India captain MS Dhoni: "Overall Australia played very good cricket. Over 300 is a very big score to chase, but I thought it was just over par. I felt the fast bowlers would have done slightly better. A lot of people didn't think we would get this far in the tournament, but in the knockout stages you have to raise your game.

"Shikhar Dhawan was batting freely, he didn't need to play the big shot. It was too many for me to chase. Our lower order really needs to work hard on their batting. I'm not sure whether it will be my last World Cup."

A nice handshake between captains Dhoni and Clarke as they wait to talk to television MC Mark Nicholas. It was a clash of the titans today - but even the most diehard Indian fan must surely concede that Australia were the better side.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"I didn't get Dhoni's innings today. He never sent the message he was really going for it. He hit those two sixes from Watson but he should have done that earlier. Dhoni didn't even dive for the run-out. He almost quit."

More from man of the match Steve Smith on TMS: "It is nice to score a few runs. It was a good track. I was able to get myself in and build a platform for the end. Mitch Johnson was important to get us a total.

"They started quite well but never really got away from us. Once we got the first wicket we were away. We have match-winners and they were able to do there stuff today. It was a great atmosphere."

On the final: "We said we want to be playing our best cricket at the end of the tournament. I don't think we've put a full game together yet so hopefully we will do that for the final."

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"Smith was outstanding today, he didn't break sweat and made the most of it. Cricket is played mostly in the mind, he's got a good cricket brain and reads the game well - he's got a couple of nice off-drives which he didn't have a year or two ago."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.

Nick Brett: On a day where the Indian spin bowlers went for around five an over, Australia's only spin bowler used five overs. Great credit for the pace attack, Hazlewood and Starc are ones to watch.

Andrew, Richhill: What a final we have in prospect at the MCG. The two host countries, the two pre-tournament favourites and the two form one-day teams going head-to-head for the big prize. Can't wait!

Shaakir: The two best bowling teams are in the final, while the two best batting teams are heading home. Who said cricket is a batsman's game?

Ilyas Najib: For the first time since 1987 there's no Asian team in the World Cup final, is there a power shift in world cricket? I think so. For all the IPLs, the double centuries, the year round cricket, it's an end of an era for India.

Gerard Whateley
BBC Test Match Special

"For such a gilt-edged final, I'd think it'll be a 100,000 sell-out at the MCG and the Melbourne public will be swinging from the rafters. They're putting extra planes on from New Zealand."

Australia batsman Steve Smith: "We thought 330 was around par, we knew we had to bowl and field well and the boys did a great job so roll on Melbourne. It's nice to contribute to a few wins. Me and Maxy were sure that Rahane hit that ball, so we went for the review.

"It's going to be an amazing moment to play a World Cup final against New Zealand - they've played some very good cricket. I hope I have more runs in the bank - a big hundred would be nice."

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Smith is named as man of the match for his 105 from 93 balls (and an excellent run-out being the icing on the cake).

The scorecard will make it look as though this was a fairly straightforward win for the men in canary yellow - but while MS Dhoni was there, India still believed. When he was run out, their candle was extinguished under the Sydney sky.

India 233 all out from 46.5 overs (target 329)

Fall of wickets: 76-1 (Dhawan 45), 78-2 (Kohli 1), 91-3 (Rohit 34), 108-4 (Raina 7), 178-5 (Rahane 44), 208-6 (Jadeja 16), 231-7 (Dhoni 65), 232-8 (Ashwin 5), 232-9 (Mohit 0), 233-10 (Yadav 0)

Not out batsman: Shami 1

Bowling figures: Starc 8.5-0-28-2, Hazlewood 10-1-41-1, Johnson 10-0-50-2, Faulkner 9-0-59-3, Maxwell 5-0-18-0, Watson 4-0-29-0

Australia 328-7: Smith 105, Finch 81, Yadav 4-72, Mohit 2-75

Australia won toss

Scorecard

So, the defending champions have been unceremoniously dethroned. And the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday will feature the two co-hosts - Australia and New Zealand.

Curiously, a win for Australia in the final would make them only the second country to lift the World Cup on home soil, after India in 2011.

And if New Zealand win, they'd be the second team after Sri Lanka in 1996 to win a World Cup as co-hosts, but playing the final in another country.

Image source, Getty Images

Allan Border
Ex-Australia captain on BBC Test Match Special

"Australia might have thought they were 20 or 30 short, but 328 has proven to be a very good score. The bowling and fielding for Australia was very good. It's a comprehensive win, a very professional performance."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.

Image source, AFP

AUSTRALIA BEAT INDIA BY 95 RUNS TO REACH WORLD CUP FINAL

Gerard Whateley
BBC Test Match Special

"Australia's dominance over India extends to the final day. Australia will meet New Zealand in the final in what is shaping up as one of the great days of Antipodean sport."

After teasing Yadav with a couple of deliveries, Starc ends the game by shattering the big paceman's stumps. And the fireworks start erupting over Sydney...

Image source, Getty Images

Gerard Whateley
BBC Test Match Special

"There was a bit of venom in that. He turned his head away from that, which is a dangerous thing to do. There is no mercy being shown by Mitchell Starc."

Shami, having lost two partners from successive deliveries, swipes Starc for a single to third man. Starc shows no mercy to Yadav, hitting the big paceman on the chin with a bouncer, and there's even a spot of blood via his helmet grille.

Image source, Getty Images

Yadav digs out a yorker to survive the hat-trick ball.

Theoretically, India need 97 from 24 balls to win. Not even hitting every ball for four would do it.