India vs Australia Semifinal Predictions: Playing XI, Dubai weather, pitch report & more

Cricket fans are in for a high-stakes showdown as India and Australia lock horns in the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday. With a place in the final on the line, both teams will be eager to outplay each other in this much-anticipated clash.

India’s Chance to Settle Scores

India’s last knockout-stage victory over Australia in an ICC event came during the 2011 ODI World Cup. Since then, the Aussies have had the upper hand, including wins in the 2023 World Test Championship final and the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Rohit Sharma’s men will be looking to turn the tide and settle old scores.

Venue Advantage for India

Unlike Australia, which has had to shuttle between multiple venues in Pakistan and Dubai, Team India has enjoyed the luxury of staying put in Dubai throughout the tournament. This has allowed them to adapt to the spin-friendly conditions, where low-scoring games have been the trend. Despite Australia missing key pacers, stand-in skipper Steve Smith will rely on his second-string pace attack to challenge India’s formidable batting lineup.

Pitch & Weather Report

The Dubai pitch has largely favored bowlers, especially spinners. Expect a low-scoring contest where stroke play may be challenging.

Weather forecast: No rain is expected, with temperatures in the 20s – ideal conditions for a thrilling contest.

Where & When to Watch

Match start time: Tuesday, 2:30 PM IST (Toss at 2:00 PM IST).

Live streaming: JioHotstar.

TV broadcast: Star Sports & Network 18.

Predicted Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Australia: Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa.

With history, revenge, and a place in the Champions Trophy 2025 final at stake, expect a blockbuster encounter between two cricketing giants!