Australia and South Africa will face each other on Tuesday, 25th February, in the Champions Trophy 2025 Group B match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Both teams will aim to continue their winning momentum.
Australia’s Performance in Their Opening Match
Australia secured a remarkable five-wicket victory against England in their opening match of the tournament. England, batting first, posted a strong total of 351/8, with Ben Duckett playing a brilliant knock of 165 runs.
During the run chase, Australia’s wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis scored a fantastic century, leading his team to victory. Matthew Short also contributed significantly with 63 runs, while Alex Carey played a crucial knock of 69 runs off 63 balls. The Australian team chased the target with 15 balls to spare. Among England’s bowlers, Ben Dwarshuis was the most successful, picking up three wickets.
South Africa’s Performance in Their Opening Match
Meanwhile, South Africa started their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a convincing 107-run victory over Afghanistan. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Rickelton smashed a century, helping his team cross the 300-run mark. Skipper Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, and Aiden Markram also scored half-centuries.
Chasing the target, Afghanistan struggled and were bowled out for 208 runs. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada was the star with the ball, taking three wickets and guiding the Proteas to an easy win
Pitch Report: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
The pitch at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is expected to be batting-friendly. Due to its flat nature, good bounce, and speed, a high-scoring match is likely. As the game progresses, the pitch might slow down, but it will still favor batters.
Fast bowlers could get some assistance early on, while spinners are expected to play a crucial role in the middle overs. They might get good turn and bounce from the surface. Recent ODI matches at this venue have seen successful run chases. Considering the batting-friendly conditions and the possibility of dew later in the game, the team winning the toss may prefer to bowl first.
Weather Report: Rawalpindi, 25th February
On match day, Rawalpindi is expected to have cloudy conditions with relatively cool weather. There is a 62% chance of rain, which could potentially disrupt the game. The humidity is expected to be around 74%, with temperatures ranging between 11°C and 18°C.
In summary, the weather forecast indicates a high probability of rain, which could affect the match proceedings.