in hand, the opposition usually gives in and the game becomes easier. It is very important to control your impulses while the game is going on. For me it's important to know the number of overs and runs left. Even if the gap is 25-30 and it comes to 6 an over I am not bothered if we have 6-7 wickets in hand. (Asked if he is now playing his best in ODIs) I don't know that's up to you guys to break down. I have never focussed on those things. I never spoken about those things. When you don't think about milestones it happens along the way to victories. I take pride in doing what my team wants. Those things don't matter anymore for me. It's just about stepping out and hopefully doing the job for the team.

Virat Kohli | PoTM (1/2): It was pretty similar to the other day against Pakistan as well. For me it is about understanding the conditions and preparing my game accordingly.. just rotating strike because partnerships on this pitch are the most important thing. My only effort that day and today was to string in enough partnerships. The time that I got out, the plan was to get 20 more and try and finish it off in a couple of overs. Usually that's the template I follow but sometimes you can't execute things how you want to. It's all dependant on the conditions, the pitch tells me how the cricket needs to be played and then I just switch on and play accordingly. (Aspects that pleased him the most about his innings) My timing. The composure at the crease.. I wasn't feeling desperate, I was pretty happy knocking ones around and when as a batsman you start taking pride in taking singles into the gaps, that is when you know you are playing good cricket and you know you are in for a big partnership and settle the nerves down a little bit and head towards chasing the total down. In the game against Pakistan and today that was the most pleasing factor for me.

So what was the difference between the two teams? Australia's inexperience and India's experience. On a pitch where strike rotation was tough, one could say that it was a good toss to lose for India as they could pace the chase well. They mixed caution with aggression perfectly. Shreyas and Kohli forged a 91-run stand and that was followed by handy contributions from the likes of Axar, Rahul and Hardik. India, throughout the chase, had the asking rate under control and hunted down the total with 11 balls to spare.

20:07 Local Time, 16:07 GMT, 21:37 IST: Rahul let out a roar after hitting the winning runs. The Indians are cock-a-hoop. A cracking game of cricket. Both teams picked a lot of spinners as it was a dry pitch. But it played much better than the New Zealand game. There was something in it to keep everyone interested. And, there were a lot of similarities between the two innings. Connolly and Gill perished cheaply. Head and Rohit got a couple of reprieves and went after the bowlers before falling to spin (Varun Chakaravarthy and Connolly respectively). Smith-Labuschagne and Kohli-Shreyas batted sensibly against spin with plenty of singles and doubles. Carey took pressure off Smith while Axar did something similar for Kohli. The bowlers picked a wicket every time a partnership started to look threatening. Smith looked to play an expansive shot and fell for 73, while Kohli who looked set to ace another chase holed out in the deep on 84.

Maxwell to Rahul, SIX, Rahul finishes off in style! Dances down the track, gets close to the pitch of the ball and flogs this full delivery over wide long-on. India are through to the final of the Champions Trophy by beating the World Champions by 4 wickets! Jadeja gives KL a hug. The camera pans towards the Indian dressing room, big smiles on the faces of Kohli and Rohit who exchange a hug

Glenn Maxwell [6.0-0-29-0] is back into the attack

Nathan Ellis to Jadeja, 2 runs, round the wicket, full on off, driven towards mid-on for a quick single. Marnus has a shy at the keeper's end. In fact, a direct-hit would have been curtains for Rahul. Dwarshuis' throw isn't collected by Maxi near the stumps and India steal an additional run

Nathan Ellis to Hardik Pandya, out Caught by Maxwell!! Hardik Pandya holes out but he's done his job! Short of a good length ball shaping in a bit, Hardik tries to loft it downtown once again. Doesn't get the timing right and picks out long-on. Hardik Pandya c Maxwell b Nathan Ellis 28(24) [4s-1 6s-3]

Nathan Ellis to Hardik Pandya, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

India are just one hit away!

Nathan Ellis to Hardik Pandya, no run, wide yorker, Hardik Pandya reaches out for it and gets an under-edge that rolls towards the keeper

Nathan Ellis to Hardik Pandya, FOUR, with mid-off and mid-on inside, Hardik Pandya goes straight even though the length is not on the fuller side. Big backlift, clears the front leg and hammers this short of a good length ball over the bowler's head