On Saturday afternoon where India had a relaxed training session, a meeting involving head coach Gautam Gambhir, skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli near the pitch got everyone curious. Going by their gestures, the discussion seemed to be about the pitch for the final and whether India will have to make any switches as they seek to end their ICC title drought in the 50-over format.
Though India are totally familiar with the dry square here in Dubai, against Australia Rohit had admitted that they were confused whether to bat first or second as they were unsure how the fresh pitch would behave. For the final, there seems to be a similar confusion, particularly after how the conditions have changed here in Dubai. Right through the last three weeks, the temperature has remained pleasant with evenings being particularly chill and at times cold because of the strong breeze. However, since Thursday, the chillness has disappeared and instead the thermometer levels have been rising again upto 10 degrees.
What it is going to do on the surface now is the biggest intrigue that is confronting India. As was evident against Australia, the pitch showed signs of getting better and if it does remain hot, then there is also a strong chance of dew that could then aid the team that bats second. In such a case, India may have to go back to the drawing board to have a re-think around their four-spinner strategy which they have employed in the last two matches. When they do so, one question will definitely crop up. Why change something that isn’t broken? Playing four spinners not only strengthens their bowling, but also provides them with an edge over New Zealand.
Gearing 🆙 for the #Final ⏳#TeamIndia | #ChampionsTrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/gFovpyLGoy
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 8, 2025
So far in this campaign, India have played near flawless cricket, overcoming each of the challenges they have faced with aplomb. With each match, the level of their opponents has increased, but India have still managed to eclipse them on the back of a strong squad at their disposal. And as has been the story so far, for the final, they will face another unique challenge, with the match being played on the same strip that was used for India’s match against Pakistan two weeks back. And therein lies the puzzle to decode.
How much the pitch is playing in their minds was evident during their training session on the eve of the match. First up the spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav had a close look at the pitch. Then their head coach Gautam Gambhir followed suit. Shortly afterwards, Rohit who was having a net session at the ICC Academy would drop in and head straight to the pitch before he had that lengthy conversation with Gambhir. After about 20 minutes of animated conversation, Rohit called out to Kohli, who was playing foot-volley until then. For the next 10 minutes or so, the three remained in a huddle, with Rohit and Kohli seemingly looking to be on the same page. But that’s a guess from afar.
And winning the T20 World Cup last year also seems to have eased the pressure on the side. “Yes, definitely,” Gill would say whether the title freed up the pressure element.
“Sometimes once you get one title, that kind of breaks the jinx and gives you the momentum; you are also not very desperate about getting the title. It’s not good when desperation kicks in as then it’s hard to put the occasion out of the equation. In all these big matches, the players or the teams that can put aside the pressure and the occasion have a better chance of winning it. And I think winning the title in 2024 doesn’t mean that we are less hungry, but I think it kind of makes us more balanced. That yes, we have won an ICC title, and we’ll try to do our best to win this one,” Gill said.
Whatever it is, what is certain is India are in the final, fully prepared. Like the 2023 World Cup, they have brushed aside each and every opponent and have overcome all sorts of situations they have faced. And more importantly, unlike the World Cup where the team balance was certainly lacking in Hardik Pandya’s absence, here they have all bases covered. From No 1 to 11, they have players not only assigned for specific roles, but also match-winners in their own way. Of course, New Zealand will no doubt present a stiff challenge, for man for man they are no less and their fielding will be tough to match up.
No wonder R Ashwin in his YouTube channel would say, “I am still having nerves. I am not having the greatest of feelings. After New Zealand’s win against South Africa, I am feeling that once again they can hurt us”.
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Having already played here, New Zealand are not in a blind spot as to what to expect. Though they are still concerned about the availability of their pacer Matt Henry, the presence of a strong spin attack and batsmen, who are equipped to ace these conditions, will ensure they won’t be any pushovers.
Last time they met, the match up of their batsmen against the Indian spin quartet is what settled the outcome and even on Sunday it may well be the case. “I think we have to kind of go in with an open mind of how the pitch will play, and then adjust accordingly,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santer said. “We’ve seen throughout this tournament if you keep wickets in hand, and then you can really set up a death phase with the bat. So, I think there will be periods throughout this game on both sides where you’re under pressure for a period of time. But if you can kind of withstand that and get through it might get easier.” Easier said than done of course but the team that manages to do that – hold their nerve- will triumph.
