INDIA vs PAKISTAN PITCH CONTROVERSY | ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2025
After winning their first match against Bangladesh in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy comprehensively, Rohit Sharma and his men take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their second Group A match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, February 23, with only one aim in mind: to win the match and all but confirm their place in the final four.
detailed pitch report, Ian Bishop and Sunil Gavaskar reveal that the playing surface is just two pitches away from the one where India recently faced Bangladesh. Under overcast skies and a comfortable 31 degrees Celsius, the ground spans 70 metres square on each side with an 81-metre stretch down the field. Drawing parallels with conditions observed a few days ago, they noted that the pitch has a slow character that favours spinners in the middle overs. Teams that bowl with precision are expected to stifle the batters, as the surface offers scant opportunities for sixes. Consequently, a total of around 270 should prove a defendable score.
Past records of the Dubai international stadium are more biased towards the bowling units rather than the batsmen
The pitch at the Dubai International Stadium has kept bowlers in the hunt in recent years. In 59 matches at the venue, teams have posted 300-plus totals just four times, with the last such score recorded by Pakistan in 2019.
Even in the previous game between India and Bangladesh, batters struggled to accelerate. Chasing a target of 228 runs, India could only cross the line in the 47th over. However, batting tends to become slightly easier in the second innings in Dubai, as indicated by the average runs per wicket increasing from 25 to 29 from the first innings to the second.
The venue has favoured seamers more than spinners. In 59 games, Pacers have claimed 473 wickets at an average of over 28 and an economy rate of 4.79. Meanwhile, spinners have been more economical at 4.25 runs per over but have taken only 325 wickets at an average of 30.
Of the seven five-wicket hauls recorded at the ground, only one has gone to a spinner — Shahid Afridi’s 6/38 against Australia in 2009.
TOSS FACTOR
However, the toss is playing a crucial role in determining the match outcomes at this ground. Out of 59 games, teams winning the toss have emerged victorious just 29 times.
However, with the win percentage favouring teams batting second, the captain winning the toss is likely to opt to bowl. In the last 10 games in Dubai, chasing teams have won seven times.
Furthermore, with the possibility of dew setting in, captains may prefer to deploy their spinners during the first innings