Champions Trophy 2025 - Cooper Connolly replaces Matt Short as India's spinners loom for Australia

Champions Trophy 2025 – Cooper Connolly replaces Matt Short as India’s spinners loom for Australia

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Cooper Connolly has joined Australia’s Champions Trophy squad after Matt Short was injured ahead of their semi-final against India. Connolly, a 21-year-old batter and spinner, had been a traveling reserve and is now available for selection. Australia must consider their options, as they might switch batters or add a specialist spin bowler like Tanveer Sangha. Adam Zampa is expected to play a crucial role in the game, highlighting the importance of spinners in Dubai’s pitch conditions. He aims to improve his bowling following mixed performances. The match marks their first ODI meeting since the 2023 World Cup final.

Cooper Connolly has been drafted into Australia’s Champions Trophy squad following Matt Short’s withdrawal due to injury as they gear up for a potentially challenging semi-final against India, where spin may play a significant role.

Short sustained a quad injury in the match against Afghanistan and would not have sufficient time to recover for the knockout stages.

Connolly, a 21-year-old left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, has been serving as a traveling reserve with the squad, making him available right away. With Short’s offspin unavailable, Connolly’s experience in three ODIs puts him in immediate selection consideration.

If the selectors decide on a direct replacement for the opening batter, Jake Fraser-McGurk could be a candidate. Alternatively, if they seek another specialist spin bowler, Tanveer Sangha might be considered to adjust the team balance.

Australia discovered that their semi-final opponent would be India in Dubai on Tuesday after New Zealand was defeated in the final group match.

Both teams that qualified from Group B – Australia and South Africa – traveled to Dubai so that the one facing India would have adequate preparation time. South Africa will now return directly to Lahore for their semi-final against New Zealand.

“It’s been a bit of a hectic schedule for us, shuffling between cities and playing a few games in Pakistan, but I think the nature of this tournament contributes to that,” said legspinner Adam Zampa.

Zampa is expected to be a key player for Australia in the semi-final at a venue that has favored spinners. In their match against New Zealand, India utilized 37.3 overs of spin, with Varun Chakravarthy taking 5 for 42, despite some early assistance for the pace bowlers, as Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson posed challenges for India’s top order.

“Conditions differ a bit between Pakistan and Dubai,” Zampa noted. “We might encounter slower, lower wickets, which could provide opportunities for creating more chances; we’ll have to wait and see.”

Zampa expressed a desire for improvement in his bowling performance following figures of 2 for 64 against England and 2 for 48 against Afghanistan.

“Personally, I feel I’m not quite at my best, but I believe that my strength lies in my ability to contribute and take crucial wickets even when I’m not feeling great on the field,” he remarked.

“I’m currently working on a few things to hopefully regain my top form, but as I mentioned, the ability to perform and secure those important wickets remains intact, which is very significant to me.”

The last encounter between Australia and India in an ODI was during the 2023 ODI World Cup final. If Australia prevails this time, they will return to Lahore for the final; otherwise, it will take place in Dubai.

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