DUBAI: Muhammad Shami picked three wickets as Australia managed to score 264 against India in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025 on Tuesday.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the all-important knock out stage of the Champions Trophy 2025.
After opting to bat, Australia were bowled out for 264 in 49.3 overs.
Former champions had a poor start as their new opener, Cooper Connolly, was dismissed for a duck after playing nine deliveries.
After the first wicket, Head and Steve Smith added a quick-fire stand of 50 runs. Travis Head smashed five fours and two sixes in his 39 off 33 deliveries before being dismissed off Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia lost wickets at regular intervals, but Steve Smith remained firm at one end and kept the scoreboard ticking with crucial partnerships.
He formed a crucial 54-run partnership with Alex Carey for the fifth wicket, bringing Australia close to 200 runs.
Smith remained the top scorer with his gritty knock of 73 runs, which featured four fours and one six.
After Smith’s departure in the 37 overs, Alex Carey took the charge and helped Australia reach a competitive total. He scored 61 off 59 deliveries, with eight fours and one six.
Mohammed Shami was the stand-out bowler for India with 3 three wickets, while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja bagged two wickets.
Australia have brought in Cooper Connolly for Matt Short and Tanveer Sangha replaced Spencer Johnson.
India remain unchanged from their Playing XI for their last group-stage game against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Mohammed Shami.
Australia Playing XI: Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha.
India have topped Group A after winning three games in the group stage. Australia, on the other hand, won a game while two of their Champions Trophy 2025 matches were washed out.
Ahead of the game, Australia captain Steve Smith said that he expected the Dubai pitch to offer spin to the bowlers.
Read more: India brace for ‘nervy times’ against Australia in semi-final
“The game’s probably won and lost how we play this spin, particularly in the middle overs, the way we get through there. It’s going to be a challenge. I think that there’s going to be some spin by the looks of it, looking at the surface,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
It is to be noted here that the second semi-final of the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 between New Zealand and South Africa is scheduled for March 5 in Lahore.
The winners of these two matches will meet in the final on Sunday, March 9, with the venue yet to be confirmed.
