‘What’s the point of having Varun Chakaravarthy in the XI?': Harbhajan fumes at Rohit for letting Travis Head off

Australia opener Travis Head got off to the "slowest start" of his ODI career in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final against India at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday, scoring just 1 run off his first 10 balls. It was a telling stat for more reasons than one. The head is one of the most destructive batters in world cricket and has an impeccable record against India in all formats, so much so that he lives rent-free in the fans' minds. The conditions in Dubai were vastly different, though. It was right up India's ally. A slow wicket and India played four spinners. It would have been logical to start with a spinner and Mohammed Shami to trap Head early, but they didn't. Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh was not happy with Rohit Sharma's tactic at all. India's Rohit Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy (ANI)

After an initial stutter, Head took on Hardik Pandya and Shami and raced to 30-plus in no time. When Rohit turned to spin for the first time in the powerplay, it was not Varun Chakaravarthy, the best-equipped spinner in the Indian side, to bowl with the new ball. He turned to Kuldeep Yadav, who was hit for a straight six in his second over.

When Head moved to 39 off 32 balls, Rohit turned to Varun Chakaravarthy. The mystery spinner worked his magic straightaway. He enticed Head and the left-hander, who was facing Chakaravarthy for the first time in an international match, went for the big shot only to sky it. Shubman Gill ran in from the long off boundary to take a good catch. India got the breakthrough but not before Head once again gave Australia a good start.

Harbhajan was critical of Rohit's captaincy, stating that those quickfire 39 runs from Head at the top of the order could end up proving to be difference.

"When you Varun Chakarvarthy, why would you wait for nine overs to bring him on against Travis Head? What's the point of having him then? The Indian team should have started with him at one end and Shami at the other. He got set, and then Varun was brought on. Those 49 runs could prove to be the difference," Harbhajan said in the mid-inning show on Star Sports.

Shami pulls back Australia

Earlier, Australian skipper Steve Smith (73, 96b, 4x4, 1x6) won a good toss, but the batters could not exploit a much smoother pitch at the DICS, throwing their wickets away through silly shots.

Throughout his stay, Smith was the pillar of Australian innings, and was involved in three 50 stands — 52 with Travis Head for the second wicket, 56 for the third wicket with Marnus Labuschagne and 54 for the fifth wicket with Alex Carey (61, 57b, 8x4, 1x6).

Australia would have been in a much better position had two of those alliances bloomed into something more substantial. Each of them fell against the run of the play and it started with Head.

India pace spearhead Mohammed Shami stood out with figures of 3-48 as Australia's innings lasted 49.3 overs. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.

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