The first look of the Dubai pitch for the ICC Champions Trophy Final is out. We had already learnt that the same surface, which was used for the high-octane India vs. Pakistan match, will be used for the India vs. New Zealand match as well. At first glance, the pitch looks dry. Much like the previous matches, the surface looks sluggish and is expected to spin as well.
Dubai pitch for ICC Champions Trophy Final
For the unaware, ILT20 2025 was being played, and Dubai hosted 15 of the total 34 matches played. From January 11 to February 9, the pitches were under use. Naturally, they were going to be sluggish. Knowing that the ICC Champions Trophy will be played in Dubai, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had kept a few pitches fresh.
But it hasn’t helped much. In the India vs. Pakistan match, 485 runs were scored in 92.1 overs. The pacers struggled, taking just 5 wickets at a bowling average of 53.4, while spinners claimed 7 wickets at 30. The first look of the ICC Champions Trophy Final pitch suggests something similar might happen.
ICC Champions Trophy: Pace vs Spin in Dubai
| Category | Balls | Wickets | Bowling Strike Rate | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacers | 962 | 30 | 32.06 | 2 |
| Spinners | 1,327 | 30 | 42.23 | 1 |
The surface for the India vs. New Zealand group stage match was also similar. Combined, only 454 runs were scored on the pitch in 95.3 overs. However, Kiwi pacers were great on the surface. They claimed 7 of the 10 wickets while spin worked for India, taking 9 of the 10 wickets.
It clearly suggests that although the pitch might favour spinners, New Zealand’s strength, their pacers, will work as well. Their batters failed to nail the chase, but that doesn’t mean that lack of spinners was the issue for them.
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