How a batting masterclass by Virat Kohli and sharp bowling helped India enter the Champions Trophy final

With each outing, India are getting stronger and stronger. Unless New Zealand and South Africa, whoever flies down to Dubai after winning the second semi-final at Lahore on Wednesday, comes up with an exceptional performance, it is hard to stop India from laying hands on the Champions Trophy.

Like the MS Dhoni-led side that brushed aside every opponent in the United Kingdom to win the title unbeaten in 2013, this Rohit Sharma’s side is on the way to repeating history in the UAE. And they are doing it in some style too. With a spin-attack that is the envy of every opponent and a batting unit that is oozing class on testing conditions, India continue to roll. On Tuesday, it was the turn of world champions Australia to suffer a 5-wicket defeat at the hands of India.

Chasing a tricky target of 265 for a place in their third successive Champions Trophy final, it needed an

extraordinary effort with the bat. And Virat Kohli provided one to deny Australia another opportunity to hold on to the World Cup and Champions Trophy at the same time. It was a night, where Kohli first calmed the nerves in the dressing room by being compact at the start when they lost both Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma inside eight overs and then went on to dictate the tempo of the chase with his risk-free batting before falling for 84 having taken India within 40 runs of the target. That dismissal once again gave an opening for Australia, but KL Rahul’s unbeaten 42 and Hardik Pandya’s cameo shut the door firmly on them by taking India home with 11 balls to spare.

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When Cooper Connolly, with his part-time left-arm spin, trapped Rohit Sharma, despite having an attack that is thin on experience and lacking bite to cause any pain, Australia would have fancied their chances. With 264 to defend, which was already the highest any team had posted in the Dubai leg, another wicket or two would have rattled India. Though this pitch was more conducive to batting than the previous three strips that were used, to keep pace with the asking rate on this was fraught with risk.

Kohli in the company of Shreyas Iyer stitched 91-runs for the third wicket that brought India back in the chase. For a team that is without the pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, the expectations have been low. Just weeks before the tournament, Marcus Stoinis announced retirement from the format.

There is not a single travelling Australian journalist at the tournament. At Dubai to overcome a strong Indian side, they packed their XI with five spin bowling options. However, with the exception of leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who took the wickets of Shreyas and Kohli, the rest of them hardly posed any threat. It meant, once Kohli decided to cut down any shot that brought risk and Shreyas showed his dominant side, India were in cruise control.

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What delayed the inevitable was the self-destruction, first from Shreyas then from Axar Patel and Kohli himself. If Shreyas’s innings was cut short at 45 by an expansive cut that he tried off Zampa, Axar perished while trying to hit Nathan Ellis across the line. The slog-sweep, which went straight to the fielder at long-on, was the lone blot on Kohli’s otherwise near flawless innings as he looked settled for his 52nd ODI century.

India’s Virat Kohli plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal cricket match between India and Australia at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo) India’s Virat Kohli plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal cricket match between India and Australia at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo)

Having entered the game as firm favourites, India lived up to the expectations, while overcoming some hiccups on the way. Unlike their previous outing against New Zealand, where there was plenty of turn on the surface, this pitch played differently. Having stuck to the same XI, which saw them play four spinners, they had done an incredible job while bowling first to restrict Australia to 264.

Factoring in their bowling resources, Australia’s intent with the bat stood out. It was an afternoon where India had to fight hard for each wicket and had to play the patience game. That moment came in the 37th over when Steve Smith and Alex Carey were setting up Australia for a grandstand finish. Having gone at over 5 runs per over, which no team has done so far in this campaign against India, a total of 300 was in Australia’ sights. And with that intention Smith charged down at Mohammed Shami, only to miss a full-toss that dipped on him and castled the stumps.

Still with Glenn Maxwell walking in, India remained defensive, keeping large pockets open. All that Australia needed from Maxwell at that stage was a cameo that would give enough total for their bowlers to work with. Having hit Axar Patel already for a six, he would go for another expansive heave, that the other Australian batsmen had refrained from, and would end up losing his stumps. Though they would end with 264, it was India that walked away as a happier side during the break. And it showed why in the end.

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