• Home
  • Cricket Analysis
  • Head To Open With Surprise Player Kkr Star Dropped Australias Probable Xi Vs India

Head To Open With Surprise Player, KKR Star Dropped; Australia's Probable XI vs India

Debashis Sarangi

Australia will take on India tomorrow [Source: AP]Australia will take on India tomorrow [Source: AP]

On Tuesday, Australia will lock horns with India in the all-important semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy. The high-voltage clash will be played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. 

Australia Suffer Injury Setback Before Champions Trophy Semis

In a massive setback for Australia, Matthew Short sustained a quad injury and got ruled out of the tournament a day before the semifinal. The Aussies have replaced him with Cooper Connolly in their Champions Trophy squad. 

Short looked in good touch in the group-stage amassing 83 runs at an impressive average of 41.50 and a strike rate of 102.47. Therefore, his injury is a huge setback for Australia as they gear up for the mega clash against India. 

Connolly Or Fraser-McGurk; Who Could Replace Short?

In Matthew Short's absence, Australia have several players who can open the innings with Travis Head. While Jake Fraser-McGurk's inclusion can ensure more dynamism in their lineup, Cooper Connolly's all-round abilities make it hard for the Australian think tank to ignore him. 

Fraser-McGurk has played seven innings, scoring only 98 runs at a horrendous average of 14. He has some glaring flaws against the moving ball and his inclusion would lessen the solidity of Australia's batting lineup on Dubai's challenging surface. 

What keeps Connolly ahead of Fraser-McGurk?

On the other hand, Connolly, who slammed 351 runs at an average of 50.14 and a strike rate 131.46 in the latest Big Bash League edition, can also chip in with a few overs of left-arm off-spin. 

It's worth-mentioning that the pitch in Dubai has assisted the spinners, who have bagged 22 of the 45 wickets (excluding runouts) at this venue. Apart from the track's spin-friendly behaviour, the Indian batters' recent numbers against left-arm off-spinners might tempt Australia to keep Connolly in their lineup. 

Criterion
Runs
Average/SR
Kohli vs SLAO in ODIs since 202225425.4/73
Iyer vs SLAO in ODIs since 20247224/92.3
Axar vs SLAO in ODIs since 20242311.5/71.9

(Prominent Indian batters' struggle vs Slow Left-Arm Off-spin)

Can Josh Inglis Be Promoted To The Top?

If Australia decide to maintain left-right opening combination for the semifinal, keeper-batter Josh Inglis could surprisingly be promoted to the top-order. In four innings as an opener, Inglis has struck 119 runs at an average of 39.67 and a blistering strike rate of 138.37. He has showcased remarkable form in the Champions Trophy, scoring 120 runs at a strike rate of 139.53. 

Spencer Johnson Out, Sean Abbott In?

Spencer Johnson loves bowling on lively tracks where he can rattle the opposition with his pace and movement. However, the track in Dubai won't likely offer seam movement to the fast bowlers and Johnson's extra pace might make things easier for the Indian batters on this slow track. 

Sean Abbott can be the perfect man for them in Dubai, having showcased his calibre as an all-phase pacer at the iconic SCG, which offers the subcontinent-like playing conditions. Apart from his cutters and slow bouncers, Abbott can be handy with the bat at number eight.

The rest of the Australian lineup will likely be similar to what they had for their final group-stage match against Afghanistan. 

Australia's Probable Playing XI Vs India

Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Steve Smith (C), Marnus Labuschagne, Cooper Connolly, Alex Carey (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis