Champions Trophy 2025, Australia v India: Connolly set as Smith ready for semi final spin challenge
Steve Smith and Alex Carey scored crucial half-centuries but Australia’s bowlers must fire if they are to defend a 164-run target in their Champions Trophy semi final against India.
Steve Smith and Alex Carey scored crucial half-centuries but Australia’s bowlers must fire if they are to defend a 164-run target in their Champions Trophy semi final against India.
Smith steered Australia out of trouble with his 73 from 96 balls, but his departure - and that of Glenn Maxwell just five balls later has left the Aussies in big trouble.
Carey’s 61 from 57 balls helped lift Australia to a competitive total, but the lack of support could have India in position to strike.
Cooper Connolly fell in the first 20 balls as India struck first blood in the Champions Trophy semi final against Australia.
And Travis Head’s departure 39 from 33 balls only compounded the Aussies’ woes.
Smith and Marnus Labuschagne (29 from 36 balls) shared in a crucial 56-run partnership before his dismissal left Australia at 3-110, and Josh Inglis, who made 11 from 12 balls, made it 4-144.
Connolly replaced the injured Matt Short in what is as close to a like for like replacement as possible, while Tanveer Sangha has replaced Spencer Johnson in Australia’s XI.
But Connolly’s impact will have to come in the field, as the Scorchers star looked at all sorts in his short stay at the crease.
He played at one too many wider deliveries from Mohammed Shami, edging behind to KL Rahul.
Connolly wasn’t given out, but India successfully reviewed the decision.
Head, meanwhile, was at his aggressive best, and while he survived some close calls he made them count with five boundaries and two sixes.
He went once too many, and found the safe hands of Shubman Gill to give Varun Chakravarthy a scalp.
It’s left Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne together at the crease to steer Australia out of trouble and on their way to a defendable total.
The West Australian was drafted into the Aussie 15 after Short was ruled out of the tournament with a quad injury.
The Aussies will be forced into a rejig of their batting lineup given Short’s absence.
Spin has dominated in Dubai across the tournament, helping Connolly’s case ahead of Jake Fraser-McGurk.
It comes as Australia captain Steve Smith says his team are confident they can counter India’s quality spin attack in the semi final.
The two teams will face off at the Dubai International Stadium in a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final won by Australia in Ahmedabad.
Australia beat rivals England by five wickets in their opening match but their next two games were abandoned because of rain in the Pakistani cities of Rawalpindi and Lahore.
India made it three wins from three in Group A with a victory over New Zealand delivered by their four spinners on a tricky pitch.
Varun Chakravarthy took 5-42 in Dubai in only his second one-day international to boost his hopes of selection.
“Yeah, I mean, not just Chakravarthy, I think the rest of their spin is quality as well,” Smith said.
“So I think for us, the game is probably won and lost how we play their spin, particularly in the middle overs, the way we get through there. It’s going to be a challenge...
“I think there’s going to be some spin, by the looks of it. Yeah, we’ve got to counter that... We’ve got a few options of ways we can go about it.”
The world champions are missing several key players including fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to injuries.
But Smith said they could call upon part-time spinners, including Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, to support Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell on a track he believes “looks a dry surface”.
Connolly is another option.
“We’ve got a lot of part-time options that could certainly play a role on here and a couple of front-liners as well,” he said.
Both Australia and Group B winners South Africa flew to Dubai from Pakistan without knowing who they would play in the semi-finals, the line-up for which was decided after the India-New Zealand match.
India have been slammed for playing all their games at one venue, in Dubai, while other teams shuttle between three Pakistani cities and the UAE.
India refused to play in host nation Pakistan due to political reasons.
Smith played down any perceived disadvantage.
“We guessed right in the end,” Smith said on his team travelling to Dubai.
“We had a little reset and a chance to have a couple of days here outside of a pretty strict sort of bubble, I suppose, in Pakistan with the security and stuff.
“It’s been nice to just have a couple of days chill here, a bit of training.”
Australia beat India by six wickets in the 2023 World Cup final, with Head hitting an unbeaten 137.
“I mean, there’s pressure every time you play in a big game,” said Smith of Head.
“But, as we know, Travis has stood up in many of those in the past. And, you know, he looked in great touch the other night against Afghanistan.
“I’m sure he’s going to be looking to come out here and play the same way he’s played for a long time, with good intent, good aggression.”
South Africa face New Zealand in the second semi-final in Lahore on Wednesday.
- with AFP
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