India and Australia are all set to meet in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday, March 4. The Australian team is led by experienced player Steve Smith. India aims to heal from the loss they faced in the 2023 ODI World Cup finals, where Australia ended India’s winning run and won the cup. Now, after 1.5 years both the teams are facing each other in an ODI game. Steve Smith addresses the press on Monday. He wants team to do really well.
Steve Smith on pitch and advantage
Steve Smith shared his views on the gameplan and the pitch. India has played all their games in Dubai, with many believing that it’s an advantage for Team India. On all this saga, Smith said, “I don’t really have a message, to be honest. Just going out and playing and hopefully we can put on a good show. India has played all their games here, so they know the surface well. I don’t know if it is an advantage.“
He further said The pitch is quite dry, I talked with the groundsman, and it has seen a lot of play. India has performed really well in their matches. It’s going to be a good contest, and we are looking forward to it.”
Australia’s strategy to beat India ft. Varun Chakravarthy
In their last game against New Zealand, India used four spinners including Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel. They bowled only eight overs of fast bowling. Chakaravarthy grabbed five wickets, while the other spinners took four wickets together. Smith thinks that how Australian batters handle spin will be crucial.
“There has been a lot of spin on the pitches. We have to decide whether to bat or bowl first. The surface looks dry and slow, and playing spinners well in the middle overs is crucial for our success.” Like India, Australia also has good spin-bowling all-rounders. Smith mentioned, “We have options like Tanveer Sangha, Maxwell, and others who can bowl. Travis Head, Marnus, and Cooper Connolly can also play roles with the ball.”
Steve Smith on Travis Head
Smith believes that Travis Head will be a key player for Australia. Head’s performance was the reason India lost the last World Test Championship final and the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Smith said, “There’s pressure in every big game, but Travis has performed well in many of them. He was in great form against Afghanistan, and we hope he gives us a strong start.”
India’s strong performance
India has played all their matches in Dubai and won all three of their group-stage games. On the other hand, two of Australia’s matches were washed out, but they did manage to defeat England. Australia played their games in Pakistan, but Smith isn’t too concerned about the change in conditions.
“The weather in Pakistan wasn’t ideal for us in one of our games. But everyone is ready to play. India is a good team, and we just want to focus on our game, play according to the conditions, and do well for the whole 100 overs. It should be a great match between two strong teams.”
