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Champions Trophy: Australia Were After A Top-two Finish And Semis Qualification, Says Smith
Champions Trophy: Before coming into the 2025 Champions Trophy, Australia were dealt with a humungous blow by the non-availability of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. But cut to now, and Australia have managed to enter the semifinals, with an assured top-two finish in Group B. After rain forced their game against Afghanistan to be washed out at the Gaddafi Stadium, Australia skipper Steve Smith said their two primary targets were achieved with the advancement to the semifinals.
“That's what we were after in the start, to finish in the top two and qualify for the semis. I thought the guys did a good job, made good changes, and took wickets in the middle. Did well to restrict them to 270, and we were in a good position.”
“He (Matt Short) was struggling a bit, and a few days might be too short to recover. He (Travis Head) batted nicely, got lucky, and then middled them well. Hope he can do it again in the semi-final. Guys have done a good job; they are excited, so I hope we can keep going in this tournament,” said Smith to broadcasters.
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