The Team India, who’s been in talks for having a home-like advantage in the ICC Champions Trophy, will play their semifinal clash against Australia on the new pitch. According to Cricbuzz, a fresh pitch will be used for the semifinals. It’s not like India previously played at the same pitch, they have played on different pitches as the same venue against Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand during their group stage matches. And experts believe that the new pitch will be different from those three used previously.
Who’s preparing the pitch for semifinals?
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), which manages the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS), is preparing these wickets under the guidance of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Matthew Sandery, an Australian, is curating the pitches at DICS and the ICC Academy.
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Rohit on home-like advantage
There’s been talk about India having a supposed advantage by playing at the same location throughout the Champions Trophy. Rohit responded by clarifying, “This is not our home, this is Dubai. We don’t play many matches here. It’s new for us too.”
Pitch observations by Steve Smith
Rohit didn’t get to see the pitch on Monday, as the Indian team took the day off. However, Steve Smith from Australia had a glance at it and noted, “The whole square block is pretty dry. After speaking with the groundsman, it’s clear the surface has seen a lot of play, and we’ve observed how the wickets have behaved.”
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