DUBAI: India pace spearhead Mohammed Shami has broken ranks by admitting that playing all their Champions Trophy games at one venue in Dubai has been to their advantage.
Shami returned figures of 3-48 to set up India’s four-wicket win over Australia in the semifinals on Tuesday in Dubai.
India coach Gautam Gambhir afterwards lashed out at critics who have said playing at the same Dubai International Cricket Stadium each time is unfair.
India refused to travel to Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan over political tensions and have won all four of their games at their temporary home.
They will face South Africa or New Zealand in Sunday’s final, again in Dubai.
The other seven teams in the ODI competition have meanwhile had to shuttle between three Pakistani cities and the United Arab Emirates.
“It definitely helped us because we know the conditions and the behavior of the pitch,” Shami said Tuesday after his pivotal role in beating Australia.
“It is a plus point that you are playing all the matches at one venue.”
As part of the hybrid arrangement of the tournament, South Africa were forced to travel to Dubai, only to return to Pakistan again less than 24 hours later without playing a game.
India are unbeaten in the 10 ODIs they have played in Dubai, winning nine.
Shami, 34, claimed a five-wicket haul in India’s opening win over Bangladesh and has bowled with pace and accuracy.
But a question on getting reverse swing with the old ball got Shami pleading with cricket authorities to allow the use of saliva to polish the ball in the 50-over format.
The International Cricket Council in 2022 made a ban on saliva — brought in during the Covid pandemic — permanent.
“We are trying to reverse, but you are not getting the use of saliva into the game,” Shami told reporters.
“We are constantly appealing to allow the use of saliva and it will be interesting with the reverse swing.”
The use of saliva to shine one side of the old ball and keep the other rough helps fast bowlers get the leather ball to swing late and can be a lethal weapon in the final few overs of an ODI match.
They can still use sweat.
After a strong start to the tournament, Shami left the field briefly in the win over Pakistan.
He has now put all fears of any fitness issues to rest with two matches in three days and bowling his full quota of 10 overs against Australia.
“I am trying to get my rhythm back and contribute more for the team,” said Shami.
He added: “I am ready to bowl long spells.”
Gambhir called Shami “a world-class performer.”
“He’s phenomenal and the hunger he brings on the table, the way he trains, the way he practices — that’s why you see all those results.”
Shami admits playing at one venue ‘definitely helps’ finalists India
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Shami admits playing at one venue ‘definitely helps’ finalists India
- Shami returned figures of 3-48 to set up India’s four-wicket win over Australia in the semifinals
- India refused to travel to Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan, won all four of their games in Dubai
Gulf Giants start DP World ILT20 Season 4 with 6-wicket victory over MI Emirates
- Nissanka’s 81 and Omarzai’s all-round display trump Pollard’s half-century
DUBAI: The Gulf Giants began their DP World ILT20 Season 4 campaign with a clinical six-wicket victory against the MI Emirates on Thursday.
A swashbuckling knock of 81 runs in 42 balls from Pathum Nissanka and an all-round performance from Azmatullah Omarzai proved decisive for the Giants, who broke a six-match losing streak at the Dubai International Stadium
Apart from a 78-run partnership between Nicholas Pooran (46 off 39) and half-centurion Kieron Pollard (50 off 33), the Giants were potent with the ball. Omarzai and Nuwan Thushara led with two-wicket hauls each while, in contrast, four out of five bowlers for the MI Emirates conceded at more than 10 runs an over.
In the second innings, Chris Woakes gave the Giants an early jolt with the wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6 off 3) and Gerhard Erasmus (1 off 5). Pathum Nissanka and Moeen Ali (26 off 21) steadied the ship, taking the Giants to 67 until Moeen Ali was run out.
Opening the innings, Nissanka scored briskly after a watchful start. He crossed the 50-run mark in 30 balls on the back of three fours and two sixes.
Soon after, Omarzai (39* off 16) tore into Rashid Khan, hammering a four and three sixes in a devastating 23-run over that seized control for the Giants. Nissanka extended the damage with three boundaries and a six off Chris Woakes before his dismissal in the 15th over.
Omarzai remained unbeaten as the Giants reached their target in 14.4 overs.
Asked to bat first, MI Emirates limped to 36/3 inside the powerplay courtesy of the Giants’ pace attack. Nuwan Thushara snapped up Mohammed Waseem (1 off 2) and Jonny Bairstow (11 off 13) with both batters caught and bowled. Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai cleaned up Tom Banton (6 off 8) in the third over.
Runs were hard to come by as Nicholas Pooran and Tajinder Singh (15 off 19) looked to rebuild. The pair put up a stand of 27 runs before Moeen Ali outfoxed Tajinder to leave the MI Emirates at 58/4 in 10 overs.
The innings needed impetus, and Pollard provided it in the 13th over, launching three consecutive sixes off Tabraiz Shamsi. Pooran joined the assault with a 14-run plunder off Haider Razzaq, as the duo raced to a 50-run partnership in just 36 balls. In a bid to hit his third six of the night, Pooran fell to Razzaq in the 18th over to make it 141/5.
Kieron Pollard was dismissed in the final over by Omarzai. But Romario Shepherd (18* off 6) and Rashid Khan (6* off 1) did well to help the MI Emirates post 163/6.
On the Gulf Giants’ victory, stand-in captain, Moeen Ali said: “It’s a great performance. The toss was huge. We bowled very well in the first 10 overs. They have three players who can take it away, and we held them back nicely, and then Nissanka and Omarzai were incredible. Nissanka is a brilliant player. He is one of the best in the world. He is very calm, doesn’t say much, but packs a punch. Omarzai gave us the momentum to finish the game by taking on Rashid Khan.”
MI Emirates captain Kieron Pollard said: “Losing three wickets in the powerplay, and having to rebuild, we were short in the first innings. The ball was moving around quite a bit in the first 10 overs, and we couldn’t finish it off as well as we wanted. We just need to be better in terms of execution.”
