Fresh pitch to be used for 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal between India and Australia: Reports

As per reports, a fresh pitch will likely be used for the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal between India and Australia on Tuesday (March 4) in Dubai.

Although India have played all games in Dubai, they have played on three different pitches. The fresh surface has been prepared by Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) under the guidance of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Interestingly, Australia's Matthew Sandery is the curator, who also takes care of the pitches in the ICC Academy.

Notably, the Rohit Sharma-led side had an off-day, while Australia is said to have been engaged in a net session on Monday. Looking at the pitch, Australian captain Steve Smith claimed that the pitch is dry. He said (via Cricbuzz):

"Obviously the whole square block is pretty dry. Having spoken to the groundsman just now, a dry surface had a lot of traffic, so we've seen how the wickets have played."

During the pre-game press conference, Smith said that it will be a challenge to counter Indian spinners' dominance, with the surface likely offering assistance to them.

Historically, the pitches in Dubai have been slow and helped the tweakers and the same can be expected in the semifinal as well.

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Indian captain Rohit Sharma opens up on having advantage playing in Dubai

Rohit Sharma broke silence on the controversy surrounding India's schedule for the Champions Trophy. After reaching an agreement with Pakistan, the Men in Blue are playing all their games in a neutral venue, Dubai. However, they have been slammed for playing in the same conditions, as opposed to other teams playing in four different venues.

However, Rohit Sharma slammed the critics, saying that Dubai isn't their home and they have no idea about how the surface will play out in the semifinal game. He said:

"It's not like we know what's going to happen on these pitches. We don't know which pitch will be used in the semi-final, but whatever it is, we will have to adapt and see how it goes. And it's not our home either - this is Dubai. We don't play so many matches here, it's new for us as well."

The 'Hitman' also added that the Dubai pitch has behaved differently in every game and they are trying to adjust to the challenges.