On Tuesday, March 4, India and Australia will square off in the ICC Champions Trophy’s inaugural semifinal at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Both teams are undefeated in this competition and will aim to continue their winning ways moving into the championship game.
Following Australia’s victory in the 2023 ODI World Cup Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, when they won their sixth ODI World Cup championship, this will be the first time the two teams have faced each other in an ODI.
In their first match, Australia pulled off a historic chase against England, but their next two matches against South Africa and Afghanistan were both washouts. Before bad weather got in the way, the Kangaroos were in a strong position against Afghanistan and might have even succeeded.
India defeated New Zealand in their most recent game to make it three out of three in the tournament’s group stages. After being cut to 30/3 in the powerplay, India was in early distress, but Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer kept the ship afloat. Matt Henry’s fifer held India to what looked to be a below-par 249 after Hardik Pandya led the charge in the final overs.
Unlike their Kiwi counterparts, India’s spinners took over and kept the action under strict control. Kane Williamson made an effort to turn around New Zealand’s poor start, but the Kiwis were defeated by the strain of an ever-rising asking rate. In just his second ODI, Varun Chakravarthy played a fifer as the wrecker-in-chief.
ODI Stats and Records at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
The surface has been growing slower and slower as the tournament has progressed. The preferred option is arguably still to chase, but India proved they are no slouch if they get to bowl second here either.
| Matches Played | 61 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 23 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 36 |
| Matches With No Result | 01 |
| Matches Tied | 01 |
| Average First Innings Score | 229 |
| Highest Team Total | 355 |
| Highest Total Successfully Chased | 285 |
Top player battles to watch out for in India vs Australia:
The two have come up against each other in the format numerous times and the battles have ended in the Indian’s favour more often than not. While Zampa has dismissed Kohli five times, Kohli has made 264 runs at an average of 52.80 from 245 balls at a strike rate of 107.75.
The two teams’ hopes hinge on these two star players, and their battles will be important for the match. Smith has scored 118 runs from 111 balls against Shami while being dismissed four times for an average of 29.50 and strike rate of 106.30.
India
