Champions Trophy 2025: India vs Australia, Semifinal 1 - Top 3 player battles to watch out for

The first semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played between India and Australia at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, March 4. While India topped Group A, Australia finished on second position in Group B. 

India are coming on the back of three wins on the trot. They started off with a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh. Their second fixture was against Pakistan. The Men in Blue continued their dominance against their arch-rivals with a convincing run-chase. The contest against the Kiwis was when India showcased their spin-bowling reserves, digging out a 44-run victory.

On the other hand, Australia won only one game to progress through. They tracked down a stiff 352-run target against England to notch up a five-wicket win in their tournament opener. The subsequent game against South Africa was washed out without a ball being bowled. Australia's last league game was against Afghanistan. Only 62.5 overs were possible in that game before weather played spoilsport.   

Here are the top three player battles to watch out for in India vs Australia, semifinal 1 of Champions Trophy 2025:

3. Virat Kohli vs Adam Zampa

The showdown between Virat Kohli and Adam Zampa is poised to be one to look out for. Kohli is known to be a big-match player and has routinely stepped up to the challenge in the past. However, Zampa is not someone to be taken lightly. What is set to make this battle more intriguing is Kohli's recent concerns against leg-spin.

Zampa has dismissed Kohli five times in the 245 deliveries bowled in the 50-over format so far. The ace Indian batter has registered 264 runs while averaging 52.80, at a strike rate of 107.75. With the game being played in Dubai, the wily leg-spinner could be expected to extract quite some purchase. Hence, it will be an interesting watch with respect to how Kohli counters the threat.

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