India Secures 44-Run Victory Over New Zealand, Set to Face Australia in Champions Trophy Semifinals
India Secures Spot in Champions Trophy Semifinals with Victory Over New Zealand
India has clinched a crucial 44-run victory over New Zealand, topping Group A in the Champions Trophy. With this win, they are set to face Australia in the semifinals, while New Zealand will compete against South Africa.
Shreyas Iyer played a pivotal role in India’s innings, scoring a solid 79 runs off 98 balls. Key contributions came from Hardik Pandya (45) and Axar Patel (42), helping India post a competitive total. New Zealand’s chase was led by Kane Williamson, who scored a classy 81. However, they were ultimately bowled out for 205 in just 45.3 overs, with Varun Chakravarthy starring with the ball, claiming 5 wickets for 42 runs.
India vs Australia: A Historic Rivalry
India’s last triumph over Australia in an ICC knockout match dates back to the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal. Since then, the Men in Blue have faced challenges against the Aussies in crucial encounters, including the 2015 World Cup semifinal and the recent 2023 World Cup final.
As India prepares for this high-stakes clash, let’s take a closer look at their ODI head-to-head record against Australia:
Head-to-Head Record
In ICC Champions Trophy
India leads 2-1 in four encounters (one no result)
– 1998: India won by 44 runs (Dhaka)
– 2000: India won by 20 runs (Nairobi)
Overall Record (151 ODIs)
– Australia: 84
– India: 57
– No result: 10
In ICC ODI World Cups (14 Matches)
– Australia: 9
– India: 5
Looking Ahead
The teams for the semifinal are as follows:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa, Cooper Connolly.
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