ICC Champions Trophy: How can India tackle Australia in the semi-final?

The ghosts of India's previous encounters with Australia in ICC tournaments linger deep in the fans' nightmares. The 2023 ODI World Cup, where India won all their matches up to the final, only to edge the trophy out to the Kangaroos, is still fresh. Maybe that's why the fans were content if India had lost their last group stage match at the ICC Champions Trophy. The India vs New Zealand fixture in Dubai was not a high-stakes event because both teams had already qualified for the semis. However, the victory would have decided the order of their finish in the Group A standings. A victory, which India earned eventually, meant setting up the semi against Australia, who stood second in Group B, behind South Africa.

ICC Champions Trophy: Factors that could benefit the Men in Blue in the India vs Australia semi-final

There's a lot of apprehension tailing the India vs Australia semi-final at the ICC Champions Trophy. India's records against the Kangaroos in ICC knockout fixtures are neither motivating nor forgettable. A semi-final exit from the 2015 World Cup, narrowly slipping out on the trophy in the 2023 World Cup, all of India's heartbreaks came at the hands of the Kangaroos. Thus, as the stage sets for another face-off, this time in the semi-final of the mini World Cup, nerves are running high. However, India has all the elements needed to counter Australia when they meet on Wednesday in Dubai.

India's acclimatisation to the Dubai venue at the ICC Champions Trophy

Placed in Group B alongside England, Afghanistan, and South Africa, Australia would be playing its first match in Dubai. India, meanwhile, has scripted all its three victories at the same venue in the ongoing tournament. There has been significant discussion on how India is at an advantage in the Champions Trophy because they play all their matches at the same venue. Advantage or not, that's how it's meant to be as after New Zealand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, now Australia heads to Dubai to meet India in the tournament.

India's form in the 2023 ODI World Cup looked as fine as ever, similar to how it currently looks at the ICC Champions Trophy. And yet, the Kangaroos managed to stun the hosts in the final to pick the trophy. However, when two teams function at the levels at which India and Australia play, it's hard to say if it was one's form that failed or if it was luck at play. While luck would have its way, India would count on keeping their arsenal ready to challenge Australia this time around. Firstly, the Men in Blue have the question of whether they want to change the Playing XI that scripted the 44-run victory against New Zealand in the low-scoring match.

Varun Chakravarthy can play the key figure at the used Dubai pitch in the India vs Australia semi-final

After securing their spot in the semis with clinical wins over Bangladesh and Pakistan, India changed their Playing XI for the final group stage game. The India vs New Zealand fixture witnessed the debut of Varun Chakravarthy in the Champions Trophy. Marking an impactful debut, Chakravarthy picked a fifer to derail the 250-run chase of the Kiwis. As India won the game, skipper Rohit Sharma faced the question of whether the change that was first made to gauge what Chakravarthy had to offer at this stage now seems like the better one for the semis. Varun Chakravarthy walked in replacing Harshit Rana, who picked up four scalps across the first two matches. Chakravarthy's addition meant India played with Mohammed Shami as their only primary pacer, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya coming up as the other pace option.

However, the slow Dubai surface played seamlessly as per the Indian plans, validating their risky move of playing four spinners in the combination. Barring Rachin Ravindra, who fell to Pandya, all the Kiwis faltered against the Indian spinners. Varun Chakravarthy emerged as the MVP, putting across a strong case for selection in the India vs Australia semi-final as well. With the conditions right now, it only seems like a fitting move for India to keep the same Playing XI and play Chakravarthy against the Kangaroos at the same venue.

Thus, when it comes to tackling the bowlers, spinners on the used pitch of Dubai could play the winning equation for the Men in Blue. Across the India vs England bilateral series and the Champions Trophy match against New Zealand, Chakravarthy has proved unreadable so far. The mystery that became the point of ridicule after the falter in the 2021 T20 World Cup is the factor that's currently making the spinner absolutely lethal for the opponents. Thus, playing the spinner would be the differentiating factor against Australia as India looks to knock them out this time around.

In-form Indian batting order could exploit Australia's weakened bowling order

On the surface, Australia has played only two matches on their way up to the Champions Trophy semi-final. Their opening fixture against England put across a stunning case of batting, where Josh Inglis smashed a century as the Kangaroos recorded the highest successful chase in an ICC tournament. However, the match saw senior prospects like skipper Steve Smith and Travis Head, India's arch-nemesis, fall cheaply. In their match against Afghanistan, which was curtailed in the chase, however, there was a glimpse of the lethal form of Travis Head that India is wary of. At 59 off 40, Head remained unbeaten against Afghanistan before rain lashed Lahore into the match's oblivion.

India's biggest opportunity lies in the hampered bowling lineup of Australia in the absence of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Ben Dwarshuis has emerged as a key figure in their pace department, picking six wickets across two matches. However, the inexperience could benefit India, who have the in-form Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer in the mix. As far as spin is concerned, Adam Zampa has recorded an average of 28.00 in the two innings he has played so far. Maxwell's spin doesn't appear polished enough to trouble the Indian batters considerably.