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'Australia Don't Have...': Sunil Gavaskar's Mammoth Prediction On Champions Trophy 2025 Semifinal

Legendary Indian cricket team batter Sunil Gavaskar made a massive prediction regarding the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal between India and Australia in Dubai on Tuesday. Gavaskar picked the Rohit Sharma-led side as clear favourities for the encounter and even pointed out a massive weakness in the current Australia side. Gavaskar believes that Australia's spinners are not as good as India and that can turn out to be a major problem for them. He added that the absence of players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will also play a huge role in the encounter.

India vs Australia, Champions Trophy Semi-Final: Key Insights, Strengths And Weaknesses

It is the ultimate showdown in cricket. It is the biggest rivalry of this century. It is India vs Australia at an ICC event. It is India vs Australia in the semi-final of the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai! India have been in menacing form in the tournament and are the only team to win all of their group-stage encounters. Australia, on the other hand, despite the handicap in their pace attack, have looked in ominous form with the bat. We look at the strengths and weaknesses of the two teams and some key insights ahead of the mega contest.

India's Playing XI vs Australia: Rohit Sharma's Selection Hint For CT 2025 Semifinal, Pinpoints Tempting Factor

India captain Rohit Sharma did not commit to following the four-spinner template in the Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia, but said Varun Chakravarthy's splendid effort against New Zealand has made that option very “tempting.” India played with Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel and the quartet wrecked the Kiwis, sharing nine wickets among them in their team's 44-run win here on Sunday. “We really need to think, even if we want to play four spinners, how we can squeeze four spinners. The reason I say it is because we are very much aware of the conditions here and we know exactly what works and what doesn't work,” Rohit said in his pre-match press conference.

"They've Seen What The Pitch...": Steve Smith Veers Into India's 'Venue Advantage' Row Ahead Of CT 2025 Semi-Final

Australia captain Steve Smith indicated a larger role for spinners on a dry pitch in Dubai, and said his side's fortunes in the Champions Trophy semifinal on Tuesday depend on how they negate the Indian slow bowlers. India employed four spinners against New Zealand in their final Group A match here on Sunday, and choked a capable Kiwis batting unit to register a 44-run win. "I think not just Chakravarthy, I think the rest of their spin has quality as well. So I think for us, the game is probably how we play their spin. Yeah, it's going to be a challenge,” Smith said on Monday, on the eve of the last-four match against India.

Ex-India Star Points Out 'Key Battle' In India-Australia Clash: "Struggled..."

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu believes the clash between talismanic batter Virat Kohli and Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa will be a key battle to watch out for in the all-important Champions Trophy semifinal at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday. Kohli has been dismissed five times by Zampa in ODIs since 2017, making this a keenly contested match-up on the slow pitches of Dubai. The India star has been dismissed five times by leg-spinners since the start of 2024, while amassing only 37 runs against them at a strike-rate of 48.68. "It's going to be Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli (a key battle in the semi-final). Virat has struggled a bit against leg-spinners lately, but the kind of form he has shown in this tournament will serve him well against Australia," said Rayudu to JioHotstar.

"ICC, Why?" Viv Richards' Stunning Take On India's Champions Trophy 2025 'Venue Advantage' Row

"Annoyed" and "hurt" with the absence of West Indies in the Champions Trophy, the legendary Sir Vivian Richards wants the Caribbean side to take a leaf out of Afghanistan's book to re-establish themselves as a force in world cricket. West Indies and Sri Lanka, the two former ODI World Cup and Champions Trophy winning sides, failed to make the cut for the eight-team event being played in Pakistan and Dubai. "I'm just hoping that my West Indies team can take a leaf out of these guys' book, because there is a passion and energy that the Afghanis have brought to the game," Richards, who is the governing council member of the International Masters League, told media on Sunday.

Chris Gaffaney, Richard Illingworth Named On-Field Umpires For India-Australia Semifinal

New Zealand's Chris Gaffaney and England's Richard Illingworth have been named as on-field umpires for the first 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal between India and Australia in Dubai, said the International Cricket Council (ICC). For Tuesday's semifinal at the Dubai International Stadium, Michael Gough will serve as third umpire, while Andy Pycroft will take up the match referee's duties. Illingworth continues in Dubai, having overseen India's Group A clash with New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday. Gaffaney, on the other hand, had been due to umpire Australia's meeting with South Africa in Group B before it was abandoned due to rain in Rawalpindi.

On Axar Patel Batting At No.5 In Champions Trophy 2025, Rohit Sharma's Massive 'Improvement' Verdict

Since the time Axar Patel has been promoted to bat at number five in ODI series against England, it has turned out to be beneficial for him and the Indian team. The move to bat Axar at five paid rich dividends again when he played a crucial 42 off 61 balls in India's 44-run win over New Zealand on Sunday. Ahead of India meeting Australia in the all-important first semi-final of the 2025 Champions Trophy, India skipper Rohit Sharma stated that the improvement shown by Axar as the batter, making him a vital cog in the middle-order wheel, has made for a superb watch.

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'Australia Don't Have...': Sunil Gavaskar's Mammoth Prediction On Champions Trophy 2025 Semifinal

India vs Australia, Champions Trophy Semi-Final: Key Insights, Strengths And Weaknesses

India's Playing XI vs Australia: Rohit Sharma's Selection Hint For CT 2025 Semifinal, Pinpoints Tempting Factor

"They've Seen What The Pitch...": Steve Smith Veers Into India's 'Venue Advantage' Row Ahead Of CT 2025 Semi-Final

Ex-India Star Points Out 'Key Battle' In India-Australia Clash: "Struggled..."

"ICC, Why?" Viv Richards' Stunning Take On India's Champions Trophy 2025 'Venue Advantage' Row

Chris Gaffaney, Richard Illingworth Named On-Field Umpires For India-Australia Semifinal

On Axar Patel Batting At No.5 In Champions Trophy 2025, Rohit Sharma's Massive 'Improvement' Verdict