India’s increasing dominance in the Champions Trophy 2021 has scared a few players saying, India is Getting an Unfair Advantage. Not just for their outstanding performances but also because of the playing conditions. After declining to play in Pakistan due to security concerns of Indian Players on the soil of terrorism ‘Pakistan,’ the Indian cricket team has played all its matches at the Dubai International Stadium under a hybrid game format. This situation allowed a few players to criticize India, particularly the criticism from the non-playing Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, who believes that India is Getting an Unfair Advantage in this tournament.
With one-sided victories against Bangladesh and their long-time rival Pakistan, Rohit Sharma and his squad are guaranteed to be qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. As India will qualify for the semi-finals, the last match of India against New Zealand could merely serve as a warm-up match before the knockout rounds start.
Pat Cummins: India is Getting an Unfair Advantage
Speaking candidly to Yahoo Sport Australia, Pat Cummins acknowledged that while the tournament progresses despite the challenges, India playing all their games in one familiar venue could offer them a clear edge.
While speaking to Yahoo Sports Australia, Pat Cummins acknowledged all teams are facing some challenges as the tournament progresses toward the final match. Still, India is one such team that is playing all their matches at one venue, so they are getting familiar enough with the conditions of the ground well.
“It’s good that the tournament can go on, but it does give them (India) a huge advantage playing on the same ground. They already look powerful, and playing all their games in Dubai gives them that extra benefit,” Cummins remarked.
Well, this is acceptable that India might be getting an advantage of playing on the same wicket and the same ground in this competition. But why are these questions and comments coming when India has shown outstanding performances in their first two matches? Players from all the playing nations could have raised these types of questions before the start of this tournament. If India had lost these matches, no one would have been found raising any questions or objections against the Indian team’s unfair advantages.
Cummins’ Break From Cricket and Future Plans
Pat Cummins is currently on leave and not playing in this tournament to be with his family for the birth of his second child, daughter Edi and he is also recovering from an ankle injury. Despite missing out on the Champions Trophy, the Australian skipper is set to return to the Australian squad in the future, maybe as a captain. He will also lead SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting on March 22.
Reflecting on his decision, Cummins shared:
“It’s been great to be at home with family and focus on my ankle rehab. The recovery is going well, and I’ll begin running and bowling this week. With the IPL, the Test World Championship, and a tour to the West Indies ahead, there’s plenty to look forward to.”
Australia’s Performance Under Steve Smith
Steve Smith is leading Australian team in Pat Cummins’s absence and he’s is doing really well, we can’t forget that Pat Cummins was named as Australia’s captain after Smith got banned from International cricket for ball tampering. Under Smith’s leadership, Australia started their Champions Trophy campaign with an impressive victory against one of their old rivals, England, in Lahore and the second match against South Africa was abandoned due to rain without toss, giving both teams 1 point. In that match, Australia successfully chased down a massive total of 352 runs on the basis of team performance throughout the game.
While, a standout performance came from Josh Inglis against England’s bowlers, whose unbeaten 120 off 86 balls was crucial in securing the win for Australia against England.
Cummins had praised Inglis, by stating:
“This feels like his breakout moment. He’s incredibly versatile, dangerous against spin, and innovative against fast bowlers with his reverse ramps. He’s proven himself on the big stage with centuries across all three formats.”
As Australia advances in the tournament, Pat Cummins acknowledged the growing challenge of selecting the playing XI:
“With so many in-form players, narrowing the squad from 15 to 11 for the next match will be tough for Smith and our team management.” Sadi Pat Cummins.
