“Shami saab, bahut ho gaya Travis Head ka kaam” - Legendary spinner’s advice for India ahead of IND vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal

Former spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed Mohammed Shami to dismiss Travis Head with the new ball in the upcoming 2025 Champions semi-final between India and Australia. The destructive opening batter has been a thorn in India's side for quite some time, with the bowlers finding it hard to contain him, and Australia profiting from the early momentum.

Travis Head has recorded centuries against India in the 2023 World Test Championship Final, and the 2023 ODI World Cup Final. He was also among the runs in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series, ending as the leading run-scorer with two hundreds to his name.

Head did register a couple of poor scores in the five-match Test series, but it was Jasprit Bumrah that got the better of him on those occasions. With the spearhead ruled out of the Champions Trophy, the responsibility falls on veteran seamer Mohammed Shami.

Harbhajan Singh urged India to not be fazed by the threat posed by Head, or any of his previous exploits.

"First thing is, get the fear of Travis Head out of your mind. Try and get Travis Head out. Shami saab, bahut ho gaya Travis Head ka kaam (Shami sir, Travis Head has done more than enough), now don't let him score runs," Harbhajan told on Star Sports (via Hindustan Times).

Shami is a solid option against Head with the new ball, especially with the around-the-wicket angle. Negotiating the balls moving away from him at such an angle has been Head's downfall for a while.

Overall, Shami has a decent record against the explosive opening batter. In five innings, Head has scored 36 runs off 49 deliveries at a strike rate of 73.46 but has not lost his wicket to the pacer yet in ODI cricket.

"Just play like the way you have played so far" - Harbhajan Singh wants India to proceed in the same fashion in 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal

Team India have enjoyed a dominant run in the Champions Trophy campaign so far, defeating Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand in convincing fashion. The two-time winners have hardly put a foot wrong, and have enough players in pristine form to make a huge impression in the tournament.

Harbhajan advised India to be wary of Australia's in-form middle-order, who starred in the record run chase against England earlier in the group stage.

"They have hard-hitters like Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, they deal in sixes and fours. Don't let them score at a fast pace. Thirdly, it's a knockout game and you don't need to try too much, just play like the way you have played so far," Harbhajan Singh said.

India and Australia will meet in the first semi-final of the 2025 Champions Trophy on Tuesday, March 4 at the Dubai International Stadium.