India is set to compete against Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday. This follows India’s victory over New Zealand by 44 runs in their final group match at the same venue on Sunday.
Meanwhile, New Zealand will travel to Lahore to face South Africa in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
Due to scheduling complexities, both Australia and South Africa had previously traveled to Dubai. An ICC official stated this decision was made to give Australia, playing the Dubai semi-final on March 4, ample preparation time. However, this arrangement has placed South Africa in a less than ideal situation, requiring them to travel from Pakistan to Dubai and then quickly return to Pakistan.
The scheduling issues arose because India was not scheduled to play any matches in Pakistan during the tournament. Regardless of their group standing, India was always intended to play their semi-final in Dubai. This situation became unavoidable after India declined to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, despite Pakistan being the official host. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had made efforts to convince India to visit, even suggesting hosting all of India’s matches in Lahore. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that the Indian government did not permit the team to play cricket in Pakistan.
New Zealand is scheduled to depart from Dubai for Lahore early Monday morning, while South Africa will return to Pakistan later the same day, after a roughly 36-hour stay in Dubai.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner mentioned in the post-match presentation that they would leave Dubai around 12:30 or 1 PM, allowing them to rest, train, and prepare upon arrival in Lahore.
Rohit Sharma expressed satisfaction with India’s performance, noting they are the only team with a perfect record of three wins in the Champions Trophy. He then shifted focus to the upcoming semi-final against Australia.
Sharma emphasized the importance of momentum in short tournaments, aiming to win each game and quickly rectify any mistakes. He believes the team has been successfully correcting errors made since the first game, which is crucial.
Looking ahead to the semi-final, Rohit Sharma anticipates a strong contest against Australia, acknowledging their history of performing well in ICC tournaments. He stressed the importance of focusing on their own game plan and execution to secure another win.
