Jake Fraser-McGurk To Open With Travis Head? Australia's Likely Playing XI Against India
Australia will miss the services of batting all-rounder Matthew Short in the semifinal match against India. Short was ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 on Monday due to a quad injury.
Six-time ODI World Cup winners Australia will face India in the first semifinal of the Champions Trophy 2025. For the match against world No. 1 ODI team India, Australia will miss the services of star batting all-rounder Matthew Short. The 29-year-old right-handed batter was ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 on Monday (March 3) due to a quad injury that he suffered while playing for the Steve Smith-led side in the last Group B match against Afghanistan in Lahore on February 28.
He is replaced by batting all-rounder Cooper Connolly, who also bowls left-arm spin, in the squad for the knockout match.
related stories
Also Read: India’s likely playing XI against India
For the semifinal against India at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in place of Short, who opened against England and Afghanistan, Jake Fraser-McGurk is likely to partner Travis Head at the top. Fraser-McGurk was added to Australia’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad last month after five players got ruled out due to injury-related issues.
Since making his ODI debut for Australia against the West Indies in Sydney on February 4, 2024, Fraser-McGurk has played seven matches and scored 98 runs.
He is likely to be the only change in Australia’s playing XI for the semifinal against India from the last match played against Afghanistan in Lahore.
Steve Smith will continue to bat at No. 3, followed by Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, and Glenn Maxwell. The Australian team management will have high expectations from Head, who time and again has done well against India across formats. In addition to him, Inglis and Maxwell will be key batters for the Men in Yellow.
In the bowling, despite playing in Dubai, Australian team management is expected to continue with three pacers—Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis, and Nathan Ellis. Adam Zampa will lead the spin attack for the two-time Champions Trophy winners. Head, Labuschagne, and Maxwell are three part-time spin bowling options for the Australian team, and the trio is well capable of making life difficult for Indian batters in Dubai.
Australia’s likely playing XI for the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal against India: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Travis Head, Steven Smith (C), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (WK), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
For more in-depth coverage of the Champions Trophy, check out the latest Points Table to see where your favorite team stands. Stay updated on the tournament’s top performers with the Most Runs and Most Wickets leaderboards. Keep following for all the latest updates!
- Location :
- First Published: