With the Champions Trophy final only a day away on March 9, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has spoken about the much-debated topic of India’s perceived advantage of playing all their fixtures in Dubai. The Black Caps’ captain did admit that familiarity with the conditions is a factor in India’s favor but is confident in his team’s capacity to cover and fight for the crown.
India’s ‘Dubai Advantage’ and Pitch Conditions
India has hosted all its games in Dubai, picking up crucial experience on the slow and spin-friendly surface. Santner conceded this but said New Zealand is ready for the challenge.
“They’ve played all their games here in Dubai and familiar with that surface. Naturally, the surface will influence a bit of how we’d like to play. It could be a bit slower than what we received in Lahore. It could be a bit more of a scrap, but we’re down to scrap,” Santner said upon arrival in Dubai.
Although they lost to India by 44 runs during the group phase, Santner thinks that experience will prove useful in the final.
“We’ve come up against a good team. I think we’ll be improved by the run we had the other day against them. We’ve had a bit of a roll on. Hopefully, it continues.”
New Zealand’s Backbreaking Schedule and Travel Issues
In contrast to India, who have been in Dubai all tournament, New Zealand have had a busy travel itinerary, between Pakistan and Dubai. The Black Caps played their penultimate group stage match in Pakistan, came over to Dubai for the semi-final with South Africa, and are now back again for the final.
But Santner dismissed fears of exhaustion, claiming the team is well-equipped to handle the rigors of modern tournaments.
“It’s just the general atmosphere of this tournament, traveling around a lot. It’s all part of the challenge. I think we’ve been to every venue here. Obviously, in Pakistan and Dubai. I think the guys get it’s part of it these days. As long as you’re ready to go for the game, it’s fine.”
Road to the Final
Both sides go into the final in good shape.
- New Zealand qualified by overwhelming South Africa in the semi-finals.
- India beat Australia in a nerve-wracking four-wicket win, proving they could perform under pressure.
Final Confrontation: India vs New Zealand
With the Champions Trophy title up for grabs, New Zealand will attempt to break India’s experience on the Dubai pitch and make a good fight of it. India, captained by Rohit Sharma, has dominated the tournament thus far, but the Black Caps have a habit of coming through in ICC finals.
Will India’s Dubai advantage be enough to lift the trophy, or will New Zealand pull off an upset?
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