Rohit Sharma-led India will take on the Aussies today for the semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025. The Men in Blue have had a hang of the conditions in Dubai, having played 3 matches on the ground so far but former India cricketer Aakash Chopra now suggests that a new pitch is being used for the semi-final clash between the two teams today.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), talking about the pitch conditions in Dubai, Chopra wrote, “A fresh pitch for #IndvAus semifinal. We Shall find out the real meaning of ‘The more we change, the more we remain the same’. Whole square at the Dubai International Stadium is bone-dry and bereft of grass. Going a little bit of left or right won’t make any difference. Mast hoke so jao. Just wish for Rohit to win the toss-and bat first. That will be Game. Set. Match,”
What have India opted for in the three matches so far?
India captain Rohit Sharma is yet to win the toss in the Champions Trophy 2025. He was forced to field first in the first two matches of the tournament, a decision he said he would have made had he won the toss.
Similarly, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first against New Zealand, Sharma said it was a decision he would have liked to have made, meaning the Indian captain more or less got what he wanted in the three games without winning the toss.
In the last match against New Zealand, India had opted to go with four spinners in the form of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy and it paid dividends as the Men in Blue defeated the Kiwis by 44 runs despite posting just 249 on the board.
In the semi-finals, the strategy of batting first may well serve the Men in Blue well, especially as India’s mystery spinners become harder to bowl under the lights.
