India, March 4 -- Virat Kohli played a gritty knock of 84 runs, and Hardik Pandya smashed a quickfire 24-ball 28 to help India beat Australia by four wickets in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday.

Australia, the same squad that beat India in 2023 World Cup final, stood in front of India as a hurdle that needed to be crossed to reach the final.

After bowling out Australia for 264 runs in the tough Dubai wicket that has been mostly supporting spinners, India went to 267 runs for the loss of six wickets with 11 balls to spare.

The Indian run chase was not smooth, with openers Shubman Gill (8) and Rohit Sharma (28) falling in quick succession within eighth over.

Both the openers played some flashy shots befor...