India and Australia will face off in the Champions Trophy 2025’s opening semi-final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, March 4. India won all three of their group-stage matches against Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand, respectively, to take the lead in Group A. Australia, on the other hand, placed second in Group B with four points from three games, two of which came from canceled matches against Afghanistan and South Africa, respectively.
The 2015 World Cup was the last time India and Australia faced off in an ICC tournament semi-final.
At the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 26, 2015, the co-hosts and eventual champions won the tournament’s second semi-final by a score of 95 runs. After winning the toss, Australia chose to bat first and amassed 328/7 in their 50-over quota. Regarding the run-chase, India was dismissed for 233 in 46.5 overs.
David Warner was dismissed on the first delivery of the fourth over, giving India a strong start to the high-stakes match. But from that moment on, Steve Smith took the lead. When his team really needed a big score that edition, the explosive hitter scored his first century. Smith left after scoring 105 runs off of 93 balls at a good rate. Aaron Finch, the innings’ second-leading run scorer, was also an important cog in the machine. Together with Smith’s century, his hit of 81 helped Australia reach a total of more over 300. Important contributions also came from cameos by Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner.
The Indian bowling team had one of their occasional off days. They had performed incredibly well in their league phase matches up to that specific match. From their opening Pool B match against Pakistan to their 109-run victory against Bangladesh in the quarterfinals, they had bowled out every opponent. They were never able to stop the flow of runs against the Australians, though. Umesh Yadav ended up giving up 72 runs in the nine overs he bowled, even though he took four wickets. There was just one wicket taken by the spin combination of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, the top-order duo, got off to a quick start. They scored more runs than a run-a-ball pace for the majority of their 76-run stand. But the two were unable to reach their half-centuries. Virat Kohli, the star batsman, found it difficult to get going and returned for only one run off of 13 deliveries. In a last-ditch effort to rebuild, India was four behind by the midway point. Only a few boundaries made up Ajinkya Rahane’s 44 (68), as the batter was having trouble getting going. With an innings of 65 runs, captain MS Dhoni became the team’s top scorer.
The elimination of Dhoni in the 45th over meant that the Indian innings was almost done. Due to Australia’s dominance over India, the tail was cleaned up with ease. After their first stint, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood’s new-ball combination recovered impressively, taking two and one wicket, respectively. James Faulkner and Mitchell Johnson’s left-wing coalition divided the opposition in half. Moreover, Maxwell’s part-time off-spin worked nicely. In the five overs that were allotted to him, he ultimately gave up just 18 runs.
Looking at the current situation, only six of the 22 players from the 2015 match are still in the squads (Smith and Maxwell for Australia, and Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja, and Shami for India). Cricket players’ mindsets have changed significantly along with the times, which have seen major changes.
The deck in Sydney will undoubtedly unfold somewhat differently than the one in Dubai. A tired track can be anticipated for both teams, as seen in the 2025 ILT20 and the three matches played at the DICS in the current event. It may be more advantageous for both teams to win the toss and choose to bowl first. Nonetheless, it is anticipated that spinners will be crucial in both innings. It is anticipated that the pitch’s dryness would make batting difficult, and both teams will want to establish important partnerships during their individual innings.
India
