India will face a tough challenge against Australia in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals
Team India will lock horns against Australia in the first semi-final of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday (March 4). This was confirmed after the Men in Blue defeated New Zealand by 44 runs in the final Group A match in Dubai on Sunday.
The win meant India will finish as Group A winners with six points from three matches. Australia, on the other hand, finished second in Group B with four points, behind South Africa (first, five points). South Africa will face New Zealand in the second semi-final in Lahore on Wednesday (March 5).
India had begun their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a six-wicket win over Bangladesh in their group stage opener on February 20 in Dubai. Three days later, the Men in Blue outplayed co-hosts Pakistan by the same margin, with Virat Kohli scoring an unbeaten century.
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Despite beating Pakistan in their second match, India’s qualification for the semi-finals wasn’t confirmed yet. The Men in Blue had to wait for the outcome of the New Zealand vs Bangladesh game the next day. The Black Caps defeated the Tigers by five wickets and as a result, both India and New Zealand advanced to the last-four stage.
New Zealand won the toss in the match against India on Sunday and asked them to bat first. India were off to a rather slow start with the bat, managing jus 37/3 in the first powerplay, when they lost Shubman Gill (2), Rohit Sharma (15) and Virat Kohli (11). However, Shreyas Iyer (79) played a crucial knock to revive India’s innings. Iyer and all-rounder Axar Patel (42) were involved in a 98-run stand for the fourth wicket. Hardik Pandya also contributed with the bat, scoring a run-a-ball 45 as India posted 249/9 on the board.
New Zealand’s reply was limited to just one batter giving it his all. That was their former captain Kane Williamson, who scored 81 runs off 120 deliveries. Williamson walked out to bat at number three with the Black Caps at 17/1 in the fourth over. However, he just wasn’t able to build a strong partnership consistently as spinner Varun Chakravarthy wreaked havoc with figures of 5/42.
New Zealand were all out for 209 in 45.3 overs. Apart from Varun, Hardik Pandya (1/22), Axar Patel (1/32), Kuldeep Yadav (2/56) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/36) were also among the wicket-takers’ list.
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