While all eyes were glued to the high-octane clash between India and New Zealand in Dubai, the Australian team quietly went about their business at the ICC Academy. Uncertain of their semi-final opponent, Steve Smith and his men still made the trip, preparing for whatever lay ahead.
India’s commanding 44-run victory over New Zealand has set up a blockbuster semi-final against Australia. Remarkably, the Aussies have made it this far without five of their key players—Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, and Marcus Stoinis. Unlike India, who dominated all three of their group-stage games, Australia have played just one full match, their tournament opener against England. Rain played spoilsport in their fixtures against South Africa and Afghanistan, leaving their journey to the knockouts largely untested.
Yet, in the one game they did complete, Australia’s vulnerabilities and strengths were revealed. Against England, they found themselves in dire straits at 27/2, with Travis Head and Steve Smith back in the pavilion. But just when the game seemed to slip away, Josh Inglis turned the tide with a heroic century, aided by Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, and Glenn Maxwell. Chasing a daunting 351 on a flat Lahore track, the Australian batters ensured they got over the line with remarkable ease.
If that match told us anything, it’s that Australia’s bowling lacks experience, but their batting remains a formidable force, capable of setting mammoth totals and hunting them down with clinical precision. As they gear up for the semi-final, their firepower with the bat might just be their greatest weapon.
Under the scorching Dubai sun, Australian batters toiled through an intense afternoon session at the ICC Academy, fine-tuning their skills against spin. The emphasis on tackling slower bowlers was unmistakable, a direct response to the gripping surfaces witnessed in Dubai, where spin has dictated terms, especially in the last game.
“Whether we go to Dubai and play there, which looks like it’s a little bit more difficult or more challenging pitch than is here (in Lahore). It’s a little bit more low-scoring. We’ll prepare as well as we can, so we’ll see how we go,” Travis Head was quoted as saying by Fox Cricket ahead of the India-New Zealand clash.
The Australians know what awaits them, not just a turning track but a red-hot Indian bowling attack. Their batting boasts firepower, but do they possess enough quality against spin? That’s the looming question.
Head, a marauder of pace, has shown frailties against spin, often caught on the crease. Smith and Labuschagne are masters of the art but have yet to encounter a mystery spinner like Varun Chakravarthy. Inglis, Carey, and Maxwell handle spin well, but Australia’s biggest conundrum lies at the top. With Matthew Short ruled out of the tournament, the opener’s slot remains a puzzle. Cooper Connolly, a left-arm spin bowling all-rounder and a recent addition to the squad, could be a replacement. Jake Fraser-McGurk, despite his promise, hasn’t made a significant impact since the last IPL. Aaron Hardie is another option, but who gets the nod remains uncertain.
For Australia, firepower is not the concern, stability is. And with most of their squad unfamiliar with the challenges of Dubai’s turning tracks, the semi-final promises to be a trial by spin.
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