IND vs AUS, Champions Trophy 2025: Varun Chakaravarthy could be X-factor for India in Australia semi-final

Varun Chakaravarthy registered a five-wicket-haul in his maiden ICC Champions Trophy appearance (AP Photo)

India’s reward for sending New Zealand into a tailspin in Dubai is a semi-final against Australia, the world champions, on Tuesday. While India have retained the core of the side that lost the 2023 World Cup final on home soil in agonising circumstances, Australia are almost unrecognisable thanks to injuries and withdrawals. But such is their record against India in the matches that matter that no Indian fan will see the semi as anything other than a stiff challenge.

Australia have had to win just one game to get this far, with rain having the final say in their matches against South Africa and Afghanistan. But the manner in which they thumped England while needing to chase 352 was a warning to India and every other side. The bowling may lack the seasoned trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, but there is more than enough firepower in the batting.

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Where India have a definite advantage is in their knowledge of the conditions. They have played each of their matches in Dubai, while Australia’s group-stage engagements were all in Pakistan. With Adam Zampa the only frontline spinner in the XI, it remains to be seen how they’ll adjust to a sluggish surface in Dubai.

Their batsmen, who thrived in conditions where the ball came on to the bat, will also face an examination by Indian spin. It was too much for New Zealand, with Varun Chakravarthy in particular being a puzzle they simply couldn’t solve. Kuldeep Yadav offers another kind of wristy mystery, while both Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are relentlessly accurate and hard to get away in such conditions.

Historically, India have a 57-84 win-loss record against Australia in ODIs, though it’s 23-23 since 2010. It’s Australia, however, who have won the two World Cup finals (2003 and 2023) and a semi-final (2015). In the Champions Trophy, India have a 2-1 advantage, though the last win was so long ago – in Nairobi in 2000 – that the tournament even had a different name, the ICC Knockout.

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New Zealand’s bowlers did pretty much everything right against India, especially in shutting down the much-vaunted top order of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. Do Australia have the bowling teeth to inflict such damage, and where will they find their overs of spin from?

For India, the equation is pretty simple. If they can see off the new-ball threat, they should have too many resources for Australia to handle, especially with the ball. Varun, who wasn’t even in the original Champions Trophy squad, is the X-factor who could make all the difference.