World
India
Shreyas Iyer displayed incredible fielding skills as he executed a direct hit from the deep to run out Alex Carey. This crucial moment significantly dented Australia’s chances of reaching a competitive total of 280, leaving them with only two wickets in hand. Iyer’s quick reflexes and sharp accuracy on the field provided India with a much-needed breakthrough, coming shortly after Varun Chakaravarthy claimed his second wicket of the match.
Key Wickets for India
Earlier in the game, India made significant breakthroughs with Axar Patel clean-bowling Glenn Maxwell, right after Mohammed Shami dismissed Steve Smith. Smith, who was looking set for a century, fell short at 73, providing India with a major sigh of relief. Despite the early setbacks, Australia still had Alex Carey at the crease, who was in fine form and keeping their hopes alive.
Ravindra Jadeja also played a vital role in India’s comeback by dismissing Josh Inglis, who ended up giving a simple catch to Virat Kohli. Before this, Jadeja had trapped Marnus Labuschagne LBW for 29, breaking a crucial 56-run stand between him and Smith. Smith had a fortunate stay at the crease, surviving multiple close calls, including a dropped caught-and-bowled opportunity.
Early Wickets and Head’s Resistance
Varun Chakaravarthy, in his very first over, dismissed the dangerous Travis Head for 39. Head had looked threatening with five boundaries and two sixes before falling to Chakaravarthy’s deceptive bowling. Before this, India struck early in the third over as Mohammed Shami removed Cooper Connolly for a duck. This dismissal came as redemption for Shami, who had dropped Head off his own bowling on the very first delivery of the match.
Australia had won the toss yet again, with captain Steve Smith opting to bat first. India, however, retained their unchanged playing XI, while Australia made two changes: Cooper Connolly replaced the injured Matthew Short, and Jason Sangha came in for Spencer Johnson.
India’s Historical Battle Against Australia
While Australia has often been a dominant force in international cricket, India enjoyed a strong record against them from 2016 to 2021. During this period, India won key encounters in ICC tournaments and secured multiple Border-Gavaskar Trophy victories. However, in recent years, Australia has reasserted its dominance, inflicting painful defeats on India, including in the 2023 World Cup final and the World Test Championship final.
For younger Indian cricket fans, this recent struggle might come as a surprise, but older fans see it as a return to history. In major tournaments, Australia has traditionally been India’s toughest challenge, as was evident in the 2003 World Cup final when Sourav Ganguly’s team suffered a heavy defeat.
India vs Australia: Playing XIs
India’s Playing XI:
- Openers: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill
- Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper)
- All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja
- Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
Australia’s Playing XI:
- Openers: Cooper Connolly, Travis Head
- Middle Order: Steve Smith (Captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (Wicketkeeper), Alex Carey
- All-rounder: Glenn Maxwell
- Bowlers: Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha
Head-to-Head Record in ODIs
- Total Matches Played: 151
- Australia Wins: 84
- India Wins: 57
- Ties/No Result: 10
India’s Recent Struggles Against Australia
Since 2021, Australia has continued to trouble India in crucial matches. Their triumph over India in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad remains fresh in fans’ minds. Before that, they also won the World Test Championship final, denying India the coveted trophy. Despite India’s continued dominance in Test series, Australia managed to dismantle them in early 2024 and 2025, resulting in India missing out on the latest WTC final.
The Travis Head Factor
One of India’s biggest concerns heading into this match was Travis Head. The Australian batter has been a nightmare for India in recent years, averaging 43.12 in ODIs against them. His most crucial knock came in the 2023 World Cup final, where his century led Australia to victory. Although he fell for just six runs against England in the current tournament, his form against Afghanistan suggested he was getting back into rhythm before rain interrupted the match.
Australia’s Disrupted Tournament Run
While Australia boasts a strong batting lineup, their campaign in the 2025 Champions Trophy has been affected by rain interruptions. They have played just one complete match so far—a high-scoring win against England. Their second match against South Africa was entirely washed out, and their third game against Afghanistan was heavily rain-affected, allowing their batters limited opportunities.
India’s Strategy in Dubai
India will need to be cautious and strategic, given their recent struggles against Australia. Despite playing all their matches in Dubai while other teams traveled across different cities and countries, captain Rohit Sharma dismissed any notions of home advantage. India is expected to stick with the same playing XI that convincingly defeated New Zealand, with Varun Chakravarthy likely to retain his spot after his match-winning five-wicket haul in the previous game.
Rohit’s form at the top could be crucial. His aggressive approach in the early overs has affected his consistency, but if he finds his rhythm, India could stand a strong chance. His blistering 92 off 41 balls in the 2024 T20 World Cup against Australia was a game-changer, and India will hope for a similar performance from their captain.
Key Moments from the India vs Australia Semi-final
- Axar Patel dismissed Glenn Maxwell for 7
- Mohammed Shami bowled Steve Smith for 73
- Smith and Labuschagne’s 56-run stand was broken by Jadeja
- Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Travis Head for 39
- Shami dropped Head on 0 but later redeemed himself
- Australia won the toss and chose to bat first
Shami’s Crucial Third Wicket
Australia was hoping to push past 250 runs, but Shami struck again, dismissing Nathan Ellis after he hit a six off the previous ball. Shami finished with impressive figures of 3/48, ensuring that Australia was down to their last wicket as the innings neared its end.
Shreyas Iyer’s Game-Changing Run-Out
In a stunning moment of fielding brilliance, Shreyas Iyer ran out Alex Carey. As Carey attempted a second run, Iyer sprinted, picked up the ball, and threw it directly at the stumps from a long distance. His exceptional fielding reduced Australia’s total by at least 15-20 runs, limiting them to 249/8 in 47.1 overs.
