The last time India faced Australia in an ICC knock-out fixture was the ODI World Cup final at home in November 2023 in which the Kangaroos left Indian fans heartbroken after spoiling their unblemished run even as Pat Cummins kept his word of “silencing the crowd”.

In 2024, India managed to return the favour in their final Super Eight stage clash against the Aussies with a 24-run win, to book their place in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.

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Cut to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the two teams are poised to face each other in another crucial knockout clash, with the winner getting a chance to make it to Sunday’s title clash against the winner between South Africa and New Zealand.

In the past, India has faced Australia four times in the Champions Trophy, winning two games and losing one. One game between the sides ended in a no result.

India have so far enjoyed a near-perfect campaign in the tournament, registering convincing victories against Bangladesh, Pakistan before beating the other semifinalists — New Zealand, to top the Group Stage table, and set their date against the Australians for Wednesday’s semifinal.

On the other hand, a stunning win in the opener, followed by two rain-hit games, sealed Australia’s spot in the semi-finals. Australia’s path to the semi-finals has been a case of resilience and subsequent favourable results.

Despite losing five of their touted starting XI before the tournament even began, they have demonstrated admirable mental toughness in the face of adversity. With India operating as a well-oiled unit and more importantly, playing all their matches at the same venue in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, they would be eager to continue the momentum in familiar conditions.

The challenge is now very much on Australia, not only to execute in a knockout game but to get their tactics and plans in order. With less game time and multiple injury woes to deal with, the Kangaroos will have to battle those challenges.

Ahead of the crucial encounter, young all-rounder Cooper Connolly has been added in place of the injured Matthew Short, who suffered an injury during the Afghanistan encounter. Connolly has thus far featured in six internationals for Australia, of which three have been ODIs. He’s a left-handed batter who bowls left-arm spin as well.

Despite the fact, India can’t afford any complacency against an Aussie side that specialises in stepping up in huge tournament games.

“Australia, as we know, has a rich history (in) ICC tournaments … we do understand that,” India captain Rohit Sharma said.

“It’s about us, what we want to do against (that) opposition and try and do that right. We’ll just have to be focused on what we need to do on that particular day. It’s going to be a great contest,” he added.