IND vs AUS Semi-Final: Lucky Steve Smith! Axar Patel Hits Stumps, But Bails Stay Intact During Champions Trophy 2025 Clash: WATCH

IND vs AUS Semi-Final: There is an old saying- Fortune favours the best and that's what happened to cricketing giants Australia during their Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final clash against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Tuesday.

A bizarre moment unfolded during the last ball of the 14th over, when Axar Patel bowled a delivery to Steve Smith. Smith got a thick inside edge onto his pad, and the ball trickled back towards the stumps. It made clear contact with the base of the off-stump, yet the bails astonishingly did not dislodge.

Smith, who watched the ball roll onto the stumps, did not attempt to stop it, possibly assuming the worst. However, to his luck, the bails remained firmly in place, keeping him safe at the crease.

Despite the ball making a decent impact on the stumps, the laws of cricket dictate that a batter is only out if the bails are completely dislodged. This rare occurrence left Indian players and fans stunned while Australia breathed a sigh of relief.

Speaking of the match, Australia got off to a sluggish start after opting to bat, finding it difficult to middle the ball early on. India's persistent pressure eventually paid off when Mohammed Shami dismissed Cooper Connolly, providing the first breakthrough. Travis Head, known for his ability to trouble India, fought back with a solid counterattack before Varun Chakravarthy managed to send him back. Currently, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are at the crease, looking to stabilize Australia's innings.

At the time of writing this article, the Aussies are now batting at 105/2 after 20 overs of play.

IND vs AUS- Playing XIs

Australia (Playing XI): Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha.

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.