GUWAHATI: India has set up a high-stakes semifinal showdown against Australia on Tuesday, March 4 after clinching a dominant 44-run victory over New Zealand on Sunday, securing the top spot in Group A of the Champions Trophy. New Zealand will battle South Africa in the second semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday.
ALSO READ: Three Arrested For Theft In Guwhati By Fatasil Ambari Police
Shreyas Iyer played a pivotal role in India's innings, scoring a composed 79 off 98 balls, supported by Hardik Pandya (45) and Axar Patel (42). Chasing a competitive total, New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson led the fightback with a fluent 81, but the Black Caps fell short, bowled out for 205 in 45.3 overs.
Varun Chakravarthy delivered a match-winning performance, wreaking havoc with figures of 5/42 in 10 overs, ensuring India’s convincing win.
India’s semifinal against Australia brings back memories of past ICC knockout encounters. India last defeated Australia in an ICC knockout match during the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal. However, since then, the Aussies have had the upper hand in crucial matches, including 2015 World Cup semifinal, 2023 World Cup final and 2023 World Test Championship final.
India hold a 2-1 edge over Australia in their four Champions Trophy meetings (one no result):
1998 (Dhaka): India won by 44 runs
2000 (Nairobi): India won by 20 runs
Overall ODI Record (151 Matches)Australia: 84 wins
India: 57 wins
No Result: 10
India vs. Australia 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 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.
India now face a formidable Australian side in a bid to break their 14-year ICC knockout jinx against them. The high-stakes clash promises an electrifying contest as both teams vie for a place in the Champions Trophy final.
