Champions Trophy 2025: Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated India vs Australia semi-final. According to him, India is the clear favorite due to Australia's weakened bowling attack. He also analyzed the pitch conditions and their potential impact on the game.

Why Gavaskar Backs India Over Australia

Many cricket experts have been weighing in on the semi-final clash, and Sunil Gavaskar believes that India has the upper hand. He pointed out that Australia will be missing key pacers like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, significantly weakening their bowling attack. Additionally, Australia’s spin bowling department appears less effective, making it difficult for them to challenge the Indian batting lineup.

"Australia’s Batting Is Strong, But Their Bowling Is Weak" – Gavaskar

While praising Australia's batting strength, Gavaskar expressed concerns about their bowling. He also addressed speculations regarding the pitch conditions, which many claim to be highly spin-friendly. However, the former cricketer disagreed, stating that the pitch does not heavily favor spinners from the start. Instead, he explained that the surface became more conducive to spin bowling as the game progressed.

"The Pitch Helped Spinners, But Batting Was Not Impossible"

Referring to India’s recent match against New Zealand, Gavaskar acknowledged that spinners did receive some assistance, but he dismissed claims that batting was extremely difficult. He highlighted that India’s disciplined bowling made things tough for the opposition rather than the pitch being overly challenging for batters.

India’s Strong Performance Against New Zealand

In their final group-stage match, India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs. Batting first, India posted 249/9 in 50 overs, and in response, New Zealand was bowled out for 205. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy starred with 5 wickets, and Indian spinners collectively dismissed 9 of New Zealand’s batters, showcasing their dominance.

With India’s strong bowling unit and Australia’s bowling weaknesses, Gavaskar’s prediction strongly favors India for a place in the Champions Trophy 2025 final.