India's top 3 knocks against Australia in the Champions Trophy ft. Sachin Tendulkar

Team India will lock horns with Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2024 on Tuesday, March 4. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where the Men in Blue have played all their group games, will host the all-important clash.

Rohit Sharma and company won all three group games to progress to the semi-final. They beat Bangladesh in the first game before completing a rout over arch-rivals Pakistan. In their final Group A fixture, India thrashed New Zealand to make it to the top four without losing any points.

India and Australia have had some nail-biting encounters in the past. The two teams have met four times in the Champions Trophy, with India winning two and losing one, while the other match was abandoned.

Ahead of the all-important game, let's revisit India's top 3 knocks against Australia in the Champions Trophy.

---

#1 Sachin Tendulkar - 141 runs

The Little Master is arguably the best batter to have played for India. He is the highest run-scorer in international cricket and stepped up his game when the team needed him the most.

Sachin Tendulkar produced a maverick knock when India and Australia met in the third quarter-final of the Champions Trophy (formerly known as the Wills International Cup). The right-handed batter smashed 141 off 128 deliveries at a strike rate of 110.15. Tendulkar smashed 13 boundaries and three sixes during his 191-minute stay in the middle.

Riding on his knock, India posted 307/8 in their 50 overs. It was enough for them to qualify for the semi-finals, as Australia were bowled out for 263 runs. Tendulkar also starred with the ball, returning with figures of 4/38 in 9.1 overs.

---

#2 Yuvraj Singh - 84 runs

Former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was one of the key architects of India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup victory. The team benefitted from his all-round abilities in both ICC events.

Barring those two ICC tournaments, Yuvraj has also played many match-winning knocks in his career. Among all, the 84-run knock against Australia in the 2000 Champions Trophy (previously known as ICC Knockout) quarter-final stands out.

After a decent start from the top order batters, Yuvraj took matters into his own hands and crafted a well-compiled 80-ball 84-run knock. The left-handed batter smashed 12 boundaries and scored at a rate of 105.

Yuvraj's timely knock powered India to 265/9 in their 50 overs. Australia were in the run chase for most of the game, but the Men in Blue held their nerves to eke out a 20-run win.

---

#3 Ajay Jadeja - 71 runs

In the same game where Tendulkar took all the headlines with a 141-run knock, Ajay Jadeja played a knock while batting in the middle order away from the spotlight and media attention.

The stylish right-handed batter worked his way to 71 off just 65 deliveries before being unfortunately run out. Jadeja smashed five boundaries and one six to take his team to 307/8 in their 50 overs.

In reply, Australia were bundled out for 263 runs, paving the way for India reaching the semi-final.