Defending world champions Australia will take on India in the first semifinal match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 today (March 4). The match will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the UAE. It will start at 2:30 PM (India time).
IND vs AUS: Pitch report
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium offers a balanced pitch, benefiting both batters and bowlers. It has a good pace and bounce, making it favourable for batting. However, the large boundaries make hitting sixes challenging. As the match progresses, the pitch slows down, giving spinners an advantage, especially during the middle overs.
In the last ODI here, Varun Chakaravarthy claimed a fifer against New Zealand on his ICC Champions Trophy debut. In the first innings, New Zealand pacer Matt Henry claimed five wickets.
While defending 249, India bundled out the Kiwis for 205. Indian spinners claimed nine out of ten wickets.
The stadium has hosted 61 ODIs, with teams batting first securing 23 wins and chasing sides winning 36. Two matches did not produce any results.
India have played three matches at this venue in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and won all of those. In total, India have played 9 matches here and won 8 while one match (with Afghanistan) ended in a tie. Australia, on the other hand, have played 5 ODIs here and won 4.
IND vs AUS: Head-to-Head
India and Australia have faced each other in 151 ODIs, with Australia winning 84 and India securing 57 victories. Ten matches ended without a result. India enter this semi-final in strong form, winning their last five games while Australia have managed just one win in their last five matches.
The last time these teams met in an ODI was the 2023 World Cup final, where Australia emerged victorious. In the ICC Champions Trophy, they have played four matches, with Australia winning twice, India winning once and one match being washed out. Their last full clash in the ICC Champions Trophy was in 2006, where Australia won by six wickets.
IND vs AUS: Weather predictions
The abundant sunshine throughout the match will make for excellent batting conditions. The moderate West-Northwesterly wind could assist swing bowlers, especially early on. It might also make it slightly challenging for batters to hit sixes against the wind. With no rain anticipated, we can expect a full match without any weather interruptions.
The match will kick off under sunny skies with a temperature of 25°C. The sunny conditions are expected to persist throughout the afternoon with the temperature hovering around 25-26°C. As the day progresses into the evening, the temperature will gradually drop to 23°C by 7 PM.
