IND vs AUS: Harshit Rana's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Campaign Likely To End, Big Selection Headache For India Ahead

IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma -led Team India is in red-hot form currently. India are still undefeated in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy and they'll now lock horns with arch-rivals Australia. The last time India and Australia locked horns in a fifty over ICC tournament, the mighty Aussies had defeated the 'men in blue', to clinch the ODI World Cup . The  Champions Trophy semi-final between India and Australia will be played in Dubai on March 4, 2025. The Australian side might look weak and depleted as of now, but nobody writes the kangaroos out on a big stage.

The India vs New Zealand group stage match gave everybody a glimpse of how the surface in Dubai might end up playing. The track has been on a slower side and run scoring has proved to be difficult. India currently enjoy the luxury of having four world class spinners in their side. The likes of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy have the capability of running through any side in the middle overs, but this has also raised a huge selection headache for the team management.

Harshit Rana vs Varun Chakravarthy: India's Shot At Perfect Team Combination

The 'Men in Blue' deciding to rest a youngster like Harshit Rana ahead of much older Mohammed Shami during the New Zealand clash raised many eyebrows. Shami had experienced some discomfort during the India vs Pakistan game and everybody had expected the Indian think-thank to rest him. But surprisingly, Harshit Rana made way for Varun Chakravarthy, and it proved to be a game changing move.

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Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Chakravarthy grabbed the opportunity with both hands and ended up taking a fifer on his Champions Trophy debut. Chakravarthy dismissed the likes of Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, New Zealand skipper  Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry. This is the kind of performance that will tempt the Indian management to play Varun in the next match.

The pitch in Dubai has slowed down considerably and it does not have a lot on offer for the pacers. India already have someone such as Hardik Pandya who can share the ball with Mohammed Shami. Chakravarthy's performance in the New Zealand game an the nature of the Dubai pitch might just force Gambhir and Rohit to include Chakravarthy in the eleven for the semi-final.

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India vs Australia: The Big Showdown In Dubai

India have a herculean task ahead of them. The kind of form the Indian team is in right now doesn't matter because Australia bring their A game to the table whenever they play the knockouts of the ICC events. The scars of the 2023 ODI World Cup might still be fresh in the minds of the the Indian team and they'll look to have their share of revenge and knock the mighty Aussies out of the Champions Trophy.

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