India and Australia will face off on a fresh pitch in Dubai for the Champions Trophy semifinal, adding an element of unpredictability to the high-stakes encounter.

Rohit Sharma’s statement, “We don’t know which pitch is going to be played,” rings true as the track for Tuesday’s match will be brand new. Unlike the previous three games at this venue—against Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand—this will be a different surface altogether.

The pitch preparation falls under the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) with oversight from the International Cricket Council (ICC), and Australian curator Matthew Sandery is responsible for both the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) and the ICC Academy pitches.

There has been speculation that India holds an unfair advantage by playing all their matches at the same venue. However, Rohit dismissed this notion, stating, “This is not our home; this is Dubai. We don’t play many matches here. This is new for us too.”

Unlike the Indian captain, who took a rest day on Monday, Australian skipper Steve Smith inspected the surface and observed that the entire block was dry. He noted, “Having spoken to the groundsman just now, the dry surface has had a lot of traffic, so we’ve seen how the wickets have played.”

Historically, pitches at DICS have been slow and dry, favoring spinners. The semifinal track is expected to follow a similar pattern, making spin a crucial factor in the match.

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