DUBAI: India playing all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai was a pre-tournament decision and the talk of unfair advantage is baseless, the team’s batting coach said on Friday.
Rohit Sharma’s team face New Zealand in the title clash on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, where India have been unbeaten in four matches.
India refused to tour hosts Pakistan in the eight-nation tournament due to political tensions and were given Dubai as their venue in the United Arab Emirates.
“The draw that happened, it happened before,” batting coach Sitanshu Kotak told reporters. “After India winning four matches, if people feel that there is an advantage, then I don’t know what to say about it.”
The tournament’s tangled schedule, with teams flying in and out of the UAE from Pakistan while India have stayed put, has been hugely controversial.
South Africa batsman David Miller said “it was not an ideal situation” for his team to fly in to Dubai to wait on India’s semifinal opponent and then fly back to Lahore in less than 24 hours.
Even nominal hosts Pakistan had to jump on a jet and fly to Dubai to play India, rather than face them on home soil.
The pitches have been vastly different in the two countries.
Pakistan tracks produced big totals, in contrast to the slow and turning decks of the Dubai stadium.
“End of the day, I think in a game, you have to play good cricket every day when you turn up,” the 52-year-old Kotak said. “So the only thing they (critics) may say is that we play here. But that is how the draw is.”
“So nothing else can happen in that. It is not that after coming here, they changed something and we got an advantage,” he added.
India have been the team to beat after they topped Group A, which had New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
They then beat Australia in the first semifinal.
New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, lost the last group game to India by 44 runs before they beat South Africa in the second semifinal in Lahore.
Kotak said the previous result between the two teams will have no bearing on their mindset going into the final.
“That depends how the New Zealand team thinks, but I think we should not think that,” said Kotak.
“We should just try and turn up and play a good game of cricket because there is no use thinking about the last match.”
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said they are not too worried about India’s advantage.
“I mean, look, the decision around that’s out of our hands,” said Stead.
“So, it’s not something we worry about too much. India have got to play all their games here in Dubai. But as you said, we have had a game here and we’ll learn very quickly from that experience there as well.”
“And if we’re good enough to beat India on Sunday, then I’m sure we’ll be very, very happy,” he added.
‘No advantage’ in playing Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, says Indian batting coach
https://arab.news/jsk7t
‘No advantage’ in playing Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, says Indian batting coach
- The tournament’s tangled schedule, forcing teams to travel to Dubai to play India, has become controversial
- New Zealand head coach says his team has played a game in Dubai and will learn quickly from that experience
Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli showdown ends in stalemate as Saudi Pro League title race tightens
- Both sides make tactical adjustments for the game but defensive excellence ends up the dominant theme
- Despite the dropped points Al-Hilal remain top of the league but Al-Nassr close the gap to a single point with a narrow 1-0 away win against Al-Riyadh
RIYADH: In arguably the biggest fixture of the Saudi Pro League season so far, league leaders Al-Hilal and third-place Al-Ahli played out a tense stalemate at Kingdom Arena on Monday night, with neither side able to make a breakthrough.
Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who tops the league’s scoring chart with 18 goals, was kept quiet as defensive discipline took center stage.
Unlike previous encounters between the two sides, the first half resembled a war of attrition; neither team was able to break the other down with any consistency, and when openings did arise, the final touch proved elusive.
Both of the coaches, Simone Inzaghi and Matthias Jaissle, made their share of tactical adjustments for the game.
Rather than deploy the customary 5-4-1 formation home side Al-Hilal usually deploys in high-profile matches, Inzaghi opted instead for a 4-1-4-1 arrangement, with Ruben Neves anchoring the midfield while Salem Al-Dawsari and Malcom provided width on the flanks. Moteb Al-Harbi, a natural left-back, was deployed on the right side of defense to counter Wenderson Galeno’s dangerous inward runs.
Al-Ahli’s shape was fluid, meanwhile, with Enzo Millot operating between a traditional No.10 role and a false No. 9, depending on how high the press was. The full-backs played contrasting roles, with Ali Majrashi surging forward aggressively on the right while Zakaria Hawsawi tucked inside to assist with build-up play.
Despite these tactical changes, defensive excellence remained the dominant theme. Space was hard to find, and opportunities for either side to fashion clear chances largely came during moments of high pressure.
The tempo increased noticeably in the second half. Roger Ibanez carried the ball forward from deep, reaching the edge of Al-Hilal’s box before slipping a pass toward Galeno, only for Kalidou Koulibaly to step in with a crucial block.
As the visitors continued to raise the intensity, Majrashi won possession high up the pitch before Galeno laid the ball off to Millot, whose effort drifted just wide. I would not have counted anyway, as the linesman had eventually raised his flag for offside.
A series of tactical fouls followed as Al-Ahli took control of the rhythm of the game. Al-Hilal were reduced to counterattacks as Jaissle’s side pushed forward, creating chances from all angles. In the 76th minute, Ibanez met Galeno’s corner with a free header but the ball skimmed just past the post.
Mohammed Kader Meite was introduced shortly thereafter, the former Rennes forward making his debut for Al-Hilal as a replacement for Darwin Nunez, who had endured a difficult evening.
Al-Ahli’s inability to capitalize on their control of the game almost proved costly in the 84th minute, when Al-Hilal appeared to take the lead.
A trademark long pass from Neves found Malcom on the shoulder of Rayan Hamed, and his cut-back was finished off by Al-Dawsari — only for the video assistant referee to rule Malcom offside.
Majrashi’s aggressive approach on the right eventually caught up with him, when a late challenge on Theo Hernandez earned him a second yellow card deep into stoppage time.
Elsewhere, visiting Al-Nassr edged past Al-Riyadh 1-0 to move onto 46 points, just one behind Al-Hilal and two clear of Al-Ahli, thanks to a decisive strike by Sadio Mane in the 40th minute. The Senegalese forward deputized for Cristiano Ronaldo, who was absent amid reports of dissatisfaction with Al-Nassr’s winter transfer window activity.
In Najran, Al-Okhdood, second-bottom of the league, were minutes away from a vital home victory before Alexandre Lacazette converted a penalty in the 85th minute to earn mid-table Neom a 1-1 draw.
On Tuesday, Damac will host Al-Kholood, before an Eastern Province double-header as Al-Ettifaq and Al-Taawoun go head-to-head at E’GO Stadium, while Al-Khaleej face Al-Qadsiah at Prince Mohammed bin Fahad Stadium.
