Ashleigh Barty and Samantha Stosur beat Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka in the deciding doubles rubber of their Fed Cup semi-final in Brisbane ©Getty Images

Ashleigh Barty and Samantha Stosur beat Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the deciding doubles rubber to send Australia through to their first Fed Cup final for 26 years.

Barty and Stosur recorded a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 victory to seal a 3-2 win for the host nation at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane.

Australia will face France, who upset Romania with a 3-2 victory in Rouen.

The ties were both level at 1-1 going into the second day and the teams again shared victories in the singles contests.

Barty moved Australia to within one win of the final when she outclassed Sabalenka 6-2, 6-2 to secure her second singles triumph of the weekend.

But Azarenka, a former world number one, thrashed surprised singles pick Stosur 6-1, 6-1 to send the encounter into a decider.

Australia will take on either France or Romania in November's final of the Fed Cup ©Getty Images
Australia will take on either France or Romania in November's final of the Fed Cup ©Getty Images

The Australian pair took the opener but were again pegged back by Belarus as Azarenka and Sabalenka claimed the second set.

Barty and Stosur, backed by a raucous crowd inside the venue, held their nerve in the third to give Australia the chance to earn their first Fed Cup crown in 45 years.

Simona Halep put Romania ahead in their clash with France at the Kindarena as the world number two fought back from a set down to claim a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 triumph.

Pauline Parmentier restored parity for France in the fourth singles rubber, defeating Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to send the tie into a deciding doubles match.

Halep and partner Monica Niculescu took the first set before Kristina Mladenovic and Garcia, spurred on by the home crowd, won the next two to earn a dramatic 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win and secure a place in November's final.