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The Steven Smith-led Australia will take on India in a rematch of the 2023 ODI World Cup on Tuesday, March 4 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. Although the Aussies are coming into the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final after winning just a solitary game, however, two of their other matches were washed out due to rain.
But ahead of the semi-final clash, the ODI world champions were handed a massive blow as Matthew Short, who opened alongside Travis Head in the ongoing tournament, was ruled out due to a quad injury. Notably, Short picked up the injury during Australia’s Group B match against Afghanistan, forcing him to miss the remaining matches and as a result, Australia called up Cooper Connolly as his replacement.
He can slot straight into that position: Ricky Ponting backs Jake Fraser-McGurk to open alongside Head
Although, Connolly was earlier named as a travelling reserve, but Matt Short’s injury has come as big setback for the Aussies putting questions on the opening pair. Amidst this, former Aussie cricketer, Ricky Ponting has backed youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk to open in the crucial clash against India. Speaking on ICC Review, Ponting said, "He can slot straight into that position. To be honest, that's the way I would probably go and just hope that he has one of his days because in games like these, the semi-finals, must-win, big games, you need to throw caution to the wind.”
“I think he's the sort of player that if you back him and give him an opportunity, he might just be good enough to win a big game for you like that," Ponting added. It is to be noted that Jake Fraser-McGurk is known for his explosive batting, especially in shorter formats. For far, he has featured in seven ODIs, averaging just 14.
Other than this, Ponting also opined that either of Steve Smith or Josh Inglis could also open, adding, “They could move Steve Smith up to open. He’s done a terrific job in T20 cricket in recent years and plays fast bowling well. That could help negate the new ball threat and get through to the middle overs.” “They could put Inglis up there and leave someone like Connolly in the middle order, adding a left-hander and another spin option,” the great of the game said.
Australia’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad
Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Tanveer Sangha, Cooper Connolly
