3 player battles to watch out for in IND vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal ft. Hardik Pandya vs Travis Head

India and Australia will compete in the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal on Tuesday, March 4. The knockout match is set to be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

The Rohit Sharma-led side secured three wins from as many outings in the group stage, finishing as the table-toppers of Group A. Australia, on the other hand, were placed second in the points table of Group B.

They opened their campaign with a five-wicket victory against England. However, their remaining two encounters ended in a no result due to rain. The two sides have squared off against each other 151 times in ODIs.

Australia have 84 wins to their name, while India have 57 victories. 10 games ended without a result. However, Australia have had the upper hand in knockout matches in recent years.

India's last win against Australia in knockouts came during the 2011 ODI World Cup quarterfinal. The Men in Blue have lost to Australia in the 2015 ODI World Cup semifinal, 2023 ODI World Cup final, and 2023 World Test Championship final.

Ahead of the must-win tie, let's take a look at three matchups for the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal between the two cricketing giants.

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#1 Hardik Pandya (IND) vs Travis Head (AUS)

Travis Head was a thorn in the flesh for Rohit Sharma and Co. in the finals of the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) and 2023 ODI World Cup. He played a brilliant 163-run knock in the WTC final.

The swashbuckling opener finished with 137 runs off 120 balls in Australia's six-wicket win in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. As an opener, Head averages 75.33 against India, having scored 226 runs across four innings.

With the 2023 ODI World Cup final wounds still fresh in the memory of Indian fans, they would want to see Head back in the pavilion early. Hardik Pandya could be skipper Rohit Sharma's trump card against the dangerous batter.

Pandya has a knack for picking up crucial wickets and has enjoyed success against Head in the past. The pacer has bowled to the southpaw three times in the format and has succeeded in dismissing him twice.

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#2 Virat Kohli (IND) vs Adam Zampa (AUS)

Virat Kohli has had his share of struggles against leg spinners in the recent past. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, has been dismissed by leg spinners five times in six outings.

Australia's senior spinner Adam Zampa could pose a challenge to Kohli. The wrist-spinner has managed to dismiss Kohli five times in 14 ODI innings, while the batter has amassed 264 runs in 245 balls. The 32-year-old has claimed four wickets in two matches in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Kohli stole the show with his batting exploits in the group match against Pakistan. He notched up his 51st ODI ton, remaining unbeaten on 100 in 111 balls. He failed to score big against Bangladesh and New Zealand, losing his wickets for 22 and 11, respectively.

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#3 Rohit Sharma (IND) vs Ben Dwarshuis (AUS)

Team India captain Rohit Sharma has been troubled by left-arm fast bowlers in the past. The veteran opener perished to a sharp yorker from Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi earlier in the tournament.

He will be up against Australian seamer Ben Dwarshuis in the semifinal. The left-arm bowler is expected to bowl with the new ball. He has looked in impressive form in the competition, bagging six wickets in two innings.

Sharma has fallen to left-arm pacers 62 times in his ODI career. His contest with Dwarshuis will be a treat to watch for the viewers, considering his counterattacking approach in the powerplay overs.