Australia wins toss and opts to bat against India in the first Champions Trophy semifinal
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Australia won the toss and opted to bat against India in the first semifinal of the 2025 Champions Trophy on Tuesday.
The two sides meet in a re-match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad, which Australia won for its sixth ODI title.
India had topped group A with three successive wins over Bangladesh, hosts Pakistan and New Zealand.
Australia finished second in group B with wins over England and Afghanistan. Its game against group B toppers South Africa was rained out.
South Africa will take on New Zealand in the second semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday.
India lost its 14th successive toss dating back to the Cricket World Cup final.
India is unchanged from their previous game on Sunday and once again lines up with four spinners, with Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya the two pace options.
Varun Chakravarthy, who took 5-42 against New Zealand, joins Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as India's spin options.
Australia will face different conditions than it encountered in Lahore and Rawalpindi. The ODI World Champions have opted for three spinners.
Leg spin bowler Tanveer Sangha comes in for pacer Spencer Johnson, while Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell provide other spin options.
Australia has made two changes with 21-year-old Cooper Connolly coming in for injured Matthew Short. Connolly also bowls left-arm spin.
The pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium should aid spin through the game. The square has showcased a two-paced nature across the three games here, and the semifinal should be no different.
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Line-ups:
Australia: Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steve Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Lokesh Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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