Bharath Ramaraj in Dubai
Varying degrees of success are synonymous with India entering Champions Trophy finals: One shared trophy, two losses and a memorable triumph in 2013. So, what is in store for the Asian nation when they lock horns against New Zealand in their fifth Champions Trophy final in Dubai? Maybe, just like 2002, there is a chance of rain playing spoilsport.
You would think that is an unlikely scenario as the UAE hardly gets rain. But according to the National Centre of Meteorology, cloudy conditions are expected during the course of the match. Although there is only a slim chance of rain making its presence felt. The subset to the main point would be the dew factor. If the weather turns out to be very humid and then the temperature drops down by enough degrees at night, then dew could come into the equation.
The match could end in a tie too. In that case, the Super Over would be used as a tie-breaker. In the final analysis, India will either add another trophy to their cabinet or one more heartbreak is in store for them. The form book indicates that it would be the former as for the prevailing conditions in Dubai, they have all bases covered.
India don’t just have four spinners in their ranks, but they also possess different weapons: some mystery, variations, spin at pace, undercutters, overspin, side-spin, and obviously the control to execute those skills. Even though there are concerns over Kuldeep Yadav’s form, India are set to continue with the same line-up.
India also have an enviable batting unit. Shubman Gill, the vice-captain, said this about the batting order in the presser, “This is the best batting line-up that I have been a part of. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli I think are the all-time one-day greats in the world.
“Rohit bhai, one of the best openers in white-ball cricket and Virat bhai, I don’t think I need to say anything about him. He is one of the best ODI batters ever. I’m batting in between the two, and then below we have Shreyas [Iyer] who is in such good form, then KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja,” he noted.
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There could be some concerns over the pace attack, but Mohammed Shami once again raising his game for an ICC event has helped India to patch up that department with some silver tape. The veteran is currently the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Hardik, the all-rounder, has showcased bowling smarts, mixing up his pace and lengths in the slog.
The only bit of negativity surrounding the Indian camp is related to Rohit Sharma’s future. There are enough speculation that Rohit might call it a day after the summit clash. That Gill and the Indian manager returned to the presser room to clarify a line—after the match, he will make the decision—added more fuel to the rumours.
Despite all the outside noise, Rohit was a picture of calmness at the ICC Academy when India partook in their penultimate practice session. Both he and Kohli were seen having a chat after their respective net sessions. On the eve of the match, India had a light workout at Dubai stadium. Shami and Kuldeep were the two cricketers who had intense net sessions, with the latter mostly trying his stock delivery. The rest indulged in some fielding drills and a bit of football. The keynote about the training session was the camaraderie on display.
What about New Zealand, their opponent? The team that has travelled the most in the tournament also has been the best in terms of adjusting to different conditions. Although the only time the Black Caps took on India in Dubai, they crashed to a defeat. In their defence, it is never easy to negate the threat of Varun Chakaravarthy. The aforementioned bowler is definitely at the peak of his prowess.
Here’s Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand skipper, on the prospect of facing Varun: “I think guys will be better for the run against Varun. He’s obviously a world-class bowler; we’ve seen it here and in the IPL. He’s got that little bit of mystery. But it was the first time some of the guys have been facing him. I think they’ll learn from the other day.
“If the pitch plays a similar way, it’s going to be a challenge along with all three of their other spinners. I think the boys will be ready for tomorrow having looked at a little bit more footage. We know what his threats are now. That 115 kph arm ball (smiling), that got me – that was a bit of a threat,” he said.
Santner’s skill-set is completely different to that of Varun’s but the Indian batters themselves would be poring through the videos to decode his template. With a kind of stop-start action, the left-arm spinner watches the feet of the batter like a hawk. With subtle changes of pace, angles, lines and lengths, alongside decent revs on the ball, he can befuddle the best of batters.
New Zealand also have a batting unit that is quite adept at playing spin. The likes of Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra and co., also understand the tempo of ODI cricket. With his pyrotechnics, Glenn Phillips will aim to provide the booster button in the slog overs. Phillips also is a useful spinner and someone who can pouch blinders in the field. That point extends to most of the New Zealand cricketers as they hardly make mistakes on the field.
So, is there a problem area for the Kiwis? Matt Henry’s shoulder injury could be one of them. The pacer bowled only seven deliveries in the practice at the ICC Academy. Even though Henry tried to bowl full tilt, he seemed to be feeling a bit of pain while finishing his action. He then had a chat with Gary Stead, the coach, before walking back to the dressing room. Going by sources, he is set to have another fitness test tomorrow before the toss event.
Henry, who is renowned as the ‘wobble-king’, will be desperate to play. He is their go-to man, especially with the new ball. If Henry misses out, then Jacob Duffy could come into picture. The tall pacer, who bowled a long spell at the nets, is known for employing the heavy ball and spearing in some yorkers in the death overs.
This was one of the few ICC events where New Zealand started as one of the favourites. Having said that, India still looks like the better side of the two. By now, India is also used to the conditions, having played four games at the venue. Logic says India, but the best team doesn’t always end up hoisting the trophy.
Also Read: Gill Rushes Back to Clarify Rohit Sharma Retirement Comments Amid Growing Speculation