India Look To Spin A New Tale Against Australia In Champions Trophy Semi-Final

History weighs heavily against them but India would rely on a potent spin battery and familiarity with the conditions to break the knockout jinx against an undermanned Australia when the two formidable cricket forces clash in the Champions Trophy semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday. It will not be a straightforward task, though, as the Aussies are a resilient beast in global tournaments even without their lead cast of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Their stunning chase of 352 against England at Lahore a few days back validates the thought.

The last time India triumphed against Australia in the knockout stage of an ICC event was way back in 2011 World Cup quarterfinal.

India lost to Australia in the semifinals of the 2015 ODI World Cup and in the title clash of the 2023 ODI World Cup before succumbing to them in the World Test Championship final in 2023.

This Indian side will realistically hope to rewrite that largely melancholic script over the last 14 years and the primary reason for that optimism is the presence of some top of the line spinners in their ranks.

Their pre-tournament decision to fill the squad with five spinners drew a lot of flak from all corners, but it is now proving to be a masterstroke on the slow pitches in Dubai.

The easiest explanation of their dominance is the knowledge of the conditions having had the luxury of playing all their matches in Dubai. But that is only partially true. They have made an effort to tweak their craft as per the needs of the surfaces here.

Since there was no fast or spitting turn on offer here like in a dustbowl, the Indian spinners were made to play the waiting game.

Patience rather than magic is the key in bowling on these decks, as revealed by Varun