Mohammed Shami has admitted that playing all their matches in Dubai has benefited India, a viewpoint that differs from what captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir have been saying.
“It’s definitely an advantage. We are familiar with the conditions and understand how the pitch plays,” Mohammed Shami said after India’s victory over Australia, which secured their spot in the final. His comments may add fuel to the ongoing debate about India getting to play all their games at one venue. “Staying in one place helps, no doubt,” he added after taking 3/48 in the match on March 4.
However, Rohit and Gambhir have played down the idea that India had any special advantage. “This isn’t our home ground; this is Dubai. We don’t play here often, so it’s not like we have an edge,” Rohit stated. Gambhir backed him up, saying, “It’s a neutral venue, just like it is for every other team. We haven’t had any particular strategy around this.”
The discussion started when Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton brought it up on a Sky Sports podcast. Atherton remarked, “India playing every game in Dubai is an advantage—maybe hard to measure, but it’s there,” to which Hussain agreed.
India will face New Zealand in the final on March 9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS), their fifth straight game at the venue. New Zealand, however, have also played there before, including a group-stage defeat to India.