Ahead of the highly anticipated semi-final match between India and Australia, there’s uncertainty surrounding the pitch that will be used. Indian captain Rohit Sharma highlighted this unknown factor, as a completely new pitch is being prepared for this crucial Champions Trophy game in Dubai.
Interestingly, for each of India’s previous three matches at this venue against Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand, a different pitch was utilized. However, the pitch for the upcoming Tuesday’s semi-final will be a completely fresh surface, one that hasn’t been used before in the tournament.
The pitches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) are managed by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) under the supervision of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Matthew Sandery, an Australian curator, is in charge of preparing the surfaces at both DICS and the ICC Academy.
There have been discussions suggesting India might have an unfair advantage by playing at the same venue throughout the Champions Trophy. However, Rohit Sharma countered this by stating that Dubai is not their home ground and they don’t frequently play matches there, emphasizing that the conditions are new for them as well.
Rohit Sharma didn’t get to inspect the pitch on Monday as the Indian team had a rest day. In contrast, Australian captain Steve Smith did examine the pitch. Smith noted the dryness of the entire square and mentioned speaking with the groundsman about how previous wickets have played, considering the amount of use they’ve had.
Historically, DICS pitches tend to be slow and dry, generally favoring spin bowlers. It is expected that the semi-final pitch will likely follow a similar pattern.
