"For how long will you keep Head quiet?" - Aakash Chopra on AUS vs SA 2025 Champions Trophy clash

Former India player Aakash Chopra expects an enticing battle between Australia's batting and South Africa's bowling in their 2025 Champions Trophy clash. He chose 'Travis Head vs Kagiso Rabada' as the contest to watch out for, opining that the destructive Australia opener can't be kept quiet for long.

Australia will square off against South Africa in a 2025 Champions Trophy Group B game in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, February 25. Both sides won their respective tournament openers, with the Aussies beating England by five wickets and the Proteas trouncing Afghanistan by 107 runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener opined that Tuesday's clash would see a riveting battle between Australia's batting and South Africa's bowling, with Head being the Aussie batter in focus.

"Australia's batting might will be up against South Africa's bowling. South Africa's bowling has a bit more to offer and they have options (as compared to England). Travis Head had failed and Steve Smith had failed along with him but Australia still chased 350 runs easily," he said (15:15).

"If you see from that point of view, there is some serious batting powerhouse there. The focus will be on Travis Head this time. Travis Head vs Kagiso Rabada will be a good contest to watch because he lost against Jofra (Archer), but for how long will you keep Head quiet? Head will become a headache," Chopra added.

Aakash Chopra reckoned that Steve Smith could be a crucial player for Australia in the middle overs if South Africa attack them with their spinners by including Tabraiz Shamsi in the playing XI. While acknowledging that Australia have the batting might, he added that the South African bowling attack would pose a more varied challenge than England.

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"The truth is that Australia's bowling is weak" - Aakash Chopra on the Aussies' issue ahead of AUS vs SA 2025 Champions Trophy clash

Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc are not part of Australia's 2025 Champions Trophy squad. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Australia's bowling could be their Achilles heel in their 2025 Champions Trophy clash against South Africa.

"The truth is that Australia's bowling is weak. If it wasn't weak, they wouldn't have conceded 350 and Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell wouldn't have been bowling at the back end. Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis are good bowlers but they don't have the experience when they come to flat pitches," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the fifth bowler's quota could prove to be Australia's stumbling block.

"They don't have the class, as yet at least, of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. The problem is palpable. After that Adam Zampa, you can use him as a defensive option and he might pick up one or two wickets as well. But then the fifth bowling option, then you are scrambling to get overs from Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne," Chopra elaborated.

Aakash Chopra reckoned that Australia's bowling could buckle if they are put under immense pressure in their 2025 Champions Trophy clash against South Africa. He added that the match could quickly sway in South Africa's favor if Temba Bavuma wins the toss and opts to chase, as long as the Proteas don't crumble under pressure.