In a cramped Champions Trophy 2025, the 2013 winner India are riding on Dubai International Cricket Stadium, one venue, advantage.
By the time India reached the Champions Trophy 2025 final, after beating Bangladesh and Pakistan by six-wicket each and New Zealand to follow for their final group stage match on Sunday, the Men-in-Blue will acclimatized to the weather and conditions in Dubai.
This is a clear advantage for the Rohit Sharma-led side, with other teams playing in a minimum of two venues in the marquee ICC event. A lot of credit for India’s schedule can be given to the Jay Shah-led ICC, which notably assures a highly-anticipated India vs Pakistan match in every tournament.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that the ability to train and play in one place, coupled with the absence of any inter-city or inter-country travel, gives India an edge that they will be under pressure to fully exploit,” Rassie van der Dussen told ESPNCricinfo.
“I don’t think you have to be a rocket scientist to know that. The onus would be on them to use that advantage.
“In a sense, it puts more pressure on them because whoever is going to play them in the semi or potentially the final is going to go there and the conditions are going to be foreign but they (India) are going to be used to it.
“The pressure would be on them to get it right because they have all that knowledge.”
Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed and former England captain Naseer Hussain, Michael Atherton have also weighed in on the matter.
“See, they are in Dubai for a reason,” Aaqib said.
“If they are playing in Dubai for a reason, definitely if you play on the same pitch or ground, you will have an advantage. But we are not losing because they had the advantage of the same hotel and pitch (laughs). It’s not just because of the pitch, and neither did they play some ten matches there.”
Michael Atherton in conversation with Naseer Hussain on Sky Sports Podcast had said: “What about the advantage India have in playing in Dubai, only in Dubai? Which seems to me to be a hard-to-quantify advantage, but an undeniable advantage.”
Nasser Hussain said: “It is an advantage. So, the best team in the tournament have that advantage. And I saw a tweet the other day saying ‘Pakistan host nation, India home advantage.’ It sums it up really,” he said.
“They are at one place, one hotel, they don’t have to travel. They have one dressing room. They know the pitch, they have picked for that pitch.”
India will be next seen in action at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 2 for the clash against New Zealand and if they qualify for the final on March 9, the match will be played in Dubai.
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