Sunil Gavaskar indicated that India might prefer to face Australia over South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals. India’s opponents will be confirmed after their last group match against New Zealand. India has won their first two matches and secured a place in the semi-finals, while Australia has advanced without two of their star bowlers, raising concerns for India’s strategy.
Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar recently conveyed that India might prefer to face Australia rather than South Africa in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The opponents will be determined following India’s final group match against New Zealand. So far, India has secured their place in the semi-finals after winning their first two matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan by six wickets each.
Gavaskar elaborated that while both teams are strong contenders, India could find facing Australia more favorable due to the absence of their key bowlers such as Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. He opined, “Maybe Australia because they’ve played Australia; they know Australia a little bit better than South Africa.” Notably, India last faced South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
Australia initiated their campaign impressively, chasing the highest score in ICC ODI history against England with a total of 352 runs. They have qualified for the semi-finals, despite two of their subsequent matches against South Africa and Afghanistan being washed out. Australia currently holds four points in their group.
A concern for India lies in Australian opener Travis Head, who demonstrated his formidable form against Afghanistan with a swift innings of 59 runs off 40 balls. Having previously scored crucial runs against India in the World Cup and the World Test Championship, his performance poses a significant threat if the teams meet in the semi-final.
In conclusion, Sunil Gavaskar suggests that India may prefer facing Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals due to their familiarity with the Australian team and the latter’s depleted pace attack. With India having secured their place in the knockout stages, they remain vigilant of Travis Head’s potential impact, should they encounter the defending champions in the decisive match.
Original Source: www.indiatoday.in
