Steve Smith and Alex Carey led Australia’s charge with half-centuries as the team posted 264 all out in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy against India in Dubai on Tuesday.
Opting to bat first, Smith scored 73, while Carey contributed 61, setting the highest total at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the ongoing 50-over tournament.
Mohammed Shami was the standout bowler for India, claiming 3-48 as Australia’s innings lasted 49.3 overs. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets each.
Australia's openers struggled early under pressure from India’s disciplined new-ball attack. Cooper Connolly, replacing the injured Matthew Short, was dismissed for a duck after an edge to wicketkeeper KL Rahul off Shami was confirmed by a successful review.
Travis Head responded with an aggressive knock of 39, hitting a series of boundaries, but was dismissed by Chakravarthy in the spinner's second over. This left Australia at 54-2.
Smith and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the ship, with Labuschagne breaking his 50-ball boundary drought to help Australia reach 100 with a six off Axar Patel.
However, Jadeja dismissed Labuschagne for 29, and Smith reached his 35th ODI half-century before falling to Shami’s full toss.
Carey, who reached his fifty, and Ben Dwarshuis (19) continued to push the total, but Chakravarthy’s dismissal of Dwarshuis and Carey’s run-out by Shreyas Iyer left Australia all out.
Despite losing wickets, Australia surpassed the previous highest total at the venue in this tournament, when India made 249 in a victory over New Zealand.
India, having won all three of their group matches, are now poised for the final, where they will face either South Africa or New Zealand. This is the first ODI between India and Australia since the World Cup final.
Playing XI:
Australia: Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
Pitch Report:
The Dubai International Stadium has proven to be a tough venue for batters, with high totals being a rarity. In 59 ODIs played at the venue, teams have managed to cross the 300-run mark only four times, with the last instance coming in 2019 when Pakistan achieved the feat.
So far in this tournament, the highest first-innings total at the stadium has been 249, which India posted against New Zealand in their previous match. India successfully defended the score, bowling New Zealand out for 204.
In earlier games, Bangladesh and Pakistan managed 228 and 241, respectively, in their first innings against India.
Historical data suggests that batting conditions tend to improve slightly in the second innings. The average runs per wicket rise from 25 in the first innings to 29 in the second, indicating a marginal advantage for teams chasing.
Spinners are expected to play a crucial role, especially given India’s dominance in their last outing. Against New Zealand, India’s spinners claimed nine out of 10 wickets, with Varun Chakaravarthy picking up a five-wicket haul—only the second spinner to do so at the venue after Shahid Afridi in 2009.
Despite the recent success of spinners, Dubai has generally been more favourable to seamers. In 61 ODIs, pacers have taken 486 wickets at an average of over 28 and an economy rate of 4.80. Spinners, while more economical at 4.27 runs per over, have been less prolific, taking only 342 wickets at an average of 30.
India's Dubai advantage:
The ICC, led by former Indian board secretary Jay Shah, has faced criticism for allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai, which some view as an unfair advantage.
Unlike Group A teams that traveled between Pakistan and Dubai, India have remained at a single venue, gaining familiarity with the conditions. Matches in Dubai have been low-scoring, with spinners playing a key role.
A depleted Australian side, weakened by injuries, presents India with an opportunity to settle past scores. Australia defeated them in both the 2023 World Test Championship and 50-over World Cup finals.
India will also be wary of Travis Head, who struck match-winning centuries in both those finals and has regained form at a crucial time.
Head-to-head:
India and Australia have a long-standing rivalry in One Day Internationals (ODIs), having faced each other 151 times. Australia hold the upper hand with 84 wins, while India have emerged victorious on 57 occasions. Ten matches have ended without a result.
ICC ODI World Cup:
India and Australia have met multiple times in ICC ODI World Cups, producing several memorable encounters. Their first clash came in the 1983 group stage, where both teams won one match each. Australia dominated the contests in the late 1980s and 1990s, winning four consecutive matches, including a thrilling one-run victory in 1987 and another by the same margin in 1992.
In the 2003 World Cup, Australia crushed India by 125 runs in the final, with Ricky Ponting’s dominant century sealing the title. India had their moment in 2011 when they knocked out Australia in the quarter-finals, courtesy of Yuvraj Singh’s match-winning performance. However, Australia returned the favour in the 2015 semi-final with a 95-run win.
The rivalry continued in the 2019 and 2023 editions, with India winning their group-stage encounters in both tournaments. However, Australia had the final say in 2023, defeating India by six wickets in the final at Ahmedabad, led by Travis Head’s remarkable century.
ICC Champions Trophy:
In the ICC Champions Trophy, India and Australia have crossed paths four times before their upcoming semi-final in the 2025 edition. India won their first two meetings in the knockout stages of the 1998 and 2000 tournaments, with Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh starring in those victories. Australia got their revenge in 2006 with a six-wicket win in the group stage. Their 2009 clash ended with no result.
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