ICC Champions Trophy: How will the toss shape the India vs New Zealand final?

The toss is arguably one of the most crucial factors in deciding the course of a match. A match as high-stakes as the ICC Champions Trophy final, meanwhile, calls for attention to the barest of margins that can impact the result. The final of the mini-World Cup has the unbeaten India facing the formidable Kiwis in Dubai, the same venue where India buried all their opponents in the tournament. While India sits heavily acclimatized to the conditions, New Zealand is no stranger either, having played the group-stage encounter against the Men in Blue. While the Kiwis lost the initial fixture by 44 runs, it’s in the past now, as it has all come down to relying on this ultimate battle.

India vs New Zealand: How crucial would be the toss in the ICC Champions Trophy final?

Featuring eight teams, the top rankers in ODIs, the ICC Champions Trophy swiftly sorted and filtered to find the best two of the lot. As New Zealand and India gear up to set the summit clash, the teams look on par with each other when their strengths are compared. A heavy batting lineup, with Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson perched as the in-form counterparts for both. Teams that store heavy arsenals in both departments have the ability to negate the outcome of a toss largely. And the best to do it are New Zealand and India.

India, specifically, would not be too hung up on the toss result. Rarely do you miss something that you didn't have at all to start with. Rohit Sharma has lost all his tosses, 14 consecutively, including the four here in Dubai at the ICC Champions Trophy. However, the Men in Blue have won all their fixtures, easily making the toss result forgettable by the end of the match. New Zealand, in their previous match in Dubai, opted to bowl first and managed to restrict India to just 249, thanks to the fifer by Matt Henry. However, Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy, to be specific, made the 250-run chase look insurmountable as the Kiwis bundled up, falling 44 runs short.

Interestingly, the match against New Zealand was the only instance of India batting first at the ICC Champions Trophy. The rest of the matches, including the semi-final against Australia, were won in the chase. With a spin-heavy bowling lineup and a batting order that bats as deep as No. 8, India holds the power to counter whichever side the coin falls on. Moreover, with the dew not hindering any aspect of the game in Dubai, the impact of the toss comes down even more.

Following the trend of the games played in Dubai so far, there is no need to mull over the toss result. However, the team that wins would like to bat first, as the Dubai turf has shown the tendency to slow down as the game progresses. India, meanwhile, would like to keep their streak of losing the toss going, just for the sake of avoiding a jinx right before the final. Moreover, with that kind of strength in the team, it’s a good headache to have to let the opponent decide for themselves, as expressed by Rohit Sharma in the previous match.

The vice-captain of India, Shubman Gill, also addressed the discussion on the eve of the India vs New Zealand final. The opening batter clarified that the toss is not in their hands, but the team is well-prepared to go headfirst in whichever way they are pitted. The batters sit prepared to bat first in any condition, and the same goes for the bowlers.

"It doesn't really matter. If you're a bowler, you are always prepared to bowl first. If you're a batsman, you are always prepared to bat first. We do talk about it (the toss result) but in a very light way, you know that you have lost so many tosses, but that does not matter."