Australia have won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Australian skipper Steve Smith said, “We’ll have a bat. Looks a pretty dry surface. The guys had a couple of sessions and are ready to go. It should take turn. India is a very good side.” Australia made two changes, with Cooper Connolly replacing Matthew Short and Tanveer Sangha coming in for Spencer Johnson.
This is the first meeting between the two teams in an ICC event since Australia stunned a packed Ahmedabad fans to lift the World Cup on 19 November 2023. Travis Head, the hero of that night, has been a consistent performer against India across all formats. With a place in the final at stake, another thrilling chapter in this storied rivalry is on the cards.
The surface is as dry and cracked, likely to assist spinners as the match progresses. The dimensions of the ground 77m straight and square boundaries measuring 69m and 62m suggest strokeplay will be key. “Win the toss and bat first,” was their verdict.
India captain Rohit Sharma, unfazed by losing the toss, remarked, “I was prepared to do both. When you’re confused, it’s better to lose the toss. The pitch keeps changing its nature. We’ve played good cricket in all three games, and that’s what we’ll try to do. It’s going to be challenging.”* India field an unchanged XI.
With both teams eyeing a place in the final, an intense contest is on the horizon.
Teams:
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia (Playing XI): Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha
