CRICKET/ICC Trophy: Damien Martyn top-scored with an unbeaten 73 to spur Australia into the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a six-wicket victory over India yesterday.

Martyn struck his second successive fifty with excellent support from Ricky Ponting, who hit 58 after all rounder Shane Watson hammered a 46-ball fifty.

The world champions eased to victory, reaching 252 for four with 4.2 overs to spare after restricting India to 249 for eight on a good batting pitch in the must-win final Group A tie.

In the semi-finals, Australia take on New Zealand in Mohali on Wednesday while South Africa meet holders West Indies in Jaipur on Thursday.

Indian opener Virender Sehwag hit 65 and skipper Rahul Dravid, who chose to bat first, made 52. But Glenn McGrath led a five-man pace attack and dashed hopes of a huge total on a pitch affording none of the seam movement seen in the last two games in Mohali when New Zealand and South Africa beat Pakistan to reach the last four.

McGrath won his personal duel by dismissing Sachin Tendulkar for 10, giving wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist his 400th one-day victim.

Watson set the tone for Australia's easy victory in an all-round display to boost his Ashes selection hopes before Martyn took over. The 35-year-old Martyn, who top-scored with 78 in the six-wicket victory over England in the previous game, again dug in after Ponting and Watson had laid the foundation.

The stylish batsman hit eight fours in his 104-ball effort, his 37th one-day fifty.

Watson, 25, played punishing shots against seamers Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel in a 61-run opening partnership with Adam Gilchrist (23).

Having taken one for 48 from nine overs, Watson then braved cramp to add 50 runs for the second wicket with Ponting.

Watson was trapped leg before by occasional left-arm spinner Dinesh Mongia, but Ponting and Damien displayed their class, negating the threat of off spinner Harbhajan Singh, who returned 0-49 from 10 overs.

Ponting hammered Sreesanth for a string of fours to reach his 54th one-day fifty before edging the bowler, back for his second spell, to a diving Tendulkar at first slip.

Earlier, Sehwag gave India a solid start and forced the erratic Brett Lee off the attack after he conceded 27 runs in his first three overs. However, left-arm Mitchell Johnson trapped him leg before to end his risky knock and help peg back the scoring.

McGrath took two for 34 while Lee and Nathan Bracken also claimed two wickets apiece.