ICC Champions Trophy: Rassie Van der Dussen joins the "advantage for India" debate

India is playing all its matches in Dubai, and the other participants can't help but wonder at the Men in Blue and their luxurious schedule, a stark contrast to their strenuous tasks at the ICC Champions Trophy. Pakistan won the hosting rights for the marquee event as they welcomed the other seven participants. India, the border-sharing arch-rival, denied participation in Pakistan, citing security concerns for their players, a decision fueled by the disturbed political relations between the nations. After a long, extended standoff, the ICC intervened and proposed the hybrid model, which the PCB eventually complied with, and Dubai emerged as the other venue. Now, India is playing all its matches at the same venue, while the other participants go from Lahore to Rawalpindi to Karachi, eventually reaching Dubai if India is part of their scheduled fixtures.

The highly noticeable advantage for India at the ICC Champions Trophy

Group A at the ICC Champions Trophy placed India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh together. Every team, including the hosts and the defending champions, needed to leave the country and travel to Dubai to play against India. Meanwhile, India enjoys the comfort of training and playing at the same venue throughout the tournament, including the semi-final and final, should they manage to reach the ultimate stage. Group B consists of England, Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan, who, in the group stage, travel across the three venues, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi.

Moreover, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa, who are still in contention for semi-final qualification, face the task of playing in Dubai if they manage to reach the semi-finals. India will play the first semi-final, irrespective of where they finish in the Group A standings between the top two. The winner of Group A, either India or New Zealand, will face the second qualifier from Group B. So, if India wins Group A and Australia finishes below South Africa as the second semi-finalist, then the Kangaroos would be required to play the semi-final in Dubai.

When the semi-finalists arrive in Dubai, the Group B contender will be playing there for the first time, while India will have already played three matches at the venue. Similarly, if India reaches the final, a highly likely possibility given their sublime form, they will be well acclimatized to the conditions. Cricket pundits and players can't help but point out India's advantage in this situation time and again. From Australian skipper Pat Cummins, who is missing the ICC Champions Trophy due to injury, to former cricketer Nasser Hussain, many have spoken about India's advantage in the tournament.

Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton discussed the extensive travel other teams endure while playing in different conditions, whereas India waits in Dubai for others to join them at a venue they have grown accustomed to through their group-stage matches. Fortunately for Hussain and Atherton, England was eliminated from the Champions Trophy before they had to undertake the difficult task of traveling to Dubai to face India.

Rassie Van der Dussen joins the discussion ahead of Champions Trophy semi-final

Now, South African batter Rassie van der Dussen has also spoken on the matter. South Africa is a favorite to qualify for the semi-finals from Group B. The team beat Afghanistan by 107 runs in their campaign opener, boosting their net run rate. After their clash against Australia was washed out, they earned a point, bringing their tally to three. With the best NRR among Australia and Afghanistan, South Africa needs to win their last clash against England to confirm qualification. Meanwhile, van der Dussen shared his thoughts on the ongoing discussion about India's advantage at the ICC Champions Trophy. However, the South African was quick to add that this factor also puts pressure on them.

"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 said.

"I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to know that. The onus would be on them to use that advantage," van der Dussen continued. "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," he added.

When asked where South Africa would prefer to play the semi-finals, van der Dussen said that Lahore would be their preferred choice. The ideal scenario for them is finishing as the topper of Group B while India beats New Zealand to top Group A. In that case, South Africa would play the second semi-final against New Zealand in Lahore.

"If it's a personal thing, I would say playing in Lahore because it's just good to bat there. The Dubai pitch is not as high-scoring as Lahore, but no, I don't think it really matters," he said.

"Probably logistically, it will be easier to play in Lahore. You don't have to go through an international flight and go to Dubai and literally go to another country to play. Lahore is not too far from where we are at the moment, so conditions are fairly similar. It's literally one of those things, we don't know what's going to happen until Saturday evening."