Winning the coin toss, Australia compiled a competitive score of 264 runs, highlighted by half-centuries from Steven Smith and Alex Carey in the opening semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
India maintained their previous team composition, fielding four primary spin bowlers. Despite facing a fresh pitch and an aggressive Australian batting lineup aiming to seize control, they couldn’t replicate their dominant performance from the prior game against New Zealand. Nevertheless, they consistently applied pressure. Varun Chakaravarthy initiated this by dismissing Travis Head with his first delivery, inducing a misjudged lofted shot to long-off. Head’s innings was a mixed bag, scoring 39 runs off 33 balls, initially struggling to accelerate after scoring only one run from his first 11 balls. Mohammed Shami’s strategy of bowling around the wicket to both Australian openers, including Cooper Connolly, immediately presented challenges. Head was even dropped early on, but Shami soon claimed Connolly’s wicket, ending his brief innings for a duck.
After curtailing Head’s momentum, India gained an advantage before encountering Steven Smith. The Australian captain appeared the most composed batsman, confidently signaling his intentions with a boundary off Axar Patel early in his innings. He benefited from some fortune when an inside edge deflected off the stumps without dislodging the bails, and later when Shami missed a return catch. India managed to restrict boundaries for 50 deliveries during the Smith-Labuschagne partnership, until Labuschagne broke through with a late cut for four. He attempted slog-sweeps to counter the left-arm spinners, but his innings was cut short by Jadeja, concluding a 56-run partnership. Smith, meanwhile, reached his half-century off 66 balls, marking his fifth such score in seven ICC ODI knockout matches, and effectively anchored the innings. However, support waned as Josh Inglis was dismissed for 11.
The innings gained renewed energy with Alex Carey’s arrival. His partnership of 54 runs with Smith was brisk, particularly against the spinners. Carey took on the aggressor role, propelling Australia through the innings. Smith’s innings concluded at 73 when he missed a full toss from Shami. Australia faced further setbacks when Axar dismissed Glenn Maxwell. However, Carey continued to attack, reaching his fifty off 48 balls and countering Kuldeep Yadav’s effectiveness. Just as he seemed set for a strong finish, he was run out by Shreyas Iyer. Carey’s dismissal as the eighth wicket in the final overs hampered Australia’s late-innings surge, and they were eventually bowled out for 264 in the final over.
Brief Scores: Australia 264 in 49.3 overs (Steven Smith 73, Alex Carey 61; Mohammed Shami 3-48) vs India
