Shami draws first blood for India as Australia lose early wicket in semi-final
India made a strong start in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final, striking early to put Australia under pressure. Mohammed Shami provided the breakthrough in the final delivery of the third over, dismissing opener Cooper Connolly.
The dismissal came after a dramatic appeal from India. A distinct sound was heard as Connolly attempted a shot, and KL Rahul took a clean catch. However, the on-field umpire remained unmoved. Convinced there was an edge, India immediately opted for a DRS review.
Their decision paid off as UltraEdge confirmed the faintest of nicks, sending Connolly back for a duck. Mohammed Shami provided the breakthrough, setting the tone for India’s bowling attack.
With just four runs on the board – three of them coming from wides – Australia struggled to get the bat on the ball. India’s bowlers kept a tight line, maintaining intense pressure in the crucial knockout clash.
Earlier, Australia won the toss against India and chose to bat first in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai.
The match serves as a rematch of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 final, where Australia defeated India on their home turf. This time, India will be eager to settle the score by securing a place in the Champions Trophy final.
Team India has stuck with the same playing XI from their victory against New Zealand. Varun Chakravarthy, who impressed with a five-wicket haul in that match, retains his place, while Harshit Rana misses out.
However, Australia made two changes from their previous match-playing XI, bringing in Cooper Connolly for injured Matthews Short and Tanveer Sangha for Spencer Johnson.
Reflecting on the toss, India’s captain Rohit Sharma admitted he was uncertain about whether to bat or bowl, stating, “When in two minds, it is better to lose the toss.”
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia Playing XI: Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha.