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 semi-finals 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.
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India refused to travel to Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan over unspecified reasons 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 UAE.
“It definitely helped us because we know the conditions and the behaviour 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.
‘World class’
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 practises — that’s why you see all those results.”