India and New Zealand compete in the final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday to decide the winner of the ODI tournament to eight nations.
AFP Sport examines five key factors that could decide the fate of the confrontation of the title.
– Henry’s opening burst –
The pace of New Zealand is the spearhead Matt Henry leads the Bowling list in the 50 out of 10 counters – five when the Black Caps faced India earlier in the competition.
Henry won Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in the Group match in Dubai to reduce India to 30-3, before an intermediate fight won the Rohit Sharma team at 249-9.
Henry, who combines the pace with a good sewing movement, returned figures of 5-42, although in a losing cause.
Its burst of opening in the final could be vital for New Zealand to win the upper hand.
– Spin Mystery of Chakravarthy –
The Varun Chakravarthy wrist spinner was a late addition to the Indian team for the tournament and against New Zealand bambooed with 5-42 figures.
It was his first game of the tournament and only his second ODI, after making his debut against England in February.
The 33-year-old man, a mystery spinner who has many variations in his round, took two other counters in the semi-finals against Australia.
Chakravarthy could be the key to India – if part of the XI – on locations that have helped the spinners.
– Ravira, Williamson threatens –
The rising star Rachin Ravi will and the former war horse Kane Williamson entered the last freshness of centuries against South Africa in Lahore.
The left-handed Ravira and Williamson made 164 points in a standing stand in the semi-finals and have the capacity to tackle the Indian spinners with APLOMB.
Williamson, 34, struck a valiant 81 in the previous match against India and with Ravira, 25, will again be a serious threat to India on a slow expected field.
The skipper and spinner of the left arm, Mitchell Santner, said that Williamson and Ravira’s striker make life “little easier” for queries.
– Start of Rohit –
The captain of India Rohit did not reach Top Gear in the tournament, his highest score being 41 in the opening victory against Bangladesh.
But even his dozens of more than 20 games in two games – against Pakistan and Australia – gave India fast departures for others to rely.
Critics criticized the opening so as not to convert these departures to more important scores.
Head coach Gautam Gambir says that his impact has been crucial and not motivated by figures.
“You assess from the races; we assess from the impact. This is the difference,” Gambir has questioned a question about the form of Rohit.
– The Pitch factor –
The locations of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium were a subject of discussion with India playing all their matches in the same place after refusing to visit Pakistan for political reasons.
The surface of Dubai was slow and helped spinners with Australia displaying the highest total of this 264 tournament, which was revised by India with 11 balls to lose.
The tracks in Pakistan produced large scores, New Zealand obtaining a record for the Champions Trophy 362-6 before restricting South Africa at 312-9 in Lahore.
While India remains in their temporary home for the final, Ravi will of New Zealand said “We are proud to adapt and play the situation in front of us”.
FK / PST