India will seek to break their ICC knockout jinx against Australia when they face off in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday. Armed with a formidable spin arsenal and an intimate knowledge of conditions, India hope to overturn an unfavourable history against an understrength Australian side.
It will, however, be no simple task. Australia, even without their premier pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, remain a formidable force in global tournaments. Their stunning 352-run chase against England in Lahore underscored their resilience.
India’s last triumph over Australia in the knockout stage of an ICC event dates back to the 2011 World Cup quarter-final. Since then, they have faltered at crucial junctures—the 2015 World Cup semi-final, the 2023 World Cup final, and the 2023 World Test Championship final.
With spin likely to play a decisive role, India’s pre-tournament decision to field five spinners, initially met with scepticism, has proven astute on the sluggish Dubai pitches.
Also read: India's 'home-like' Dubai setup 'unfair', say England greats
The key to India’s dominance has been adaptability rather than sheer turn. Varun Chakravarthy provided insight into the approach, stating, "The pitch here is not a rank turner as such, which people were projecting it to be. But definitely it was holding on a bit, and it was deviating a little bit to create the doubt. So basically, you had to play around it."
The quartet of Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel dismantled New Zealand in the previous encounter, claiming nine wickets while stifling their batsmen with 128 dot balls in 39 overs.
Even the composed Kane Williamson succumbed to the mounting pressure, his charge against Axar Patel ending in a stumping by KL Rahul.
Australia, in contrast, will rely heavily on Adam Zampa, their lone specialist spinner, with part-timers Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head providing support.
The loss of Matthew Short to a calf injury has further depleted their spin options.
The Australian bowling attack has been under considerable strain, conceding 352 and 273 runs against England and Afghanistan, respectively.
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Shubman Gill will look to exploit these frailties on conditions they have now mastered.
Captain Rohit Sharma exuded confidence ahead of the encounter, stating, "It is going to be a good game. Australia has a rich history of playing well in ICC tournaments. Now, it’s about us to do things right. We have to be focused on what we need to do on that day. Looking forward to that, hopefully we can stitch one towards us."
Yet, Australia’s batting remains potent. Their ability to chase a 350-plus total against England without significant contributions from Travis Head and captain Steve Smith serves as a warning.
India will be particularly wary of Head, who has haunted them in recent years.
Beyond a place in the final, India will seek redemption for their 2023 World Cup final defeat to Australia. The match promises to be a tactical battle, one that may unfold slowly but is bound to deliver high drama.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa, Cooper Connolly.
Match starts at 2.30 pm IST.
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