Steven Smith struck a 93-ball 105 as Australia set up a World Cup final against fellow co-hosts New Zealand with a 95-run victory over holders India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The 25-year-old made good on Michael Clarke’s decision to make first use with a fourth one-day international hundred, arriving from 89 deliveries,
Smith added a match-winning 182 in 31 overs with opening batsman Aaron Finch, who compiled a patient 81, but India’s bowlers fought back.
They took four wickets for just 51 runs, leaving James Faulkner, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson with the responsibility of lifting their side to 328 for seven with late cameos.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan shared an opening stand of 76 but Australia kept chipping away, Smith also starring in the field by prompting Clarke to review a caught-behind appeal that accounted for Ajinkya Rahane on 44, ending a stand of 70 with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, before running out Ravindra Jadeja with a direct-hit.
Although Dhoni made a run-a-ball 65, India were dismissed for 233 in the 47th over.
Victory means Australia will have home advantage when they take on New Zealand, who secured a dramatic win in Auckland when the two sides met in Pool A earlier in the tournament, in the showpiece at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Man-of-the-match Smith, who has hit five centuries against India since they started their tour of Australia four months ago, said: "We thought 330 was around par, we had to bowl and field well, the boys did a terrific job, so hang on Melbourne.
“(It was a) big stage tonight, semi-final of a World Cup, and just nice to get over the line at the end.”
On the caught-behind referral, Smith said: “Me and Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) thought 'I'm sure he hit that', they looked upstairs and there it was. Nice one to get.”
Australia lost David Warner early, a leading edge from an attempted pull off Umesh Yadav lofting to cover, the ball after hitting a maximum in the previous over.
But Smith, with 11 fours and two sixes, and Finch thwarted India’s progress with a stand that set the platform for the hosts.
While Finch scratched around, Smith was playing fluently and that was no more evident than in the 10th over when he took Yadav for a quartet of fours.
The right-hander used his crease and pulled exceptionally well, collecting 77 of his 105 runs on the leg side.
Smith fell during the batting powerplay, which brought 64 runs for just his wicket, when he succumbed to another Yadav bouncer and was taken at deep square-leg.
That was the start of India fighting back, Finch and Clarke following Maxwell back to the pavilion in the space of six overs.
Although that hampered their progress, Australia took 78 off the last seven overs as Faulkner smashed a 12-ball 21, Watson added 28 and Johnson hit 27 not out off nine deliveries, the former becoming a fourth victim for Yadav.
Rohit and Dhawan started the India chase superbly, taking the score to 76 in the 13th over before the latter, on 45, squirted Josh Hazlewood to Maxwell at deep-cover.
Australia then seized their opportunity, Johnson having a frustrated Virat Kohli caught by Brad Haddin off a top-edge and bowling Rohit the ball after conceding a maximum.
India’s hopes worsened when Suresh Raina tickled Faulkner behind to leave the score 108 for four in the 23rd over.
WICKET:Brilliant from Steve Smith to run out Jadeja & India close to miracle territory here. 208/6, SS World Cup now. pic.twitter.com/GdMSkCxj0G
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 26, 2015
Rahane and Dhoni, dropped on 43 by Clarke, kept India’s hopes alive until Smith went with his instincts and promoted his skipper to use a review successfully, shortly before hitting the stumps at backward point to leave Jadeja short of his ground.
Dhoni kept going, starting the 42nd over from Watson with consecutive maximums, but fell in similar circumstances to Rahane, Maxwell with the clean throw on this occasion.
Faulkner then bowled Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohit Sharma in successive deliveries, with Mitchell Starc wrapping up the win by breaching the defences of Yadav, who was hit in the chin by a bouncer earlier in the over.
Dhoni said: "They played very good cricket, over 300 is always a difficult score. I felt it was just over par, they could have had 350.
“We started okay but they bowled well, they got the reverse-swing going.”
20 - Mitchell Starc (20) is now the second-highest wicket-taker at #CWC15, behind Trent Boult. Lefties. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/GyVvhoq0mm
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) March 26, 2015