All eyes will be on Australia’s dynamic batter, Travis Head, in IND vs AUS Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal at Dubai Cricket Stadium. A consistent performer in high-stakes matches against India, Head remains a major threat. If India aims to reach the final, dismissing him early will be crucial.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Australia has had a cautious start. Three overs in, they find themselves at 4/1. Openers Travis Head and Connolly took the crease, but Connolly departed for a duck after being dismissed by Mohammed Shami. Head, holding firm at the other end, remains a key danger for India.
Travis Head’s ODI record against India
Travis Head has delivered strong performances against India in ODIs. Between 2017 and 2023, he played nine matches, scoring 345 runs at an average of 43.12 and a strike rate of 101.76. His record includes one century and one half-century, with a highest score of 137.
The Unforgettable 2023 World Cup Final
Indian fans have yet to forget Head’s match-winning knock in the 2023 World Cup final. His unbeaten 137 off 120 balls led Australia to a six-wicket victory, shattering India’s title hopes. To add to India’s heartbreak, he also took a stunning catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma, shifting the momentum decisively in Australia’s favor.
Rohit Sharma, after losing the toss, said: I was prepared to do both. When you’re in two minds, it’s better to lose the toss. We’ve played three games here and each time it had something different in it. You can’t really say this is how the pitch is going to play. The pitch keeps changing its nature. At the end of the day, you have to play good cricket and that’s what we are focused on. We’ve played good cricket in all three games and that’s what we’ll look to do now. It’s going to be challenging. The slower bowlers have come into play a lot, that’s why we wanted same team.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia: Steven Smith (c), Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha.
