NEW DELHI: India pace spearhead Mohammed Shami acknowledged that it has benefited India to play all of their Champions Trophy matches at the same location in Dubai.
India defeated Australia by four wickets in the semi-finals on Tuesday in Dubai with Shami taking 3-48.
Later, India’s coach Gautam Gambhir took aim at those who claimed it was unfair to play in the same Dubai International Cricket Stadium repeatedly.
India have won all four of their matches in Dubai after declining to travel to Pakistan, the hosts of the Champions Trophy.
In Sunday’s final, which will take place in Dubai once more, India will play either South Africa or New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the other seven ODI teams have had to travel back and forth between the United Arab Emirates and three cities in Pakistan.
“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.”
South Africa was compelled to go to Dubai as part of the tournament’s hybrid setup, but they returned to Pakistan less than twenty-four hours later without participating in any matches.
India have won nine of their ten ODIs played in Dubai and are undefeated overall.
In India’s first victory over Bangladesh, Shami, 34, took five wickets and bowled with pace and accuracy.
However, Shami begged cricket authorities to permit the use of saliva to polish the ball in the 50-over format after being asked how to get reverse swing with the old ball.
In 2022, the International Cricket Council permanently banned saliva, which had been introduced during the Covid epidemic.
“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.”
Fast bowlers can get the leather ball to swing late and be a deadly weapon in the last few overs of an ODI match by using saliva to polish one side of the old ball and keep the other rough.
They can still use sweat.
Shami temporarily departed the field during the victory over Pakistan, after a solid start to the tournament.
With two games in three days and bowling his entire allotted ten overs against Australia, he has allayed concerns about any potential fitness problems.
“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.”
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