New Zealand star drowns India’s “Dubai advantage” criticism with “no excuse mindset” vow

New Zealand cricket team’s Glenn Phillips brushed aside the criticism on India’s alleged “Dubai advantage” ahead of their Champions Trophy tie. The Kiwis will lock horns with the Men in Blue in their final group stage fixture in Dubai on Sunday. Ahead of the game, Phillips categorically stated that NZ will enter the contest with a no excuse mindset and ruled out any room for complaints whatsoever.

New Zealand unbothered about India’s Dubai advantage

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Phillips stated that New Zealand’s focus was not on India’s perceived advantage in Dubai. The all-rounder stated that the side was never going to complain as India were dealt a hand, reiterating that the Kiwis would try and do best with what they have.

“For us there’s no focus on anything like that. Obviously, the tournament draw is what it is. We have a no-excuse mindset to be able to come out to a tournament. You’ve dealt the hand that you’ve dealt, and India has been dealt a hand. We’re never going to complain about what we get and we’ll just do the best of what we’ve got,” Phillips said.

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Further, Phillips said that New Zealand have their game plans ready for India. He backed the all-rounder-studded Kiwi side to set up a good battle with India’s spin battery.

“We have our game plans against India. They’re an incredibly strong side, and they pretty much have all their bases covered. So, for us, I guess it’s about looking at the pitches and the results that have just gone by recently.” he added.

The IND vs NZ tie is inconsequential and is more like a warm-up for both teams as they have qualified for the semi-finals of Champions Trophy.