Australia Elects to Bat First in ICC Champions Trophy Semi-Final Against India
In a highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy semi-final clash, Australia has won the toss and opted to bat first against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Skipper Steve Smith made two strategic changes to the playing XI, citing the dry and spin-friendly nature of the pitch as a key factor in their decision.
“We’ll have a bat. Looks like a pretty dry surface. The guys had a couple of sessions, ready to go. It should take turn. Very good side – India. Two changes. Cooper Connolly comes in for Matt Short, Tanveer Sangha comes in for Spencer Johnson,” Smith stated at the toss.
India, on the other hand, has chosen to stick with the same lineup that played against New Zealand, emphasizing their strong spin attack. Captain Rohit Sharma, despite losing the toss for the 14th consecutive time in ODIs, remains confident in his team’s ability to perform under pressure.
“I was prepared to do both. When you’re confused, it’s better to lose the toss. The pitch keeps changing its nature. You have to play good cricket. We’ve played good cricket in all three games and that’s what we’ll try to do,” Rohit explained. “Now that we are bowling first, we have to bowl well and restrict them to as low as possible.”
The pitch report, conducted by cricket legends Michael Atherton and Ramiz Raja, confirmed the expectations for spin-friendly conditions. “The pitch looks very bare, very dry and very cracked. Still batable, win the toss and bat first. The ball will grip. Looks good for the spinners,” Atherton noted.
With Australia looking to capitalize on batting first and India banking on their spin prowess, fans can expect a gripping contest in this crucial semi-final.
India vs Australia Playing XIs
- India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
- Australia XI: Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha
For more updates and exclusive offers, don’t forget to check out Looffers.com!
