Rohit Sharma admits 'headache' over XI selection vs Australia after Varun Chakaravarthy's fifer: 'It's difficult to...'

Varun Chakaravarthy’s spin proved to be the game-changer as India secured a commanding 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final Champions Trophy group-stage clash on Sunday. The off-spinner, making his first appearance in the tournament, bamboozled the Kiwi batters with figures of 5/42 in 10 overs, helping India defend a modest 249 and finish atop Group A.

New Zealand, despite the loss, joined them in the semifinals as the second-placed team.

Skipper Rohit Sharma lauded Chakaravarthy’s impact and explained the rationale behind his inclusion in the playing XI. However, he also admitted that the spinner's performance gives India a ‘good headache’ over team selection for the semi-final against Australia.

“He has got something different about him, so wanted to try and see what he had to offer. We got to think a little about what to do for the next game, it's a good headache. If he gets it right, it's very difficult to read him,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation.

Rohit on semi-final

India will lock horns with Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday, while New Zealand will face South Africa a day later in Lahore. Rohit acknowledged Australia’s formidable record in ICC tournaments but emphasized that India would focus on their own game.

“It will be a good game, Australia has a rich history of playing well in ICC tournaments, but it is about us and what we want to do on that particular day. It will be a great contest, looking forward to that. Hopefully, we can stitch one towards us,” said Rohit.

Interestingly, this will be India's first ODI match against Australia since the 2023 World Cup final, where the men in yellow registered a fairly one-sided victory by six wickets in Ahmedabad.

With the Champions Trophy being a short tournament, Rohit underlined the importance of maintaining winning momentum and rectifying mistakes swiftly.

“Critical to possibly win every game and doing everything right in a short tournament. Important to correct mistakes quickly, and that's where we know if your team is going up or going down. Important to finish on a high. We played a perfect game. It was important at that stage (after being 30/3) to build a partnership, and I thought we got to a good total,” said Rohit.