The Australia cricket team has a tough task ahead of them. They face their biggest challenge in the India cricket team in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal. Apart from going against the favourites to win the tournament, they will also have to battle the pitch conditions in Dubai.
Dubai pitch & Australia’s injury woes
Australia has played their matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi, both surfaces that see more runs being scored. In Dubai, no team has scored more than 250 runs. The pitch turns and is slow. Conditions that don’t necessarily favour Australian batters. Then comes the issue of injury. The Aussies had already lost four players: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Mitchell Marsh. They don’t have Matthew Short now either, due to a quad injury.
Jake Fraser-McGurk & Travis Head to open
This means that captain Steve Smith will have Travis Head with someone else. Given they wouldn’t like to change the batting order, Jake Fraser-McGurk will be given the chance. Yes, the 22-year-old hasn’t done well in ODIs, nor does he have a great List A record, but Australia doesn’t really have an option. If they promote someone, the whole lineup will be disturbed.
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Steve Smith to back his strength, pacers
Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, and Glenn Maxwell: this will be Australia’s batting order after the openers. The question would be whether Australia will bring in an extra spinner or not. They will Maxwell’s off-spin and Adam Zampa’s leg-spin. Would they opt to bring either Tanveer Sangha or Cooper Connolly?
The pitch would spin, but do Sangha or Connolly have the quality? Smith might just back Ben Dwarshuis, Spencer Johnson, and Nathan Ellis to do the job. He can also call upon Marnus Labuschagne, who got two wickets against England with his leg spin. Sangha, like Zampa, is a leggie, and that’s why playing them both may not make sense. Connolly isn’t experienced, and although he’s slotted as an all-rounder, he’s bowled just 33 overs in List A cricket.
Australia’s Predicted XI for ICC Champions Trophy semifinal
Travis Head, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson, Adam Zampa
Bench: Sean Abbott, Aaron Hardie, Tanveer Sangha, Cooper Connolly
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