India's team head coach Gautam Gambhir rejected allegations of his side enjoying an unfair benefit after playing all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai. He clarified that India had not even practiced at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) upon arriving for the competition.
India headed into the final with a spotless record, having won all their matches played at DICS. Gambhir, however, vehemently rejected allegations of bias.
"I understand there's a lot of controversy regarding an undue benefit. But what is that even? This is as much a neutral ground for us as it is for any other side. I don't even recall the last time we hosted a tournament in this stadium," Gambhir told the post-match media conference following India's four-wicket semifinal victory over Australia.
"We haven't practised here even for a day. We have been practicing at the ICC Academy, and there the conditions are entirely different here. Some folks are just forever cribbers. So, I don't know how we gained any undue advantage," he concluded.
Team Selection Was Not Condition-Based
Gambhir also ruled out talk that India had used four spinners because of pre-knowledge of the conditions of the pitch.
"The strategy was straightforward—if we select two spinners in a 15-man team, then whether we play in Pakistan or anywhere else in the subcontinent, we would adhere to that policy. We didn't intend to play additional spinners according to the conditions," he said.
"If you see our team, we've played only two or three spinners in the last two games, while the others were all-rounders," he added.
Rohit Sharma's Impactful Captaincy
India's captain, Rohit Sharma, contributed another forceful knock, posting a 29-ball 28 in the semifinal. Some might take about the statistics, but Gambhir appreciated Rohit's intent and captaincy.
"If your side plays with this sort of tempo, it conveys a good message to the dressing room that we would like to be bold and daring.".
"As experts and journalists, you just see numbers and averages. But as a team and as a coach, we measure by impact. If the captain leads by example first, nothing is more motivating than that," he added.
With India having reached the final of the Champions Trophy, Gambhir is confident that the team's strategy and preparation will continue to yield dividends.
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