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The stage is set for two cricket behemoths, India and Australia, to battle it out in Dubai for the bragging rights of claiming their stake in the Champions Trophy final.
"There's nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent." These were the words of Pat Cummins before Australia took down India in Ahmedabad in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Cummins isn't here this time, but his words still linger in the minds of Indian cricket fans as they attempt to breach Australia's domain in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy on Tuesday. Since India won its quarter-final game at the 2011 World Cup, the two sides have faced each other four times in the ICC ODI tournaments. India and Australia have won two games each. India's victories came in the round-robin matches at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. On the other hand, their heartbreaking defeats unfolded in the 2015 semi-finals and the 2023 final. Since their last encounter on November 19, 2023, there has been a complete difference between the two sides that will line up on Tuesday in front of a vibrant crowd in Dubai. Australia will be without its decorated stars, including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, and Marcus Stoinis. On the other hand, India is missing its pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, from its talented pool of speedsters. India has made up for Bumrah's absence with its spin specialists, allowing them to thrive in Dubai. This further widens the gap between both sides. Australia will ponder how to implement its number of part-timers against star-studded Indian batters featuring Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya. One factor that could define the outcome of the high-stakes affair is Travis Head. Coming in at the top order, the explosive southpaw has gone all guns blazing against India. In their last ICC tournament encounters, Head played a defining role in Australia's route to success. Looking at the past results in the tournament, India won two and lost one of their four Champions Trophy encounters against the Baggy Greens. India and Australia haven't squared off against each other in the tournament since a rain-affected affair at Centurion in 2009. (ANI)
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