Indian players celebrate a New Zealand wicket at the Champions Trophy match in Dubai. Photo: Photosport
Blessed with a venue advantage and with a depleted Australia at their disposal, India will be gunning for revenge when the familiar foes clash in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy on Tuesday.
India have stuck to their position of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political relations between the Asian neighbours, who play each other only in global events.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), headed by former Indian board secretary Jay Shah, has drawn flak for allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai and getting what many consider an unfair advantage.
While most Group A teams shuttled between two of the three venues in Pakistan and flew to Dubai for their match against India, Rohit Sharma and his men have been spared any travel hassle.
By staying put in one venue, they have gained valuable insights into the vastly different conditions in Dubai, where spinners have dominated typically low-scoring matches.
With an injury-ravaged Australia fielding a depleted side, India sense an opportunity to settle a score against an opponent who beat them in the finals of the World Test Championship and the 50-overs World Cup - both in 2023.
In absence of Australia's frontline quicks, including regular skipper Pat Cummins, stop-gap captain Steve Smith will be banking on his second-string pace attack to make early dents in India's batting lineup.
Steve Smith. Photo: Photosport
India's four-pronged spin unit claiming nine of the 10 New Zealand wickets on Sunday while successfully defending 249-9 was a fair indication of the turn on offer in Dubai.
Varun Chakravarthy, India's fourth spinner, claimed 5-42 in his Champions Trophy debut leaving skipper Rohit with "a good headache".
While Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are known for their spin proficiency, Australia will also count on the firepower that Josh Inglis provides in the middle order.
India will also be sick of the sight of their familiar nemesis Travis Head.
Head smashed match-winning hundreds against them in both the finals of the ICC events two years ago and the opener seems to have regained his form just in time.
Australia substituted injured opener Matthew Short with spin bowling all-rounder Cooper Connolly but the onus will be on Adam Zampa to lead their spin attack.
"I don't think I'm bowling quite at my best but I like to think the beauty about me, when I'm not quite at my best and not feeling that great out there, is my ability to still contribute and take those big wickets," leg-spinner Zampa said.
India's advantage
Rohit dismissed suggestions that they have had an unfair advantage by being allowed to play all their matches in Dubai.
Axar Patel of India celebrates the wicket of Kane Williamson of New Zealand during their Champions Trophy pool game. Photo: Photosport
The International Cricket Council, which has former Indian board secretary Jay Shah as its current chairman, has been criticised for obliging the game's financial engine by letting India camp in Dubai.
While other teams shuttled among three Pakistani cities and Dubai, India did not face any travel hassle and gained valuable insights into the conditions in Dubai having played their all three group matches here.
Rohit denied they held any advantage and said surfaces at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium behaved differently.
"There are four or five surfaces that are being used and every surface has a different nature," the opener said.
"The pitches look the same, but when you play on it, it has played in a different way. So, you can't go thinking 'we played like this yesterday, and today we'll play like this'.
"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.
"This is not our home, this is Dubai. We don't play so many matches here. This is new for us too."
India are unbeaten in this year's tournament but Rohit predicted tough contest against Australia, who prevailed in their last encounter in a one-day international in the final of the 2023 World Cup.
"Look, Australia have been such a great team over the years," said Rohit.
"So we will expect some fight-backs, we will expect some nervy times as well in the middle.
"But that is how the game is being played these days. And you are talking about a semi-final."
- Reuters
