Virat Kohli leads India to Champions Trophy final with victory over Australia in Dubai
DUBAI: Veteran batsman Virat Kohli rolled back the years with a polished 84 as India pulled off a tense chase to beat Australia by four wickets in the first semifinal of the Champions Trophy on Tuesday. Set 265 for victory, India lost the 36-year-old Kohli in the closing overs but KL Rahul’s unbeaten 42 steered the team home with 11 balls to spare at the Dubai International Stadium. They will face South Africa or New Zealand in the final on Sunday in Dubai with India playing all their matches at the venue after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan for the eight-nation event. Lahore was the alternate venue for the final had India missed out. Australia elected to bat and posted the highest total of 264 all out at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in this tournament after key knocks from skipper Steve Smith, who made 73, and Alex Carey, who hit 61. In reply India lost two early wickets before Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, who made 45, put the chase back on track in their partnership of 91. Cooper Connolly, making the team in place of injured Matthew Short who was forced out of the tournament on Monday, trapped skipper Rohit Sharma lbw on 28 for his first ODI wicket. Kohli and Iyer then took stock against an inexperienced Australian attack missing their top fast bowlers including Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to injuries. But the next line of bowlers stood up as leg-spinner Adam Zampa bowled Iyer before pace bowler Nathan Ellis rattled the stumps of Axar Patel for 27. Kohli, known as a master chaser who recently hit an unbeaten 100 in India’s win over arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23, stood firm in another stand with wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul. Kohli was dropped by Glenn Maxwell off Connolly on 51 but Zampa denied him