Tag: INDvAUS

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has laid out a winning game plan for India ahead of their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals against Australia.

Sharing a three-pronged strategy to triumph over Australia, Harbhajan emphasized crucial moves that could help India secure a spot in the final.

Harbhajan advised the Indian bowlers, especially Mohammed Shami, to target Travis Head and dismiss him at the earliest.

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“Travis Head is a dangerous player. India must target him early, especially Shami, you should get him as early as possible,” he said.

 

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Harbhajan Singh highlighted the threat posed by Australia’s middle-order batsmen, Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis, known for their aggressive batting style and hitting sixes and boundaries.

Australia’s middle-order, especially Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis, could be destructive. They only deal in sixes,” said former spinner.

He further advised the Men in Blue not to take unnecessary pressure in a knockout game and stick to their natural game.

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“Don’t take unnecessary pressure of the knock out game. India should play their natural game and stay fearless,” he concluded.

For the unversed, India hammered New Zealand by 44 runs Sunday to be unbeaten in three matches and top Group A of the 50-over tournament played in Dubai and Pakistan.

They next face the Steve Smith-led Australia on Tuesday in Dubai for a place in the final of the eight-nation event.

Read: Steve Smith opens up on ‘silencing’ Indian crowd in Champions Trophy semi-final

DUBAI: Australia captain Steve Smith revealed his thoughts on silencing the Indian crowd ahead of the much-awaited ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against India here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium tommorow.

While speaking in a pre-match press-conference, Smith gave a cold reply when asked about silencing the Indian crowd.

“To be honest, I don’t really have a message. Just going out and playing, and hopefully, we can put on a good show,” he said.

When asked if India has an advantage of playing in Dubai, the Australian skipper admitted that the familiarity with the conditions could play a key role.

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“Maybe, I am not sure. India have played all games here, so they have seen what surface is doing,” he remarked.

“The whole square block is pretty dry, and having spoken to groundsmen, it’s just a dry surface.” Smith added.

Steve Smith further highlighted that the spinner’s role will be important in deciding the winner of all important encounters.

“The game’s probably won and lost how we play this spin, particularly in the middle overs, the way we get through there,” he explained.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

“It’s going to be a challenge. I think that there’s going to be some spin by the looks of it, looking at the surface, and we’ve got to counter that. So we’ll see how we do that tomorrow,” the Australian skipper observed.

Smith acknowledged the absence of key Australia players but expressed confidence in the younger players to step up during this significant match against India.

“It’s good exposure for them to be able to play in an international tournament on a big stage.”

“I think they’ve handled themselves really well, so yeah, hopefully another good performance from the guys tomorrow and we can get into another final,” he concluded.

Read: ‘Keep 90s players away’ Rashid Latif issues bold statement on Pakistan cricket