Fans were loudly singing Vande Mataram after Team India beat Australia by four wickets in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday. A video of the same has surfaced on social media as the song echoed around the venue, with the fans pumped up after a confidence-boosting win to seal a place in the final.
Team India had lost a record 14th toss in the massive semi-final clash against Australia on Tuesday in Dubai. Fifties from Steve Smith and Alex Carey lifted their side to a competitive total of 264 in 49.3 overs while Mohammed Shami starred with the ball with figures of 10-0-48-3. Despite missing their first-choice pacers, Australia took the game quite deep but lost in the end by four wickets.
Steve Smith and co. dismissed the Indian openers cheaply inside the first ten overs but Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer roared back with a risk-free 91-run stand. Adam Zampa pegged the Men in Blue back with Iyer's wicket. However, KL Rahul took the initiative and brought India close to victory. Although Kohli fell for 84 at the doorstep of the run-chase, heroics from Hardik Pandya and Rahul hit a winning six to drag their side over the line.
"We were very calm and composed" - Rohit Sharma
At the post-match presentation, skipper Rohit Sharma stated that they thought it was a reasonable score to chase at the halfway mark. The 37-year-old said they didn't want to read too much into what the pitch did and stick to their plans.
"Till the last ball is bowled, nothing is certain. Halfway through the game, we felt it was a reasonable score, and we have to bat really really well. I thought we were very clinical with the bat. We were very calm and composed. The wicket looked better, and that has been the nature of the surfaces. The one which played today was slightly better. We just want to play good cricket and not read too much into what the pitch is doing."
