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India‘s emphatic 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final Group A Champions Trophy 2025 fixture has put them in a strong position heading into the semi-final against five-time ODI World Cup winners Australia on March 4 in Dubai. However, the win has also presented a selection conundrum for captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Selection dilemma for India after New Zealand game
The team had made a crucial change for the game against New Zealand, bringing in mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who turned the match on its head with a career-best 5/42. His spell left the BlackCaps clueless, dismissing key batters and ensuring that India successfully defended a below-par total of 249.
Now, the question remains whether India should retain the same XI or revert to the combination that defeated Bangladesh and Pakistan earlier in the tournament. While Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja have been the first-choice spinners in the competition, Chakravarthy’s inclusion added an extra layer of unpredictability to the bowling attack. On a slow, worn-out Dubai pitch, his ability to deceive batters could be a game-changer. But with the semi-final being a high-pressure contest against a formidable Australian batting lineup, India must carefully assess their options before finalizing their playing XI.
Also READ: IND vs AUS: Pitch Report for 1st semifinal of Champions Trophy 2025, Dubai International Cricket Stadium ODI Stats and Records
Ravi Shastri’s winning formula for the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal game against Australia
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has provided a tactical blueprint for India to overcome Australia in this crucial encounter. According to Shastri, India should not tinker with the XI and should retain the winning combination from the New Zealand match. His reasoning is based on the fact that the turnaround time between games is less than 48 hours, making it unwise to disrupt the rhythm of the team. Additionally, the pitch at the Dubai International Stadium has significantly slowed down, as evident from the low-scoring encounters in the later stages of the tournament. The wicket has been used multiple times, with spinners increasingly coming into play, and Shastri believes that India can capitalize on these conditions.
Shastri also stressed the importance of batting first, stating that India should aim to post a total in the range of 240-250. Given the spin-friendly conditions, a total above 250 could be match-winning if the bowlers execute their plans efficiently. He highlighted how Australia’s middle order has been vulnerable against quality spin attacks in recent ICC tournaments, and India’s trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Jadeja, and Chakravarthy could exploit this weakness.
“I would go with the same XI because the turnaround is less than 48 hours. The square is a little tired at the moment and people would have run on the pitch that will be used the day after. So the spinners will again come into play”. 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 was quoted as saying by The Hindustan Times.
