India v Australia: Champions Trophy cricket semi-final – live | Cricket

32nd over: India 161-3 (Kohli 61, Axar 17) Target 265 As if to make a point, Kohli turns to leg for one.

Bat out in front, Kohli somehow imparts the faintest nick, and it saves him.

32nd over: India 160-3 (Kohli 60, Axar 17) Target 265 Kohli nips across his stumps and eases around the corner for one, then Axar cuts for another; we’ve seen few big overs, but even fewer tight or testing ones. Anyhow, Kohli then looks to turn into the on-side, he misses, and when ball hits pad, there’s a lusty shout; the umpire says not out, but Australia have no choice: they must review.

31st over: India 158-3 (Kohli 59, Axar 16) Target 265 Sangha replaces Zampa as we learn that Kohli now has 54 50+ scores in ODIs, one more than Sachin Tendulkar. But, well, we said Axar wasn’t hanging about and after taking two to point, he gets down on one knee and swats a slog-sweep over the fence at deep square for six. A second ago, this was a decent over; now, not so much, with eight from it and another batter nicely ensconced.

30th over: India 150-3 (Kohli 59, Axar 8) Target 265 Axar wants to keep things moving – Nasser wonders if he’s been told to try breaking the back of this chase quickly, a luxury India’s deep batting line-up allows them – and, when Maxwell returns, he drives hard down the ground for one, seeking four. Two more singles follow, and India’s control in almost total.

29th over: India 147-3 (Kohli 58, Axar 6) Target 265 The last thing Australia need is a boundary-four from the first ball of this latest Zampa over, but Kohli picks length so well – at 36, his eyes are still obscene – such that when Zampa drops short, he hauls around the corner to the fence at midwicket. Two singles follow, and Australia could use another breakthrough.

28th over: India 141-3 (Kohli 53, Axar 5) Target 265 India get back to it, three singles, then Axar thrashes over cover for two. Five from the over, the required rare 5.63.

27th over: India 136-3 (Kohli 51, Axar 2) Target 265 Three dots, then Axar pulls to deep square, where Carey does superbly, a diving stop saving two.

BUT THEY’VE GOT ONE NOW! Zampa targets the stumps, bowling flat, and Shreyas, cramped, looks to cut anyway; he misses, there’s a rattle behind him, and Australia needed that so, so badly. Can they up the pressure?

26th over: India 134-2 (Kohli 51, Shreyas 45) Target 265 In comms, Nasser notes that there’ve only been 69 dots in the 153 balls we’ve had so far, BUT WHAT’S THIS?! Connolly gets one to stick in the pitch and Kohli, looking to turn into the on side, is early on it, ac leading edge flying towards Maxwell at short cover. But with Connolly looking to go for it too and blocking his eye-line, he dives and can’t hold! In a semi-final, Australia have now dropped three catches, words no one ever supposed to type, and that one reprieves the main man!

25th over: India 131-2 (Kohli 50, Shreyas 43) Target 265 Again, Smith fiddles, reintroducing Zampa, and after a single to Shreyas, Kohli presses forward and drives two to long-off. It feels like Australia’s only hope is Obi Wan Kenobi a batting error, and there’s no sense that either of these are going to make one, Kohli pulling a short one for four – he was on to that so quickly and it takes him to yet another fifty. Nine from the over, and India look impregnable.

24th over: India 122-2 (Kohli 43, Shreyas 41) Target 265 More of the same as Connolly returns: India accumulate with three singles and one two. The partnership is 79 off 97.

23rd over: India 117-2 (Kohli 40, Shreyas 39) Target 265 A single to each batter, then Shreyas again scoops, first for two then for one, and two further singles mean it’s seven from the over with barely a risk taken. Australia’s spinners are doing their best, but without Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc, they lack the ability to keep things tight with Test-match lines, along with the magic-ball deliveries that change everything.

22nd over: India 110-2 (Kohli 38, Shreyas 34) Target 265 Kohli has properly commandeered this chase, he and Shreyas knocking Sangha about for four singles. Faor now, at least, this is easy for India.

21st over: India 106-2 (Kohli 36, Shreyas 32) Target 265 Smith gambles, tossing Maxwell the ball, but India are in sufficient control to milk him; Australia will want them to try and hit him out of the attack. And after Kohli takes one, Shreyas tries a scoop, adding another – that’s a lot of risk for not a lot of reward – before a third single from the over completes the scoring.

20th over: India 103-2 (Kohli 34, Shreyas 31) Target 265 Australia’s innings was characterised by batters getting in without going on, so there’s hope for them yet – but if they don’t force the issue soon, they’ll soon be desperate. And, as I type, following three singles from three balls, Kohli gets down to sweep and bottom-edges four to finest leg, then adds two more through midwicket and a single to third man. Ten off the over and India are turning it up. Can Australia respond?

19th over: India 93-2 (Kohli 26, Shreyas 29) Target 265 Dwarshuis returns and immediately goes around to Shreyas, who takes a quick one to point then, when Labuschagne nails a futile direct hit – Kohli is well in – they take a second run on the overthrow. A single follows, then Kohli extends arms seeking to batter through the off-side and misses, before two singles complete the over. The rate is 5.54 and India are experts at hitting that without taking risks which is to say they’re on control here. At drinks, Australia need something.

18th over: India 88-2 (Kohli 25, Shreyas 25) Target 265 Sangha replaces Ellis, and I daresay the batters will fancy getting after him. Hayden, though, tells us he fancies himself at this level and this is a really good first over, three singles from it. Thing is, given how deep India bat, it’s hard to see them losing unless they’re bowled out, and for that, Australia need wickets; the runs shoiuld come quickly enough to keep the rate in check.

17th over:India 85-2 (Kohli 24, Shreyas 23) Target 265 Another good, tight over from Zampa, three singles from it, but with the partnership 42 off 55, Auastralia could very much use a wicket.

16th over: India 82-2 (Kohli 23, Shreyas 21) Target 265 Several overs ago, when Hayden was talking about misjudging catches, I meant to embed the below, but it’s always good whenever you see it. He told me that he got his feet wrong for this one, which is why he had to reach over his head – it’s lucky he did. Meantime, back in the middle, Smith decides India are milking Connolly, replacing him with Ellis, and three singles follows. Then, offered a final delivery that sits up, Kohlia nails a booming pull for four, and, after 16 overs, India are exactly where Australia were.

15th over: India 75-2 (Kohli 18, Shreyas 19) Target 265 Today is Shane Warne’s third yahrzeit; rest well, old mate, and in celebration of him, below is a little reader from Joy of Six: genius. Anyhow, India again accumulate in singles, then Kohli plays down the wrong line having failed to detect Zampa’s wrongun and there’s a big appeal – smith really likes it – but when the umpire says no, Australia opt not to review probably correctly, as I think the ball was going down.

14th over India 71-2 (Kohli 16, Shreyas 17) Target 265 Smith, bored of India’s batters shoving easy singles down the ground, slots Maxwell in to stop them, so Kohli takes one to deep point instead. This brings Shreyas on to strike and he moves about to Connolly off his line and length, then does really well to wait for one, opening the face at the last moment to ease four through backward point. Two singles follow, and that’s a much better over for India, seven form it.

13th over: India 64-2 (Kohli 14, Shreyas 11) Target 265 The best time to bat on this ground, in this format, is at the start of an innings, and Australia’s spinners have put a bit of a strangle on, another over yielding nothing but singles and only three of them too. At this stage, Australia were 74-2.

12th over India 62-2 (Kohli 12, Shreyas 11) Target 265 A single down the ground to Kohli, then one to Shreyas, then one to Kohli. This is a really good contest.

11th over India 58-2 (Kohli 10, Shreyas 10) Target 265 Yup, we said this passage could be key, and with Smith introducing Zampa, it now feels keyer. Kohli takes his loosener for a single to cover, then Shreyas presses forward, waits, and cuts two to deep point. Those are the only runs off the over.

10th over India 55-2 (Kohli 9, Shreyas 8) Target 265 India are a little rattled, Shreyas flinging hands – or, in the event, a hand – at a slightly wider one and, though it rushes away for four, it was a risk he didn’t really did need to take. But when Connolly sends him a high full-toss, he has plenty of time to hump it to deep square for four, making this a decent over for India.

9th over: India 47-2 (Kohli 9, Shreyas 0) Target 265 Ellis has been getting a bit of movement and he spirits one past Kohli’s outside edge. But despite five dots, there’s not a chance he’s being allowed to complete a maiden and, when he’s fuller and straighter, he’s blasted back over his head, one-handed. You could knock down walls with that lad’s forearms.

8th over: India 43-2 (Kohli 5, Shreyas 0) Target 265 Already, this next passage feels key. If Australia can muster another wicket, India will have a problem – though they bat down to Jadeja at eight.

Well done Cooper Connolly! It takes a lot to bowl spin at batters like this, never mind after putting one of them down a few overs ago. Imagine the intensity and profundity of his buzz, goodness me.

I dunno, it looked dead to me, but I guess he’s worth the risk.

NOW THEN! A bit of drift and dip from Connolly, Rohit going down to sweep and missing a ball that’s too full for the planned assault. It hits him on the pad, there’s an appeal, and that is a glorious redemption!

8th over: India 43-1 (Rohit 28, Kohli 5) Target 265 Connolly into the attack, a good move from Smith in that he’ll be stewing over that missed catch so could use the diversion. And he starts well too, a single to midwicket the only run from his first three balls.

7th over: India 42-1 (Rohit 28, Kohli 4) Target 265 Kohli and Sharma knock Dwarshuis around, three singles making this a good over for Australia.

“I have never been against Australia,” confesses Aidan McNally, “unless they are playing England. What India have done here is an abomination. If they weren’t holding the purse strings it would never have happened. C’mon Aussie!!”

I don’t know – I totally understand why keeping everyone safe is the most important thing.

6th over: India 39-1 (Rohit 27, Kohli 2) Target 265 Looking again, that was a really poor shot from Gill, who was tentative or casual in allowing ball to hit bat. But Australia must now find a way to bin Virat Kohli, the king of the run-chase, who, after a wide, gets off the mark via run-down, and life doesn’t really get much better than these two, chasing together in a semi. And as I type, Ellis, having ceded a run a ball in this over, runs in to finish it off … and Rohit twinkles down, annihilating four down the ground as the umpire hits the deck in terror.