Australia’s Champions Trophy 2025 journey came to an abrupt end after a semifinal defeat to India in Dubai on Tuesday. Opting to bat first, Australia managed 264 before being bowled out in 49.3 overs. However, India chased the target with ease, securing a spot in their third consecutive Champions Trophy final.
Australia made key changes to their XI, strengthening their spin attack with Tanveer Sangha and adding batting all-rounder Cooper Connolly. With Matt Short sidelined due to injury, Connolly was promoted to open alongside Travis Head. But the young batter endured a forgettable outing, failing to score as he fell for a nine-ball duck to Mohammed Shami. His reckless approach drew sharp criticism from former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy, who questioned his game awareness and shot selection.
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“I got so angry,” Ian Healy said on SEN Radio. “Travis Head was signaling to his partner (Connolly) about how slow the pitch was, yet Connolly just kept swinging wildly. On such surfaces, you need to work the ball into gaps instead of looking for big hits. He faced nine balls, played and missed at eight of them, and then edged the ninth. It was frustrating to watch.”
Ian Healy insisted that Connolly should have been more patient and adapted his game to the conditions.
“Shami was bowling, and I just couldn’t believe the approach. When you’re batting in tough conditions, you have to grind it out. But Connolly was swiping across the line, square on the off-side, without even watching the ball properly,” he added.
Having played 119 Tests and 168 ODIs, Ian Healy stressed that Connolly’s downfall was due to poor focus and lack of footwork.
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“There were hours of hard work ahead, and instead, he was reckless. His shot selection was poor, his footwork was missing, and most importantly, his eyes weren’t on the ball. He was fixated on the gap in the field rather than where the ball was actually going. That’s why he kept missing,” Ian Healy explained.
With Australia’s exit, all eyes are now on the Champions Trophy final, where India awaits the winner of the South Africa vs. New Zealand semifinal.
