Indian captain Rohit Sharma disregarded the widely ridiculed advantages his side have received ahead of their highly anticipated Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia in Dubai on Tuesday.
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India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns has caused all of their matches in the tournament to be played in the United Arab Emirates, and it even created the unusual scenario of both Australia and South Africa flying to Dubai to prepare to potentially face India in a semi-final.
The Proteas copped the rough end of the stick, having to venture back to Pakistan before they would have even unpacked their bags as India’s win against New Zealand in their final group booked a date with Australia.
South African batter Rassie van der Dussen was displeased with the “advantage” India have received.
“If you can stay in one place, stay in one hotel, practice in the same facilities, play in the same stadium, on the same pitches every time, it’s definitely an advantage,” he said.
“I don’t think you have to be a rocket scientist to know that.”
Van der Dussen’s comments followed Australian Test captain Pat Cummins as well as former England skippers turned broadcasters Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain expressing their concerns with the unfair nature of the travel arrangements.
But Australian captain Steve Smith played down the impact on his side, saying it was nice to get out of a “pretty strict sort of bubble” in Pakistan.
Smith talks down India’s Dubai advantage | 02:45
The spin-friendly surfaces used in Dubai so far have also created discussion about potential favouritism towards India as they have stood in contrast to the flat pitches rolled out in Pakistan that have led to high scoring games.
But Sharma believes India are uncertain about the conditions, just like their opponents.
“We don’t know which pitch is going to be played in the semi-final. But whatever happens, we have to adapt and see what is happening,” Sharma said.
“We will play on that. This Dubai; this is not our home. So, we don’t play so many matches here. This is new for us too.”
As India do not play bilateral cricket against Pakistan, who used the UAE for home matches for more than a decade, they have only played international matches in the gulf state during the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2018 Asia Cup in recent times.
But Sharma’s comments are perhaps a fraction misleading, as India’s stars have played IPL matches at the Dubai International Stadium in 2014, 2020 and 2021 due to security concerns regarding Indian general elections and the Covid-19 pandemic.
During those tournaments, the pitches have not been as tired and turning as they have so far in the Champions Trophy.
India bowled just eight overs of pace in their win against New Zealand with their quartet of tweakers combining for nine wickets, including five to second-game mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy.
India book semi-final clash with Aussies | 01:11
“The pitches look the same, but when you play on it, it’s played in a different way. Every time, because of the different pitches, the pitch is giving you different challenges as a batsman,” Sharma said after the New Zealand victory.
“We have to think whether it’s necessary to play these shots or not. When the bowler is bowling, we saw a little spin today. We didn’t see that much spin in the last game. So, there are different things happening on every surface.
“So, we know what is going to happen on this pitch and what’s not. Even for us it is a little bit of a question mark as to which pitch is being played. Because there are four or five surfaces that are being used here.”
The pitch and the travel factors have placed India as overwhelming favourites to extract some revenge for the 2023 World Cup final loss in Ahmedabad.
Scars of that defeat still linger however, with former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik telling Sky Sports that the Indian camp are still very concerned about the threat of Travis Head.
The dashing left-hander has routinely put India to the sword in big games, scoring centuries in the World Cup final and the World Test Championship final in 2023 as well as topping the run charts during the recent Border Gavaskar Trophy, and Karthik suggested that Head is the key to upsetting India.
Aussies secure semi final spot | 03:22
“The quality of India’s cricket has probably been the best of the tournament. They have played solid cricket and if they can keep that going, I don’t see any reason they can’t win,” Karthik said.
“But [former India player and coach] Ravi Shastri has nicknamed him Travis ‘Headache’ as that’s what he has been for India in almost every big game.
“The tempo he has played at, the speed at which he has scored, has been disruptive for India and eased the pressure on the other Australia batters.”
Meanwhile, Hussain shared a similar view that Australia know how to rise to the occasion in big games.
Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Matt Short all being sidelined with injuries means it is India’s to lose, but Hussain believes Australia will be full of confidence that they can advance to the final.
“Australia won’t be bottling it. They are missing players but their record in ICC events is fabulous,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.
“Everyone in that dressing room will have grown up watching a Steve Waugh side, a Ricky Ponting side, a Cummins side and realised they are born to win these things.
“They are not here to make up the numbers and they will believe they can overcome a very strong India side.”
Kohli stunned as Phillips takes SCREAMER | 00:35
Fox Cricket’s Michael Vaughan was not as buoyant about Australia’s chances, saying “I think it’s only the Aussies who could get [India] but I very much doubt it on the Dubai pitch.”
Meanwhile, former England spinner Alex Harley expects Australia to look to recreate the Ahmedabad final by backing themselves to chase whatever total they can restrict India too.
“Australia will back themselves to chase anything but if they bat first it could all end up in a heap,” Hartley said.
“They might panic against the spinners and be bowled out really cheaply but if they are chasing they’ve got the mindset to dig in.”
– SHARMA BODY SHAMED –
Rohit Sharma became embroiled in more controversy in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy semi-final when he was bizarrely targeted by Indian politician Shana Mohamed.
In a now-deleted social media post, Mohamed called the Indian captain “fat”, adding that he needs to lose weight.
She even went on to call Sharma “the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!”
“@ImRo45 is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!” the post read.
Indian sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the “body-shaming” comments were “deeply shameful”, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) called it “unfortunate” and Mohamed’s party, the Indian National Congress, distanced themselves from her comments.
But speaking to The Indian Express, Mohamed disagreed that she had body-shamed the 37-year-old.
“It is a generic tweet on his fitness. So why are you making it a big thing?” she told The Indian Express. “I was watching the India-New Zealand match and I saw the captain. Before him, there was Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, M S Dhoni — all of them were fit. Here, his paunch is coming out. So I said the captain needs to be more fit.”
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