The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has reached its business end, with India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa qualifying for the semifinals.

All four teams are former winners of the showpiece tournament and will be keen to add another ICC title to their trophy cabinet.

While India will face Australia in the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday (March 4), New Zealand and South Africa will square off in the second semi-final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore a day later.

Ahead of the knockout fixture, batting legend Ricky Ponting has said that India will enter the contest as favorites because of their familiarity with the conditions.

Notably, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is playing host to India's Champions Trophy matches as the BCCI refused to send its team to Pakistan due to security concerns and uncordial political relations between the two countries.

"I think India are going to start favourites in this game. They haven’t had to move and travel. They’ve been training on those wickets all the time. Australia have rushed in to Dubai to get ready," Ponting told The ICC Review.

India were outclassed by Australia in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup at Ahmedabad. However, Ponting dismissed suggestions that Rohit Sharma’s team is still haunted by that defeat.

"You would hope that would be left behind in the dressing room that night," he said. "They’ve got a lot of experience, a different coach. Maybe they haven’t even talked about it. Or maybe they use it as motivation."

India’s 44-run win over New Zealand in their last group-stage match showcased their ability to recover from tough situations, something Ponting believes is a key strength of this side.

"They had to find a way to stay in the game and shift momentum," he noted. "Shreyas (Iyer) and Axar (Patel) did a great job. They bat deep. Even when they’re in trouble, they have high-quality players to step up."

Ponting also emphasized on India’s scary batting line-up. "If Rohit doesn’t fire, Virat doesn’t fire, they still have Iyer, Patel, KL (Rahul), Hardik (Pandya). They have players who can get the job done in big moments."

While India’s familiarity with the conditions gives them an advantage, Ponting warned the Men in Blue against underestimating Australia, especially in a knockout match.

"India will start favourites, but I’ll never tip against an Australian team," he asserted. "These are the moments where they play their best cricket."

He also addressed the potential impact of the toss, noting that conditions in Dubai might not favour chasing as much as they did in Pakistan earlier in the tournament.

"If there’s no dew, whoever wins the toss should bat first. The wicket will probably slow down later. If Australia bat first, I think they have a much better chance than if they chase."