The stage is all set for the ICC Champions Trophy final at Dubai International Stadium, where India will take on New Zealand. Interestingly, the pitch for this much-anticipated match has been described as semi-fresh instead of brand new. This is because it was used earlier in a group stage match between India and Pakistan two weeks ago, as per a report in The Times of India. The pitch was used for the India-Pakistan group stage match on February 23. In that match, India won by six wickets after Pakistan posted a target of 242 runs. India's top wicket-taker in that match was Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav with three for 40 in nine overs, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya played a crucial role with two wickets for 31 runs in eight overs. Chasing Pakistan's total, India hunted down the target in a mere 42.3 overs, with Virat Kohli leading from the front with his 51st century. He scored an unbeaten 100 off 111 balls. Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill were other key contributors who scored 56 and 46 runs, respectively. This performance showed how India adapted and excelled on this particular pitch. The Dubai International Stadium has 10 pitches, four of which have been used for India's matches in the Champions Trophy. The Emirates Cricket Board prepares the pitches under Australian curator Matthew Sandery's guidance. Historically, these pitches have been slow and dry with some assistance for spinners, a trend expected to continue for the final match. India's head coach Gautam Gambhir defended his team's preparation and performance on this pitch. Dismissing allegations of an undue advantage, he said this is as neutral a venue for us as it is for any other team. He further clarified that their strategy was always to include two frontline spinners in their squad, regardless of the venue. The Men in Blue kickstarted their 2025 CT campaign with a dominant six-wicket win over Bangladesh. The win was fueled by Mohammed Shami's 5/53 and Gill's (101*). They then beat arch-rivals Pakistan by six wickets, thanks to Virat Kohli's (100*) and Kuldeep's 3/40. In their last group game against New Zealand, Rohit's men won by 44 runs on the back of Varun Chakravarthy's 5/42. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's 84-run knock and spinners' brilliance secured India's four-wicket win over Australia (semis).