India booked a semifinal spot in the World Twenty20 and knocked Australia out thanks to magical unbeaten 82 off 51 balls from Virat Kohli at Mohali on Sunday. The 27-year-old's masterclass, laced with nine fours and two sixes, helped the hosts chase down Australia's 160 in fine style, with six wickets and five balls to spare. India will face the West Indies in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

After winning the toss and opting to bat on a surface that promised to slow down as the match progressed, Australia got off to a flying start. Usman Khawaja (26 off 16 balls) and Aaron Finch (43 off 34 balls) took the Australians to 53/0 in just four overs, before some tight bowling by Ashish Nehra, Ravindra Jadeja and Yuvraj Singh brought the run-rate down. Glenn Maxwell then hit a 28-ball 31 to take the Australians to a competitive 160/6 in 20 overs.

For a majority of India's chase, they looked down and out. The top order was dismissed cheaply, and after Yuvraj twisted his ankle and struggled to an 18-ball 21, the required run-rate touched 12 an over at one point. However, with the tranquil stability of skipper MS Dhoni for company, Kohli took off in the death overs, neatly piercing the gaps in the field with controlled aggression. Together, the duo took India home with five balls to spare after needing 47 runs in four overs at one point. Unsurprisingly, Dhoni hit the winning boundary, ending unbeaten on 18 off 10 balls, but it was his esteemed partner who once again proved he is one of the best finishers, if not the best batsman, in the world.