In yet another exhilarating low scoring encounter, as expected from the Dubai pitch, India came out on top against Australia, pulling off the first chase of a 250+ score on the pitch of Dubai International Stadium in 3 years to advance to the finals of ICC Champions Trophy 2025, also avenging their loss in the final of ODI World Cup 2023. The Indian bowling lineup did their job once again as they successfully restricted Australia from reaching a dominating total, as Varun Chakravarthy shone once more, dismissing India’s worst nightmare, Travis Head, who was off to a flying start. Mohammad Shami too bowled a fine spell, claiming 3 wickets, including the one of the set batsmen Steve Smith who scored an excellent 73 off 96 which gave a significant boost to his side. The spinners too did their job in dismissing dangerous batsmen like Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis and the deadly Glenn Maxwell, as the only middle order batsmen who could contribute was Alex Carey, who played an aggressive knock of 61 off just 57 balls despite the difficult batting conditions.
However, India chased down the target without breaking a sweat as their powerful middle order once again ensured a smooth chase with scintillating knocks from all batsmen in it, be it Shreyas Iyer’s patient 45 off 62 in a high stakes game, or Axar Patel’s aggressive 27 off 30, or the commendable audacity of KL Rahul(42 off 34) and Hardik Pandya(28 off 24) who together hit 5 sixes, playing aggressively on a slow pitch like no one ever did or dared to in the tournament, making a joke of the pressure their team was initially in, especially in the final 10 overs of the game.
India’s middle order and batting depth have been its deadliest weapon over the years and have proved itself once again, showing India’s prowess as a world class team. Not to mention, Virat Kohli too played a commendable knock under pressure after the team lost both its openers in quick succession, scoring 84 off 98 and just missing out on a century.
However, injuries to key players and poor selection of playing XI also played a part in Australia’s loss. Lack of key players like the crucial all rounder Mitchell Marsh, pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood etc. hurt Australia badly as they felt the lack of these players in the semi final. Australia also made a questionable decision of including the inexperienced Cooper Connolly in the XI instead of the expected Jake Fraser McGurk, who had made himself known from his aggressive finch hitting in the 2024 season of the IPL. Cooper Connolly did get Rohit Sharma’s wicket, however that was because of luck, and McGurk, while also inexperienced, definitely had more experience than Connolly and could’ve done a better job and given Australia a higher total, significantly raising their chances of victory. Playing the unknown and highly inexperienced Tanveer Sangha in such a high stakes game was also a reprehensible decision from Australia and captain Steve Smith. Their injuries and selection mistakes ultimately cost them their chance at winning the Champions Trophy.
Overall, it was an all round performance from the Men in Blue, as they pulled off a chase of a score above 250 on Dubai’s pitch, which hadn’t happened in 3 years, without much difficulty, to advance to the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, while Australia’s injuries and mistakes hurt them though they still played well. After their win in the T20 WC 2024, India and Rohit Sharma will be eyeing another title win, marking a splendid comeback after the heartbreaking loss at the 2023 ODI WC.
