Following India's exhilarating victory over Australia in the semifinal on Tuesday, which secured their place in the Champions Trophy final, head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the criticism directed at the team for playing all their matches at a single venue—Dubai. In a passionate post-match press conference at the Dubai International Stadium, Gambhir referred to the critics as "perpetual cribbers," expressing his discontent with their remarks.

India opted to play all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai after declining to travel to Pakistan, the nominal host of the eight-team tournament, due to political and security concerns. While other teams had to navigate multiple venues across Pakistan, and some even between two countries, India remained in Dubai, where they achieved victory in all four of their matches to advance to the final.

South Africa, set to compete against New Zealand in the tournament's second semifinal, faced the challenge of traveling to Dubai without certainty regarding their semifinal opponent or location. After India topped Group A, the Proteas returned to Pakistan for their semifinal in Lahore. In contrast, India was aware of their semifinal location well in advance, should they progress that far.

Former England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton were among the first to assert that the scheduling of the Champions Trophy provided India with a significant advantage. Among current players, South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen and Australia's Pat Cummins, who did not participate in the tournament, echoed similar sentiments.

Gambhir hits back at 'Dubai' narrative

The head coach of the Indian cricket team was not specifically questioned about the criticisms directed at the team during the press conference following their victory over Australia. Instead, the reporter sought to gain insights from Gambhir regarding the choice to field four spinners on the Dubai pitch and the current form of captain Rohit Sharma. Gambhir asserted that India would have selected the same lineup had they been competing in Pakistan, and he expressed frustration over the ongoing allegations suggesting that India benefits from playing in Dubai.

"To begin with, this venue is as neutral for us as it is for any other team," an irritated Gambhir stated. "We have not played here before. I cannot recall the last tournament we participated in at this stadium. Moreover, we did not devise any strategy based on location. The intention was to include two frontline spinners in the 15-man squad, and whether we played in Pakistan or elsewhere, we would have opted for two frontline spinners due to the nature of the competition in the subcontinent."

He further commented on the ongoing discussions regarding perceived advantages, questioning, "What undue advantage? We have not practiced here even for a single day. Our training is taking place at the ICC Academy. The disparity between the pitches there and here is vast. Some individuals are simply chronic complainers; they need to mature. Therefore, I believe there was no undue advantage or any premeditated strategy on our part."

India will now await the outcome of the second semifinal on Wednesday as they prepare for the final match in Dubai on Sunday.

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