IND vs AUS, ICC Champions Trophy: India braces for familiar high-octane Australian test
IND vs AUS, ICC Champions Trophy: India braces for familiar high-octane Australian test
India versus Pakistan may be one of cricket’s greatest rivalries, made more fierce by the political tension between the two countries, but India against Australia has been one of the most intriguing and hard-fought duels in modern-day cricket.
It has whetted the appetite of fans like no other, producing iconic clashes, as seen most recently in the five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Another instalment of this high-voltage contest will kick off on Tuesday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as the two heavyweights vie for a place in the summit clash of the ICC Champions Trophy.
The two outfits have had contrasting paths to the last-four stage. The Men in Blue blanked England 3-0 at home and have since extended their unbeaten run to six games, beating all three of its Group A opponents – Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand – convincingly.
During the group stage, India established its credentials as the title-favourite. Almost every batter has scored valuable runs while the bowling unit has chipped in too.
In contrast, the reigning World champion’s run to the knockout stages has been marred by rain. Steve Smith’s men have played just one completed game where they chased 352 against England to win by five wickets.
Inclement weather meant its other two games were washed out (South Africa) and called off midway (Afghanistan).
On paper, this is a depleted Australian side without its first-choice pace attack of regular skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. Ahead of the semifinal, the team also lost opener Matthew Short. All-rounder Cooper Connolly has replaced him in the squad on the match eve.
In terms of team combinations, Varun Chakaravarthy’s magical spell (5/42) against the Kiwis has given the Indian team management a happy headache. It will be interesting to see if the spinner is persisted with, even if it means having just one frontline pacer in Mohammed Shami, for Varun is an unknown commodity for most Aussie batters.
The big challenge for Australia is the transition to the slow surface here in Dubai after playing on featherbed pitches in Pakistan. The batting line-up possesses the ammunition to deal with this, but the spin department, with just one genuine spinner in Adam Zampa, might have to rely on part-timers Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head.
As Bangladesh and Pakistan found out, the absence of a second spinner who could sustain the pressure can prove costly in low-scoring encounters. Playing Tanveer Sangha and pushing Josh Inglis to the opener’s slot is an option.
Still, if there is one maxim in cricket that has currency, it is to never underestimate Australia in an ICC event. The memories of November 19, 2023, where Cummins & Co stopped the Indian juggernaut – which had won all its World Cup matches till then – in the final in Ahmedabad is clear evidence of Australia’s ability to elevate its game when it matters the most.
Published on Mar 03, 2025
