The Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup 2021 gets underway in Abu Dhabi on Saturday with the Australia vs South Africa match from 03:30 PM IST. Later on, in the same day, Dubai will host its first Super 12 game of the tournament as England will take on the West Indies from 07:30 PM IST. In this article, we will discuss the pitch report of the Dubai cricket stadium.
A total of 13 matches of the T20 World Cup 2021 are scheduled to be played in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, including a semi-final and the final. The pitch conditions of the venue hence become an important aspect for the tournament as a whole.
Dubai T20 Records
The teams batting first have had a better record at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The venue interestingly doesn’t witness a lot of high-scoring matches. 144 and 122 are the average 1st and 2nd innings scores here. The Scoring Pattern in the venue has been as such:
Scoring Pattern
Score Below 150: 34
A score between 150 and 169: 17
Between 170 and 189: 5
Score Above 190: 6
T20 Stats
| Total matches | 61 |
| Matches won batting first | 34 |
| Matches won bowling first | 26 |
| Average 1st Inns scores | 144 |
| Average 2nd Inns scores | 122 |
| Highest total recorded | 211/3 (20 Ov) by SL vs PAK |
| Lowest total recorded | 71/10 (19 Ov) by KEN vs IRE |
| Highest score chased | 183/5 (19.4 Ov) by AFG vs UAE |
| Lowest score defended | 134/7 (20 Ov) by OMAN vs HK |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report
The pitch at the Dubai cricket stadium was seen to be a two-paced surface in the recently concluded IPL 2021. The batsmen found it difficult to play shots as it was difficult to judge the pace of the ball. The boundaries in the Dubai cricket ground are large enough and the spinners do benefit from the dimensions here. The seamers do get some extra bounce and movement off the pitch in the initial stages of the match.
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The batsmen would look to maximize the run-scoring in the initial six overs and play the middle overs watchfully. Keeping wickets in hand for the final 5 overs is necessary to score a good total in the Dubai International stadium. Going into the match the wicket does get slower. Big totals, hence, are tough to chase here. Anything around 165-170 would be a tough ask for any team in the Dubai International Stadium. Choosing to bowl first after winning the toss is the way to go here.