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India (267/6) defeat Australia (264) by 4 wickets to qualify for the final of ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Cooper Connolly replaces Matthew Short in the Australian squad for the Champions Trophy Semi against India.

Looks a Tactical change rather than actual injury . Australia is a very clever team .

Using all the tricks against india

:kp
 
Cooper Connolly replaces Matthew Short in the Australian squad for the Champions Trophy Semi against India.

Looks a Tactical change rather than actual injury . Australia is a very clever team .

Using all the tricks against india

:kp
Conspiracy theories ki bhi had hoti hai. Their doctors present on the field. You cant just fake it.
 
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Cooper Connolly replaces Matthew Short in the Australian squad for the Champions Trophy Semi against India.

Looks a Tactical change rather than actual injury . Australia is a very clever team .

Using all the tricks against india

:kp

Batting is not an issue for the Aussies. They have Smith, Maxwell, Head, Labu, Inglis, and Carey. Pretty good lineup.

It is the pace department where they are a bit weak this time.
 
Batting is not an issue for the Aussies. They have Smith, Maxwell, Head, Labu, Inglis, and Carey. Pretty good lineup.

It is the pace department where they are a bit weak this time.
Cooper Connolly is a spin allrounder so australia Fake short injury to include him in the Champion trophy squad knowing they are playing the semi-final at the Dubai

They are waiting for NZ - india match to finished and after that they changed the team.

Once a cheater always remain a cheater

@Rajdeep @Nikhil_cric @jnaveen1980 @Bhaijaan

:kp
 
Cooper Connolly is a spin allrounder so australia Fake short injury to include him in the Champion trophy squad knowing they are playing the semi-final at the Dubai

They are waiting for NZ - india match to finished and after that they changed the team.

Once a cheater always remain a cheater

@Rajdeep @Nikhil_cric @jnaveen1980 @Bhaijaan

:kp
Where is the King of wannabes and protector of the realm :ssmith
 
We may see repeat results of 2015 WC too (AUS vs NZ in final with AUS winning it).

Anyway, I personally want to see Australia vs South Africa in the final. That should be a cracker on a good Lahore pitch.
Most Likely Aus vs NZ too but lets see.. SA might go all the way this time.
 
Australian bowlers unfamiliar which is an advantage for Australia. India struggles against first-timers. Jhye Richardson initially bowled well against India.
 
In comparison to India on a spin tailored pitch....if this match had been in Pakistan... Even this side may have wiped the floor with India...but now it is will vs Rot learning
Why do I always hear a spin tailored made and hear adjective like green mamba for fast pitches.

Like one is an excuse while the other is a test of batsmen
 
Cooper Connolly is a spin allrounder so australia Fake short injury to include him in the Champion trophy squad knowing they are playing the semi-final at the Dubai

They are waiting for NZ - india match to finished and after that they changed the team.

Once a cheater always remain a cheater

@Rajdeep @Nikhil_cric @jnaveen1980 @Bhaijaan

:kp
So Australia and ICC are on 1 page to Beat INDIA??? JAY SHAH'S ICC????

India can win this game, no need to start giving excuses so early... Have some trust in india.
 
In modern day cricket, India is like Thanos while Australia is like Iron-Man.

Australia have cost India at least 3 world titles. LOL. I always chuckle whenever Aussies knock out India.

:qdkcheeky
Gora people always right sir....

Always besttt, heart of gold.
 
So Australia and ICC are on 1 page to Beat INDIA??? JAY SHAH'S ICC????

India can win this game, no need to start giving excuses so early... Have some trust in india.
I'm not making excuses but I was exposing the Australian cheating mentality .

They can bring anyone still we will smashed them :kp
 
What will be both team do after winning The toss? There will be no dew like 2021 World T20 so chasing team does not have any advantage .

This is what I like the most but in pakistan Toss is going to Play Very important role.

:kp
 
We may see repeat results of 2015 WC too (AUS vs NZ in final with AUS winning it).

Anyway, I personally want to see Australia vs South Africa in the final. That should be a cracker on a good Lahore pitch.
ah! there you are buddy. i was looking for you after the game, but as expected you pulled the disappearing act. good to see you back! how has it been?
 
Rohit reveals India's selection dilemma ahead of Champions Trophy semi-final

India probably wasn’t expecting their right-arm leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy to be that productive against New Zealand.

While already 33 years old, he was playing in just his second ODI and stunningly produced a maiden five-wicket-haul, taking 5/42 off 10 overs.

Chakravarthy came into the team for Harshit Rana, as the only change from the side that beat Pakistan, giving India yet another slow bowling option on a Dubai pitch that’s been fruitful for spinners throughout the tournament.

And he’ll now be very hard to leave out of India’s XI for their knockout semi-final against Australia, at the same venue.

“We just wanted to try and see what (Chakravarthy) can offer,” Rohit said post-game.

“He’s got something different about him, there’s no doubt about it. Varun was class today. If he gets it right, it’s very difficult to read him.

“We’ve got to think about what we want to do in the next game (against Australia), obviously (the selection dilemma) is a good headache to have.”

New Zealander Matt Henry echoed Rohit’s sentiments on Chakravarthy, crediting the variation that the Black Caps batters were made to try and deal with.

“He bowled beautifully, didn't he?” Henry said after their loss to India.

“I think he showed his skill tonight, the way he turned the ball both ways, and even the way that he could bowl pace. I thought he was brilliant, and yeah, that they were able to put us under pressure right throughout.”

Of the 45.3 overs that India bowled, 37 of them were spin bowling. The Champions Trophy contender based in Dubai has well and truly leaned into slow bowling, as they refine their strategy on the UAE ground – a reality Australia will no doubt be expecting in their semi-final showdown.

Henry added that India played like the team better adjusted to the Dubai conditions, having played all their group games there.

“The way to have four front line spinners was a really effective way to play tonight,” he said.

“(India) having that luxury of knowing … they played to the conditions beautifully. We knew that coming here, they were going to play the four front line spinners … and yeah, obviously tonight they bowled beautiful. They read the situation and read the conditions well.”

India will enter the next stage of the tournament not just familiar with the Dubai conditions, but confident as well, having claimed all three group stage contests.

“It was very important for us to finish this game on a high,” Rohit continued.

“(New Zealand) have been playing really good cricket in the recent past, so it was very important for us to get that result. I thought the total that we got was good enough. We’ve got quality in our bowling that can defend (that kind of) total, we had that confidence. The bowlers really stepped up and got the job done.”

The challenge is now very much on Australia, not only to execute in a knockout game, but to get their tactics and plans in order.

There will be no complacency from India, coming up against an Aussie side that specialises in stepping up in huge tournament games.

“Australia, as we know, has a rich history (in) ICC tournaments … we do understand that,” Rohit added.

“It’s about us, what we want to do against (that) opposition and try and do that right. We’ll just have to be focused on what we need to do on that particular day. It’s going to be a great contest.”

ICC
 
Win or lose, this has been one hell of a run worthy of being discussed alongside the great Aussies side and the great West Indies.

21-1 overall

10-1 in CWC 2023
8-0 in WT20 2024
3-0* so far in CT 2025

IMG_9049.jpeg

And ironic as it is, we are about to face our eternal nemesis once again 🤦🏻
 
During a media interaction, Sunil Gavaskar:

"On this surface, yes, because Australia don't seem to have the kind of spinning attack, apart from the fact that they are missing out on key players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Their batting is good. The batting is very aggressive. The ideal thing would be for India maybe to chase, rather than having Australia chase."

"Not at all. Well, if you had a look at our spinners in the first few overs, they did not get much help. Later on, as the pitch got a little bit better after the rolling, after the dew had settled in, there was a little more grip for the spinners, but it wasn't an impossible pitch. There was a bit of turn. It's just that the bowlers did so well that it was impossible for New Zealanders."
 
Win or lose, this has been one hell of a run worthy of being discussed alongside the great Aussies side and the great West Indies.

21-1 overall

10-1 in CWC 2023
8-0 in WT20 2024
3-0* so far in CT 2025

View attachment 151585

And ironic as it is, we are about to face our eternal nemesis once again 🤦🏻
Australia is and always will be The final Boss.

Although tbf, i am surprised at how a country whos main sport isnt even cricket, has a population of 27M, has dominated since its very inception.

Ik aus is super rich due to land and resources,

Literally the same British genes in both countries and yet their worlds apart in mentality and skill.
 
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Rohit Sharma- India pre-match press conference, 3 March '25

[Reporter:]

Rohit, four spinners, and given the conditions, pitch conditions here, will this be the template going ahead?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Look, the game just got over now. We really need to think, even if we want to play four spinners, how we can squeeze four spinners. If we don't, then we don't. Whatever works for us in terms of the bowling options, we will try and do that. The reason I say that is because the conditions here are – we are very much aware of the conditions, and we know exactly what works and what doesn't work. So, we'll just give it a day. We'll think about it, what is the right combination to go with. But it is tempting.

[Reporter:]

Has Varun made a case for himself for selection after today's performance?

[Rohit Sharma:]

No, look, He just showed what he's capable of. Now it is up to us to think and see how we can get that combination right. Obviously, look, he got a game. He did everything that was asked for. And I said it at the post-match as well that he's got something different about him. And when he gets it right, he knocks people over and he takes five-five wickets. It is very tempting to think about what to do, which is a good headache to have. We'll just try and assess. We just want to go back and think about what the Australian batting lineup will look like and how we can try and see what kind of bowling options will work against them.

[Reporter:]

Rohit, in the first couple of games, the top three got the runs and then today, the last couple of games, Shreyas Iyer has been there, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandey got some time in the middle. How does that - most of that top seven have now got some knocks, how does that set you up for the business end?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, no, look, absolutely brilliant for us today in terms of the middle order getting that opportunity and try and set up the target slightly under pressure. And the middle order, obviously, are very experienced in terms of the games that they've played, the number of games they've played. But to just get some batting time in the middle and to get those runs and get that fighting total was very, very important from our standpoint. So, all in all, I think It was the game. It was the perfect game we wanted. We wanted to try and test everything that we have in terms of our bowling option, the middle order getting to bat long enough, and setting up the target as well. Because the first two games we chased the score. But this time, we wanted to try and bat first and see how that turns out for us, because it's important to getting to know what kind of conditions are there when you bat first and when you bat second. I think this game was the perfect game in terms of all of this.

[Reporter:]

Rohit, you saw Varun previously in T20’s. What different is he doing these days after you saw him, after making his comeback to the T20 side as well? And also, how pleased are you with the batting effort of middle order against the spinners here in these conditions?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Look, speaking about Varun, I think he's become more accurate now from the last time he played for India, which was way back in 2021. And I mean, there was a little bit of inexperience in him as well, because he hadn't played a lot of cricket. But right now, in the last two or three years, he's played a lot of cricket, whether it's domestic cricket, IPL, and now for India in T20s, and now the ODIs as well. He understands his bowling really well. There is definitely something about his bowling which he's using to his advantage. Some of our batters also couldn't figure that out, which is always nice. But to answer that question, I think he has become more and more accurate, And the pace variation is superb. Watching from behind when I was standing in the slips, the variation of his has become a lot more. And when you have a little bit of mystery, you don't want to be one-dimensional bowler and bowl with the same speed. You need something different, the pace variation, and the accuracy as well. So, he's, I think, worked on both of it. And now you see that he's getting a lot of wickets and getting more often as well, which is a good sign for us as a team.

And then the middle order, obviously, we know that the spinners will be in play for a longer period of time. Not that the fast bowlers are not, but if you look at the entire game, their seamer got five wickets. But it was the spinners in the middle who controlled the game with their variations that they have. And I thought whatever was thrown at them, they handled that pretty well. Shreyas, KL, Hardik, and Axar, all these guys, they batted brilliantly, which is a good sign for us going into the semis because we wanted to have these kind of situation where we are slightly under pressure, and then the middle order takes us through to that target, which they did.

[Reporter:]

Rohit, just a continuation of their questions - just talk us through about Axar's batting, because he's now coming in a different role at number five. And today was a very tricky situation, 34-3. It's a role where KL Rahul has excelled in the past. So, for him, how impressed were you with Axar's performance? And also, another question is, we've seen the last three games here, the contest, the contest is not skewed towards only the batsman. Do you think this is the way for ODI cricket to get the balance right between bat and ball? Do you wish to play on such surfaces? Even if it's seamer-friendly, do you wish to have pitches where there is something for both batters and bowlers?

[Rohit Sharma:]

That's something that makes the game very, very interesting. If there's something in for the bowlers as well, that makes it very, very interesting. So, I'm one for it. When you have surfaces which is challenging you, whether it's with spin or with the seam, you want to have that playing this format. Just not this format, but any format. You want a good contest. So, I think that is what, when we came here, we knew the surfaces are going to be slow. There's a lot of cricket that is played on the surface. And it was so important for us to adapt really, really quickly to these conditions. Luckily, we came here five or six days before. We had good training sessions. And the pitches at the academy were very much similar to what we're going to get here. So, the adaptation is the key when you play on any surfaces. And I thought we adapted pretty well in all three games. Speaking about Axar, look, that is something that we wanted from him. And the clear message was given to him when we started the ODI series against England, that no matter what the situation is, you will bat at 5. And the kind of improvement he's shown with his bat over the last year or so is superb to watch. And that is where we felt that we can utilize him to bat in the middle and bat freely. And that is what he does. He likes to take the game on, likes to play his shots. And sometimes you are in trouble, you want to always take that positive route. And with Axar, we definitely can do that. He showed it in the T20 World Cup final, which was a very, very crucial knock. Again, in that game as well, we were three down and for him to come out and bat like that was superb and got us to a decent total in the end. And that is what we expect. Whenever he's gotten an opportunity, he's shown that he can do just a bit more than what we expect him to do. And he's upped his game in terms of his batting. So always nice to have those kind of players in your squad.

[Reporter:]

Rohit, you said in the post-match that Australia have a history of doing well in ICC knockouts. They beat you in the final of 2023 World Cup. Facing them in the semifinals gives you that added, just bit of added drive to beat them and move into the final?

[Rohit Sharma:]

No, look, it's a great opposition to play against. All we had to do is what we've been thinking about last three games. And we have to approach that game in a similar fashion. We understand the opposition and how they play and stuff like that. But I think the more and more we focus on what we need to do as a group, as a player, as a batting unit, as a bowling unit, that helps us a lot. I said it, yes, but look, Australia have been such a great team over the years. So, we will expect some fight backs. We will expect some nervy times as well in the middle. But that is how the game is being played these days. And you're talking about semifinal. Obviously, the pressure will be on both teams to win that game. But I think it's important for us to just keep focusing on what we need to do, keep doing our things and keep doing those things right. And then result will come if we keep doing the things that we are supposed to.

[Reporter:]

In the last 10-12 months, there is a growing trend where inexperienced players or players who haven't been part of the set up are blooded in, whether it's Nitish Reddy in Australia, Varun Chakravorty here, even before that Devdutt Padikkal during that home season against England. As a captain, coaches have changed but you have been there. What goes behind that thinking? Is it an instinct-based call which you take or you feel what is right for that moment? Like specifically on Varun, when did it occur to you that at the cost of a batter you would want someone like a Varun in these conditions? Just talk us through about that.

[Rohit Sharma:]

It's just the talent. There's something, If there's something really, really special about that particular player, you want to try and fast track him as quickly as possible and give him a go. Certain formats require certain skill set and I thought whenever we look at these kind of players if the talent is there then you don't want to shy away from letting them and getting them in into your team as quickly as possible. There will be questions asked. There will be a few eyebrows which will be raised. But I think as a team, you want to do certain things which can help you win games, as simple as that. And I feel with the players that you mentioned, there is a good chance that they can have an impact in the game, in whatever stages of the game or whatever format they play. So, it's important to just understand that talent. And I've been here long enough to understand what kind of players are talented. Even there are players who are not so talented, but they've made most out of their whatever talent they've had. I have seen a lot of players like that. But when you have talent, you just want to try and get them as quickly as possible in your team.

With Varun, especially, we felt we had to sacrifice a batsman, which we thought it's only five games in this tournament. And it's very unlikely that that batter is going to play at any stage, unless there's an injury. And you don't make team thinking the worst, which is someone getting injured. If somebody is injured, you can always call them upon. But with Varun, we knew that there is a chance that he might play without any injury in the team. I know there are four spinners and all of that, but we played four spinners today. So, looking at the surfaces here, hearing about what has happened in Dubai in the past two months. There's a lot of cricket that has been played. So, we somehow kind of knew that the surfaces are going to be slow. We were watching ILT20, which was played here. And we thought the slower bowlers will be a lot more helpful. And then we've got a batter sitting in the dugout anyway. And if we need a batter to come in, Rishabh is there for us. So, we thought with an extra option of the spin, there's always a chance that we can play those guys. So that was pretty much the thinking behind that.

[Reporter:]

Rohit, it's being said that the Indian team is playing at the same place, but the weather is changing. It was cold today; it was hot in the first match. The ball is stopping in the wicket today. Is it because of this that you are saying that you know the conditions but the conditions are changing little by little which is affecting the match. Is it because of this that it is easier to stay on your toes?

[Rohit Sharma:]

No, look, the three matches we played, the nature of the surface was the same. But in all three games, the pitch has behaved differently. Today, we saw that when the bowlers were bowling, their ball was swinging a little. We didn't see that in the first two games when our bowlers were bowling. And in the evening, it's a little cold in the air. So, there are obviously a lot of chances of that swing. We know this. But the three games we played, there are four or five surfaces that are being used. So, every surface has a different nature. We don't know which wicket will be played. The pitches look the same, but when you play on it, it's played in a different way. So, you can't go thinking that we played like this yesterday, and today we'll play like this. Every time, because of the different pitches, the pitch is giving you different challenges as a batsman. We have to think whether it's necessary to play these shots or not. When the bowler is bowling, we saw a little spin today. We didn't see that much spin in the last game. So, there are different things happening on every surface. So, we know what is going to happen on this pitch and what's not. Even for us it is a little bit of a question mark as to which pitch is being played. Because there are four or five surfaces that are being used here.

In the semi-final, we don't know which pitch is going to be played. Yes, we don't know which pitch is going to be played in the semi-final. But whatever happens, we have to adapt and see what is happening. We will play on that. This is not our home, this is Dubai. So, we don't play so many matches here. This is new for us too.
 
Should we be going with the same XI as agains NZ? -What do the great minds think ?

Don't think the pitch will assist spin as much as it did - on sunday....unless the Saazish sultans wanna chip in....:)
Hope Shami is back fit and firing....
Yeah Aus missing Lindwall, Miller, Benaud, Davidson, Thomson, Lillee, McGrath & Lee big time....:)

Will we get to see hitman break his own world record of loosing tosses tommorow?
 
Worthy of a final this fixture is but with Aussie veterans not available India will have double edge the first being the home team
 
Should we be going with the same XI as agains NZ? -What do the great minds think ?

Don't think the pitch will assist spin as much as it did - on sunday....unless the Saazish sultans wanna chip in....:)
Hope Shami is back fit and firing....
Yeah Aus missing Lindwall, Miller, Benaud, Davidson, Thomson, Lillee, McGrath & Lee big time....:)

Will we get to see hitman break his own world record of loosing tosses tommorow?
Rohit sharma will miss Mitch starc. He just loves his angle. Only left arm seamer he thrashed a lot. I remember a thread that was started after Perth loss. "Australia should change their seamrs. Same Cummins, Same Starc, Same hazlewood. THey lost 4 series in a row. Why are they still playing" lol
 
I prefer the usual trimurthis. Hazlewood is one guy who does well. But other two will be smashed all over. ONe is past by sell date. Typically goes for a lot of runs against India. Other one is never a great ODI bowler to begin with.
 
Shastri reveals India's preferred XI for semi-final clash against Australia

India finished on top of Group A following a commanding win over New Zealand in their final group fixture

India have set themselves up a semi-final showdown against Australia after a solid 44-run win against the Black Caps in the final group-stage fixture of the Champions Trophy 2025, with the tournament now heading into the last-four phase.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri made a call on the XI that should feature for India in the upcoming fixture against Australia.

With a turnaround of less than 48 hours, and with the side from today having an experience of the conditions, Ravi Shastri thinks India should stick with the same lineup.

“The square is a little tired at the moment, people have run on the pitch that is going to be used the day after, so the spinners will again come into play,” Shastri added on spin being the preferred route for India.

India unleashed their spin attack of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and new entrant, Varun Chakaravarathy on the slow track of Dubai against New Zealand, going with four spinners as Harshit Rana was rested.

A total of 37.3 overs were bowled by the spinners as they succeeded in controlling the New Zealand batting effectively, picking nine out of the ten wickets with Varun Chakravarathy leading with a five-for.

On the back of their spin bowling prowess, India managed to defend a target of 250. Shastri believed the side was capable of turning it around similarly in future fixtures.

“So if you bat first, put anything over 240-250, it’s going to be very competitive in a big game like a semi-final,” Shastri said.

The first semi-final of the tournament between India and Australia will take place on 4 March 2025 in Dubai.

 
Anil Kumble, while speaking to a sports media outlet:

"Going by the pitch and the conditions perhaps for the semi-final and hopefully for India, the final, this certainly augurs well."

“If this is the kind of pitch India will continue to play on in Dubai, then this four-pronged spin attack would be really a challenge for any team. Australia would find it extremely difficult to maneuver these four spinners."
 
India must drop KL Rahul and play Rishab Pant.

Also, if the game gets played on the same track where matches against BD & NZ got played (less likely), then include another spinner in Sundar in place of Shami.

However if the match is on the track where we played Pakistan (which is more batting friendly), play both Shami and Arshdeep and drop Kuldeep.
 
The toxicity from Pak fans is understandable.

It would be embarrassing and frankly funny if the final happens in Dubai.

Hence they are putting all hopes and dreams on Australia.

It would have been SA if we were facing them in semis.

But the toxicity would have been effective had pak been a good or even decent team.

Currently, it is just amusing and mildly irritating.
 
Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu, while speaking to a local media outlet:

"It's going to be Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli (a key battle in the semi-final). Virat has struggled a bit against leg-spinners lately, but the kind of form he has shown in this tournament will serve him well against Australia."

"The intent was there, and expectations were high. You could see in his eyes that he was focused, hungry for a big score. On big occasions, Virat Kohli usually rises to the challenge and gives us those celebratory moments.”

“Unfortunately, Glenn Phillips took an unbelievable catch to dismiss him. It was just one of those days where luck wasn't on his side. But hopefully, he converts this hunger into a big innings in the semi-finals. We all want to see him at his best, and he has our full support. Glenn Phillips just spoilt the party."
 
By winning this game, Australia can bring some temporary sanity to the farcical cricket order.

It would mean teams wouldn't have to travel to Dubai for the remaining games. :dav

Australia have an opportunity to end the circus.
Hopefully. I think toss is going to be very important. Aus need to bat first.
 
Wishlist

I want Ind vs SA final and SA to win. Poor guys deserve a trophy

Next option

Ind vs Nzl final- I want India to win as revenge for WTC, home white wash and CT 2000 final.

I wouldn’t mind a SA vs Aus final in Lahore but based on what I saw last week, hope it is not a wash out or abandoned due to management. That would be a bummer.

Indias performance is already satisfactory so won’t mind anyone winning but that is my primary wishlist.
 
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