India, Feb. 16 -- "Are India expecting the ball to turn in Dubai?" - Ravichandran Ashwin asked the big question and admitted to being "uncomfortable" with India's strategy for the Champions Trophy. There has been considerable chatter after the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picked five spin bowlers for their Dubai campaign, slated to begin on Thursday. While some claim that India got their plans wrong by not getting more pacers in the squad, especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, amid the data emerging from the recently-concluded ILT20 season in the UAE, data suggests otherwise.

India initially included four spinners in their provisional squad: left-armers Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, off-spinner Washington Sundar, and leg...