Sunil Gavaskar indicated that India may prefer to face Australia over South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final. India qualified for the semi-finals after winning their first two matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan. Australia’s key bowlers are absent, which may make them a more appealing opponent for India, although Travis Head poses a significant threat.
Sunil Gavaskar, the esteemed former cricketer from India, indicated that the Indian team might prefer to confront Australia rather than South Africa in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This preference will be determined after India’s concluding group match against New Zealand, which will finalize their position in the Group A standings. With victories in their first two games against Bangladesh and Pakistan, India has successfully secured a spot in the semi-finals alongside New Zealand.
Gavaskar remarked on the formidable nature of both teams but suggested that India might feel more comfortable against Australia due to their relatively inexperienced pace attack, particularly in the absence of key bowlers such as Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. He emphasized that while both teams are strong, India has more familiarity with Australia, having faced them recently.
Australia has performed strongly thus far, notably chasing down 352 against England, the highest ever recorded in ICC ODI history, with Jos Inglis contributing a commendable 120 runs off 86 balls. Following this triumph, Australia’s subsequent matches against South Africa and Afghanistan were unfortunately affected by weather, resulting in washouts, yet they still advanced to the semi-finals.
However, India must remain cautious, especially given Travis Head’s impressive form during Australia’s encounter with Afghanistan, where he scored 59 runs off just 40 balls. Head has had notable success against India in recent competitions, raising concerns about his potential impact should the teams meet in the semi-final.
In summary, Sunil Gavaskar has expressed India’s potential preference to face Australia instead of South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final. This preference is influenced by Australia’s current bowling lineup and India’s better familiarity with the Australian team. Despite this, they must not underestimate the threats posed by Australian players like Travis Head.
Original Source: www.indiatoday.in
