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India will look to enter the final of yet another ICC tournament when they lock horns with Australia in the second semifinal of the 2025 Champions Trophy on Tuesday, March 4. As has been the norm throughout the competition, the Men in Blue will take to the field at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India finished at the top of Group A thanks to convincing wins over Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand. Australia made an immediate impression by beating England in spectacular fashion before consecutive washouts meant that they finished second in Group B behind South Africa.
All of that doesn't matter anymore, though, with a spot in the summit clash on the line. India-Australia encounters have always been high-quality, entertaining contests, and another iteration of the famous rivalry isn't far away.
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India's squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.
On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the India vs Australia Champions Trophy clash.
#3 How many more matches do India's veterans have at the top level?
India need to build towards major ICC events, and it's hard to judge whether some of the seniors in the side, particularly Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will be around when the 2027 World Cup comes along. The duo have retired from T20Is already, and their Test form has been nothing to write home about.
Given this uncertainty, how many more matches do Rohit and Kohli have at the top level? And how many more matches do they have in the format that has seen them shatter records and become two of the greatest of all time?
The answer to that might not be a high number. Each knockout game in a big tournament like this one could just end up being their last, and that's always something to look forward to.
#2 How will Australia replace Matt Short?
Australia have added Cooper Connolly to their squad as a replacement for Matt Short, who has partnered Travis Head at the top of the order throughout the Champions Trophy. But finding Short's replacement might not be a straightforward task.
If the Aussies want a like-for-like swap, Jake Fraser-McGurk is a viable option on the bench. The dynamic youngster is a box-office player but hasn't quite cracked the ODI format yet. If he plays, watching him go about his business against an undercooked Indian new-ball attack alongside Head will be a treat.
Even otherwise, entertainment is guaranteed. Josh Inglis, the other candidate to open the batting, recently smashed a statement hundred against England and is an excellent player of spin. Connolly himself has been in excellent nick across departments and had a prolific campaign in the Big Bash League for the Perth Scorchers.
Australia might not be at full strength, but they're still an exciting side packed with young talent.
#1 Can India break their Australia hoodoo in ODI tournaments?
The last two India-Australia knockout clashes in the ODI format, the 2015 World Cup semifinal and the 2023 World Cup final ended in favor of the latter. India have been the better side at points, but the Kangaroos have managed to get one over the Men in Blue more often than not.
On Tuesday, with Australia being far from full strength, can India finally break their ICC hoodoo? Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma will be desperate for a convincing win over the current World Cup holders, who are known to raise their game in knockout clashes.
Steve Smith's astute captaincy will no doubt elevate the Aussies, who will be keen on upsetting the Indian apple cart for the second successive ODI tournament. The crowd in Dubai has been pro-India, and Australia know a thing or two about silencing them. Can they? Yes. Will they? Only time will tell.
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