India’s cricket team has reached the semifinals of the Champions Trophy 2025 with a flawless record, defeating New Zealand in Dubai. Criticisms about the venue’s fairness have emerged due to the team’s games being hosted there, with Sourav Ganguly defending the situation. India faces a daunting task against Australia with their knockout history in mind.
The Indian cricket team has successfully secured a place in the semifinals of the Champions Trophy 2025 after achieving a perfect record, having defeated New Zealand in Dubai. India remains the only team in the tournament to have claimed victory in all three of their matches thus far. However, concerns regarding an “unfair advantage” have been raised by several former and current players, given that India has played all of its matches in Dubai.
Due to the Indian government’s restrictions on traveling to Pakistan, the International Cricket Council (ICC) opted for a hybrid model to host the competition. Notable former cricketers such as Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton have expressed dissatisfaction with the current scheduling, a sentiment echoed by players including Jos Buttler and South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen.
In response to the criticisms regarding the venue, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly offered a counterpoint, arguing that India would have performed even better had they competed on Pakistani pitches, stating, “The pitches in Pakistan are much better. India would’ve scored more runs there.”
As India prepares for their semifinal clash against Australia, they face historical challenges, having not defeated the Australians in knockout stages since the 2011 World Cup quarterfinals. The formidable Australian team remains a threat even without key players such as Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, particularly after their recent stunning chase of 352 runs against England.
This matchup is heavily anticipated, as India will look to leverage their strong spin bowlers and acclimatization to the conditions in an effort to end their knockout stage struggles against Australia. History, however, weighs against them, having lost to Australia in the semifinals of the 2015 ODI World Cup and the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, in addition to their defeat at the World Test Championship final in 2023.
In summary, the Indian cricket team has excelled in the Champions Trophy 2025, reaching the semifinals without any losses. Sourav Ganguly has addressed the criticism regarding the venue, highlighting the advantages of pitches in Pakistan. As India prepares to face Australia in a critical semifinal match, historical challenges loom, and their past encounters add pressure to this high-stakes confrontation.
Original Source: sports.ndtv.com
