India Puts Australia on Backfoot, Restricts Them to 264 in Semifinal

A disciplined bowling display from India saw Australia bowled out for 264 in the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The total posted by Australia is the highest at the venue in the ongoing edition of the tournament.

Mohammed Shami led India's attack with impressive figures of 3 for 48, while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets each. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya also contributed with a wicket apiece, ensuring Australia were unable to fully capitalize on their batting start.

Australia’s Innings: Key Performances

Australia, after electing to bat first under the leadership of captain Steve Smith, got off to a mixed start. Opener Travis Head played a brisk knock of 39 off 33 balls before falling to Varun Chakravarthy, caught by Shubman Gill. His partner, debutant Cooper Connolly, struggled to find his rhythm and departed for a nine-ball duck, caught by KL Rahul off Mohammed Shami in the third over.

Marnus Labuschagne provided a steady 29 off 36 before being dismissed, followed by Josh Inglis, who managed just 11 runs. Steve Smith, anchoring the innings, top-scored with a well-crafted 73 off 96 balls, but his departure in the 38th over, bowled by Shami, turned the tide in India’s favor.

Alex Carey played a crucial role, scoring 61 off 57 balls, and stitched a valuable 50-run partnership with Smith. However, Carey was run out in the 48th over while attempting to accelerate the scoring. Glenn Maxwell, expected to provide fireworks, was dismissed cheaply for seven, bowled by Axar Patel. The lower order crumbled, with Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis falling in quick succession, as Australia were bowled out with three balls to spare.

India’s Road to the Semifinal

India entered the semifinal as the table-toppers from Group A, having won all three of their matches against Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand. Australia, on the other hand, finished second in Group B, behind South Africa.

This match marks the first 50-over encounter between the two teams since the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where Australia triumphed over India. However, India had the upper hand in their most recent ICC tournament meeting, defeating Australia en route to their T20 World Cup victory.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

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, Cooper Connolly, Adam Zampa.

With Australia setting a competitive total of 264, India now looks to chase down the target and book a place in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.