India vs Australia Live Score, Champions Trophy 2025 Semi-Final: Do-or-Die Clash for Rohit and Team India Against Formidable Australia

India vs Australia Live Score, Champions Trophy 2025 Semi-Final: A High-Stakes Clash for Team India

• Australia has long carried an aura of invincibility, but between 2016 and 2021, India enjoyed a dominant run, winning both ICC tournament encounters and securing four consecutive Border-Gavaskar Trophy series victories, including two in Australia.
• Younger Indian fans, unfamiliar with Australia’s historical dominance, may be surprised by their resurgence in recent years. For seasoned followers, however, this is merely a return to the norm, as India has historically struggled against Australia in major tournaments.
• India’s likely XI:
  • Openers: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill
  • Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK)
  • All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja
  • Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
• India's struggles against Australia since 2021:
  • Australia crushed India's dream run in the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
  • They also handed India their second consecutive World Test Championship final defeat.
  • Despite India’s fourth consecutive Border-Gavaskar Trophy win, their dismal tour of Australia in late 2024-early 2025 kept them out of the WTC final.
• The Travis Head factor:
  • Head has been a key threat to India, averaging 43.12 in ODIs against them.
  • His century in the 2023 World Cup final was a match-winning effort.
  • Though he fell cheaply against England, he was in sublime form against Afghanistan before rain curtailed play.
• Australia’s limited game time might work in India’s favor:
  • They have completed just one full match in the tournament—beating England in Lahore.
  • Rain washed out their match against South Africa, and their innings against Afghanistan lasted just under 13 overs.
• India's approach in Dubai:
  • Despite being the only team to stay in one city throughout the tournament, Rohit Sharma has downplayed any advantage.
  • The team is likely to retain the same XI from their convincing win over New Zealand, with Varun Chakravarthy retaining his place after a five-wicket haul.
  • India will bank on a strong showing from their top three—Rohit, Gill, and Kohli—to set the tone.
• Key match facts:
  • India has won three matches en route to the semi-final, while Australia has won only one.
  • India has not beaten Australia in an ICC knockout match since the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal.
  • Australia last defeated India in an ICC knockout match in the 2023 World Cup final.
  • The winner will face either South Africa or New Zealand in the final on Sunday.
  • Australia brought in Cooper Connolly as an injury replacement for Matthew Short.
  • India’s selection dilemma remains between Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana.
  • A dry pitch is expected for the semi-final, as per Steve Smith.

A historic rivalry intensifies as India aims to break its knockout jinx against Australia—can Rohit Sharma and his men turn the tide?