Australia skipper Steve Smith won the toss and decided to bat first against India in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday. This marks the 14th consecutive ODI where India has lost the toss. The last time India won a toss in an ODI was in the 2023 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. After choosing to bat, Smith announced their Playing XI, which included Cooper Connolly as a replacement for the injured Matt Short. The most surprising inclusion was that of spinner Tanveer Sangha.
Sangha, who has Indian roots, replaced fast bowler Spencer Johnson, becoming Australia’s second main spinner alongside Adam Zampa. Given the dry pitch in Dubai, which is expected to favor spin, both teams are prepared with their spin options.
“We will bat. The surface looks quite dry, and the square is also dry. We want to put some runs on the board. The guys have had a couple of practice sessions and are ready. It should be a good contest. The pitch looks drier and should offer more turn. India is a very good side, and we enjoy playing against them. We are looking forward to it. We have made two changes: Cooper Connolly replaces Short, and Tanveer Sangha comes in for Spencer Johnson,” said Australia captain Steve Smith at the toss.
India, on the other hand, remained unchanged. Captain Rohit Sharma mentioned that his team was prepared for both batting and bowling.
“I was ready to do either. When in doubt, it’s better to lose the toss. The pitch can change its behavior. We need to play good cricket. We have played well in all three previous matches, and we will aim to continue that. It will be challenging. We are playing with the same team, wanting to build on our previous performance. Now that we are bowling first, we need to bowl effectively and restrict them to a low score,” Rohit stated.
The Indian team is wearing black armbands in this match to honor the late Padmakar Shivalkar, who passed away on Monday. Shivalkar was a legendary left-arm spinner and a stalwart of Indian domestic cricket, known for his exceptional skill and dedication to the sport.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia: Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha.
(With IANS Inputs)
