India is set to face Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Tuesday, March 4, at the Dubai International Stadium. The highly anticipated clash is scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM IST.
This marks the first meeting between India and Australia since the heartbreaking 2023 ODI World Cup final, where Australia emerged victorious. Team India will be eager to settle the score and book a place in the final.
India Road to the Semi-Final
India enters this match after a dominant win over New Zealand, where spinners played a crucial role, picking up 9 out of 10 wickets. Varun Chakravarthy starred with a five-wicket haul, raising questions about whether India will field four spinners or bring back an extra pacer.
Pitch Report: A Rank Turner Awaits
The Dubai pitch has been slow and sluggish throughout the tournament, favoring spinners.
- The semi-final pitch is expected to assist spinners heavily, making them the key players in this high-stakes clash.
- Batting first will be crucial, as chasing on a turning track could be extremely challenging.
- A score of 250+ will be a winning total, given the tough batting conditions.
- Dew is not expected to play a role, so toss-winning captains are likely to opt to bat first.
Weather Report: Ideal Cricketing Conditions
According to Accuweather.com, the weather in Dubai will be sunny during the day and clear at night.
- No rain is expected, ensuring a full 50-over contest.
- This will be Australia’s first complete match in the tournament since their opening victory over England.
Predicted Playing XIs
India Probable XI:
1️⃣ Rohit Sharma (c)
2️⃣ Shubman Gill
3️⃣ Virat Kohli
4️⃣ Shreyas Iyer
5️⃣ Axar Patel
6️⃣ KL Rahul (wk)
7️⃣ Hardik Pandya
8️⃣ Ravindra Jadeja
9️⃣ Mohammed Shami
🔟 Kuldeep Yadav
1️⃣1️⃣ Varun Chakravarthy
➡ Key Decision: Will India play an extra spinner or bring back a pacer?
Australia Probable XI:
1️⃣ Jake Fraser-McGurk
2️⃣ Travis Head
3️⃣ Steven Smith (c)
4️⃣ Marnus Labuschagne
5️⃣ Josh Inglis (wk)
6️⃣ Alex Carey
7️⃣ Glenn Maxwell
8️⃣ Sean Abbott
9️⃣ Nathan Ellis
🔟 Adam Zampa
1️⃣1️⃣ Tanveer Sangha
