India’s ace fast bowler Mohammed Shami has openly acknowledged that playing all their matches in Dubai has given his side a crucial edge in the ICC Champions Trophy – a viewpoint that stands in stark contrast to the rebuttals issued by captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Shami, India’s standout bowler in the tournament with eight wickets from four matches, admitted that being stationed at a single venue has played in the team’s favour.

“It has helped us because we know the conditions and the behaviour of the pitch,” Shami said after India’s semi-final victory over Australia in Dubai.

 “It is a plus point that you are playing all the matches at one venue. The main thing is to gauge the conditions and know how the pitch behaves because you are playing at one venue, and you can get to know it well.”

However, Gambhir was quick to dismiss suggestions that India had benefited from an unfair advantage. Responding to criticism from certain past and present players, the former opener did not mince his words.

“I know there’s a lot of debate about the undue advantage. But what is an undue advantage? First of all, this is as much of a neutral venue for us as it is for any other team. I don’t remember the last time we played a tournament at this stadium,” Gambhir told the media.

“We haven’t even trained here – we’ve been at the ICC Academy, where the conditions are completely different. Some people are just perpetual cribbers. So, I feel we didn’t have any undue advantage.”

Controversy over venue

Under the Hybrid Model introduced for the tournament, India has played all their matches in Dubai, including the semi-final and upcoming final, while the rest of the competition has been split across three venues in Pakistan. Critics argue that this has spared India the fatigue of travel and allowed them to capitalise on the spin-friendly surfaces at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Sold-out finals

Meanwhile, the clamour for final tickets reached a fever pitch, with all seats for the game on March 9 selling out within just two hours. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with a capacity of 25,000, has seen near-full attendance for India’s matches.

Unsurprisingly, India’s passionate fan base in the UAE has ensured an energetic atmosphere at every fixture, further strengthening their sense of home advantage. As the final looms, the debate over whether this has tilted the tournament in India’s favour is unlikely to subside any time soon.

(Source: News18, ETV)