India will face Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, March 4.
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India vs Australia: Preview
“There’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent.”
The last time India met Australia in an ODI was in the final of the 2023 World Cup—a defeat that left 1.4 billion Indians heartbroken. Australia had two objectives that night: to claim the World Cup and to silence the 130,000-strong crowd at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Now, in another ICC knockout clash, India and Rohit Sharma may feel they have unfinished business.
The Australia of 2025 is not the Australia of 2023. Crucially, the man behind the now-famous words about silencing the Ahmedabad crowd—and the enforcer of their bowling attack—is absent. With Pat Cummins and his new-ball partner Mitchell Starc missing, Australia’s once-lethal pace duo is no longer a factor, significantly dulling their early threat.
India, too, are without Jasprit Bumrah, but Rohit Sharma’s side may have only grown stronger since that fateful night. They now boast even more match-winners, along with a key X-Factor in Varun Chakaravarthy, who thrives in a high-quality spin unit featuring Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav—another X-Factor in his own right. With the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) surface expected to favor spinners, India hold the advantage. This game is theirs to lose.
Pat Cummins won’t be in Dubai on Tuesday, but the words he spoke on November 18, 2023, will resonate. The players might not dwell on them, but fans across the world likely will—if not on the exact words, then on the broader sentiment they embody.
Since their quarter-final triumph at the 2011 World Cup, India and Australia have crossed paths four times in ICC ODI tournaments, sharing two wins apiece. India’s victories came in the round-robin stages of the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, while Australia triumphed in the 2015 semi-finals and the 2023 final.
Much has changed since November 19, 2023, and Tuesday’s Champions Trophy semi-final will see a redefined Indian team take on a markedly different Australian side. Yet, the essence of that fateful World Cup final remains. India had assembled a team for the ages, steamrolling opponents with relentless dominance—until they met an Australian side that, while perhaps not superior, was certainly formidable enough to outplay them on the day. If cricket ever had its own Maracanazo, that was it.
The gulf between the two teams in this tournament is even more pronounced, with Australia missing their entire first-choice pace attack—an absence further amplified by the conditions in Dubai. However, in a one-off contest, such disparities matter less than they do over a series or league. Australia still possess enough firepower to bridge the gap, particularly with the game-changing prowess of Travis Head at the top of the order (as if India need a reminder of his impact), the solidity of their middle order, and the threat posed by Adam Zampa’s leg spin.
For India, questions that lingered quietly through the group stage now take on greater urgency. Virat Kohli has just reached the milestone of 300 ODIs—how many more remain? The same uncertainty surrounds Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Having stepped away from T20Is after India’s World Cup triumph last year, are they eyeing the 2027 ODI World Cup, or could this Champions Trophy be their final chapter?
Whenever their time comes, they will undoubtedly want another ODI trophy to mark their farewell. All three were part of India’s 2013 Champions Trophy-winning squad, and Kohli also has a 2011 World Cup medal. But the current generation they have helped shape—a team that might be India’s best-ever in ODIs—still lacks the silverware to cement its legacy.
“It’s a great opposition to play against. All we had to do is what we’ve been thinking about the last three games (which India won). And we have to approach that game in a similar fashion. We understand the opposition and how they play and stuff like that. But I think the more and more we focus on what we need to do as a group, as a player, as a batting unit, as a bowling unit, that helps us a lot,” Rohit Sharma remarked on the eve of the semifinal.
When discussing the bowling unit, the team management faces a key decision—whether to opt for an additional spinner or pacer. The primary dilemma centers around bringing in Chakaravarthy, who delivered a match-winning performance against New Zealand on Sunday. Despite having just two ODIs to his name, the Tamil Nadu spinner remains a potent weapon. It’s the kind of selection conundrum that Rohit often refers to as a ‘happy headache.’
One of India’s biggest strengths heading into this clash is the form of their middle order. Even in the absence of substantial contributions from the top three, the team managed to post a winning total against New Zealand. Shreyas Iyer’s consistency, coupled with the composed finishes from Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya, significantly bolsters India’s chances in this high-stakes encounter.
However, there are some pressing concerns as well. Virat Kohli’s battle against Adam Zampa continues to be a worrying matchup, with the Australian leg-spinner dismissing him five times—more than any other Indian batter. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma’s struggles against left-arm pacers persist, and with Australia fielding two in Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis, his approach against them will be closely watched. Additionally, Rohit’s tendency to adopt a T20 mindset in ODIs—despite the extra time available—remains a talking point.
Then there’s the ever-present threat of Travis Head. A known tormentor of the Indian side, he played a starring role in Cummins’ ‘silencing’ masterclass in Ahmedabad with a blistering century. Australia, however, may feel the absence of a second frontline spinner, relying solely on Zampa, just as much as they will miss their premier pacers, Cummins and Starc.
But as Rohit Sharma aptly put it, “Australia have been a great team over the years. So, we will expect some fight backs. We will expect some nervy times as well in the middle.”
Australia have played spoiler before. Now, they stand in India’s way once again.
India vs Australia: Head-to-head
- Total Matches Played: 151
- India Wins: 57
- Australia Wins: 84
- Tied Matches: 0
- No Result Matches: 10
- First-ever Fixture: December 6, 1980
- Most-recent Fixture: November 19, 2023
India vs Australia: Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
The pitch for this semi-final is the same surface where India faced Pakistan on February 23. It has behaved similarly to the tracks used in India’s matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand, with one key trend emerging. In all three games, spinners have averaged 42.22 while conceding 4.81 runs per over in the first innings. In contrast, their numbers improve significantly in the second innings, averaging 24.76 at an economy rate of 4.18.
Dubai’s pitches have consistently slowed down over the course of 100 overs. With dew unlikely to play a major role at this time of year, the captain winning the toss might be inclined to bat first.
A bright and sunny day is forecast in Dubai, with temperatures reaching a high of 29°C.
India have now lost 13 consecutive tosses, but Rohit Sharma isn’t likely to dwell too much on his continued misfortune with the coin. The Indian team is well-versed in these conditions and ready to either set or chase a target. For Steve Smith, however, winning the toss could present a challenging decision.
India vs Australia: Recent Form
India: WWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
Australia: WLLLL
India vs Australia: Team News and Predicted XI
India – Team News
India face a key selection dilemma: should they field four spinners or stick with three? And if they opt for three, which ones make the cut? This debate has intensified after Varun Chakaravarthy’s match-winning five-wicket haul against New Zealand. The decision will largely hinge on the playing surface— the same pitch used for India’s clash against Pakistan on February 23.
While no major changes are expected in the Indian XI, Rohit Sharma remained non-committal about retaining Chakaravarthy as the fourth spinner. The team is strongly considering keeping him, given his recent impact, but the final call will depend on pitch conditions. There is also a remote possibility of Arshdeep Singh replacing Mohammed Shami, who has yet to make a significant mark in the tournament.
India – Predicted XI
- Rohit Sharma (capt)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- Axar Patel
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
- Varun Chakravarthy
Australia – Team News
Australia have added Cooper Connolly to their squad as a replacement for the injured Matt Short, and the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder is likely to feature, given the conditions in Dubai. Short’s absence not only leaves a vacancy at the top of the order but also deprives Australia of an offspinner who delivered an economical spell of 7-0-21-0 in their previous game.
If Connolly plays, Australia must decide on a new opening partner for Travis Head. Josh Inglis appears to be the frontrunner, having opened in their three-match home ODI series against West Indies last year, where he scored 65, 9, and an unbeaten 35. Another possibility is the inclusion of Jake Fraser-McGurk as a like-for-like batting replacement, though he wouldn’t provide the off-spin option that Short offered.
Australia may also consider fielding a second specialist spinner in Tanveer Sangha if the pitch conditions warrant it, potentially at the expense of a pacer. The final XI will likely be shaped by how the surface is expected to behave.
Australia – Predicted XI
- Travis Head
- Josh Inglis (wk)
- Steven Smith (capt)
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Cooper Connolly
- Alex Carey
- Glenn Maxwell
- Ben Dwarshuis
- Nathan Ellis
- Spencer Johnson
- Adam Zampa
India vs Australia: Players To Watch Out For
Rohit Sharma (India)
Less than a month ago, amid intense speculation about his international future, Rohit Sharma silenced doubts with a stunning century against England, reaffirming his status as one of the most formidable ODI openers.
While he has made promising starts in all three of India’s group-stage matches, his highest score in the Champions Trophy so far stands at 41. India would be delighted if he can surpass that in this crucial semi-final.
Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
Since the start of 2022, Glenn Maxwell boasts the highest strike rate (141.49) among batters with at least 200 ODI runs against spin. However, he is the only player among the top 12 on that list to average below 40 (37.81) against spin. While he can dismantle spinners like few others, his aggressive approach also presents opportunities for them.
This duality in Maxwell’s game could be a decisive factor against an Indian side featuring three world-class spinners, possibly even four. Additionally, his offspin could play a pivotal role for Australia, much like his crucial dismissal of Rohit Sharma in the 2023 World Cup final.
India vs Australia: Prediction
Scenario 1
- Toss: India win the toss and opt to bowl first
- Powerplay Score: 45-50
- Australia Total: 255-260
- Match Result: India win the match
Scenario 2
- Toss: Australia win the toss and opt to bowl first
- Powerplay Score: 50-55
- India Total: 260-265
- Match Result: Australia win the match
When and Where To Watch India vs New Zealand LIVE? Broadcast and Streaming Details
The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 first semi-final between India and Australia is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai in United Arab Emirates. The match will commence at 2:30 PM IST, with the toss set for 2:00 PM. Fans can watch the live broadcast on the Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.
Read More: IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane Named Kolkata Knight Riders Captain for IPL
FAQs
What are India’s key selection dilemmas for the semi-final?
India must decide whether to play three or four spinners, with Varun Chakravarthy’s inclusion being a key question. There is also a slim chance of Arshdeep Singh replacing Mohammed Shami.
How have the Dubai pitches behaved in this tournament?
The pitches have slowed down over 100 overs, favoring spinners in the second innings. With dew not being a major factor, teams may prefer batting first.
Who are Australia’s potential replacements for Matt Short?
Cooper Connolly is the likely replacement, given the conditions, while Josh Inglis may open alongside Travis Head. Tanveer Sangha is another option if Australia opts for a second specialist spinner.
How has Rohit Sharma performed in this tournament so far?
Despite getting starts in all three group-stage matches, his highest score remains 41. However, his recent century against England proves he is still one of the most dangerous ODI openers.
Why is Glenn Maxwell a crucial player in this match?
Maxwell has the highest strike rate (141.49) against spin since 2022 but also a relatively low average (37.81), making him both a threat and a potential liability. His offspin could also be key for Australia, as seen in the 2023 World Cup final.
