He added that the onus will be on India to use that advantage in Champions Trophy 2025.
South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen believes that India have an advantage in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 tournament because they play all their matches at one venue—Dubai. Rassie van der Dussen’s comments come just a few days after Australia captain Pat Cummins had made similar comments on Team India. India are playing all their matches in Dubai after the central government refused to send the team to Pakistan due to security concerns.
Due to this, the Champions Trophy is being played in a hybrid model. “It’s definitely an advantage. I saw that Pakistan was commenting about it, but it’s definitely an advantage. If you can stay in one place, stay in one hotel, practise in the same facilities, play in the same stadium, on the same pitches every time, it’s definitely an advantage,” van der Dussen was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
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He said that the onus is on India to use that advantage.
“I don’t think you have to be a rocket scientist to know that. The onus would be on them to use that advantage. In a sense, it puts more pressure on them because whoever is going to play them in the semi or potentially the final is going to go there and the conditions are going to be foreign but they [India] are going to be used to it. The pressure would be on them to get it right because they have all that knowledge,” added the 36-year-old.
Van der Dussen was referring to Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed’s comments, who felt that the Men in Green’s ouster from the Campions Trophy was not due to India’s “advantage”.
“See, they are in Dubai for a reason. If they are playing in Dubai for a reason, definitely if you play on the same pitch or ground, you will have an advantage.
“But we are not losing because they had the advantage of the same hotel and pitch (laughs). It’s not just because of the pitch, and neither did they play some ten matches there,” he had said.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have been knocked out from the Champions Trophy after both teams lost their opening two matches. Thursday’s game between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi was washed out due to rain. While India and New Zealand have qualified for the semi-finals, it’s all to play for in Group, with South Africa, Australia and Afghanistan still in contention. India will take on New Zealand in the final group stage match on Sunday (March 2).
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