New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said that his team will be putting their "thinking caps" on to tackle spinner Varun Charkavarthy, highlighting the difficulties of facing him under the lights.
One of the biggest troubles Kiwis will face will be Varun, who took a five-wicket haul (5/42) that derailed NZ's chase of 250 runs and dismantled their middle order, including scalps of Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, skipper Mitchell Santner, all of those batters who could have helped NZ from position of 151/3 to reach the target. His spell triggered a collapse, which bundled out Kiwis for 205 in 45.3 overs.
'Varun Chakaravarthy is a big threat in the game. He is a very good bowler. We will have a look at the pitch conditions and what effects he could have on the game.
'We certainly expect him to play after getting a fifer. We will be putting our thinking caps around on how we will nulify him and score runs against him. When you have such a wrist spinner bowling, you are looking for cues, and it is much easier in daylight to see those cues,' Stead said on Friday.
Stead also said that Kiwis expect India to field four spinners against them.
"We have four spinners as well and think we are pretty balanced. But there is always a challenge (against Indian spin). I mean, they are all very good spinners in their own right. So for us, it is just being nice and clear on our plans and working it out, be it a match-up or other sort of things we will read through the match. They (Indian spinners) could also have an off-day as well, that could be in our advantage," he added.
Stead said that his team would not worry too much about change in venue from Lahore to Dubai for the title clash, saying that the situation is "out of their hands".
'Decision around that it is out of our hands. We will not worry about that too much. India have got to play all their games here in Dubai, but as you said, we have had a game here, and we will learn very quickly from that experience.
'When you come to this stage of the tournament, it is always exciting to be in this situation. If we are good enough to beat India on Sunday, then I am sure we will be very happy.'
'I think there is no doubt that coming here or playing Lahore and we had a full day of travel yesterday, then it just takes it out of you a little bit, but we have got a couple of days now of a little bit of recovery and a little bit of planning and training towards the game.
'But I guess we are deep into the tournament now and sometimes it is not always a lot of training that you need. It is just getting your body and your mind right to compete in the final and that will be our key focus over the next two days,' he added.
With regards playing in the high-scoring, batting friendly conditions in Pakistan to more bowling-friendly surfaces in Dubai, Stead said: "I think that is just about adapting and working out on your feet what you think the pass score is for the day and I guess trying to be a little bit ahead of that.
'I think the danger is you come from scoring 360-odd in a game, and you think you will do that again immediately, and you go a little bit hard. So for us it is just working out what are the right tactics on the day, who we are faced up against as well, and then adapting to that,' he added.
Stead hailed his leading batters in the tournament, Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson.
'Rachin is one of those batsmen who seems to be able to score at a run a ball without particularly trying hard. And his ability to bowl some left-arm spin. We are very lucky to have him. He is a really important player for our team.'
Rachin has been one of Kiwis' rising all-format stars during the last couple of years or so. After a bumper 50-over World Cup in India, which saw him score 578 runs in 10 matches with three centuries and two fifties at an average of 64.22 to end as the Kiwis' top run-getter, he has also done well in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy.
He is the second run-getter in the tournament, with 226 runs at an average of 75.33, with two centuries, including one in the semi-final against South Africa. With all of his five ODI centuries coming at ICC events, one can safely say that this young batting all-rounder is meant for big stages already.
Stead said about Kane that he is a batter who rises for big occasions, calling him a "special player".
'He is a guy who rises for big occasions, he has done that for New Zealand in the past. Cricket is a game where runs are not guaranteed, but I know that Kane will be doing everything he can to prepare to score well. He has the ability to adapt to different surfaces faster than many other players. We hope he has a big day. He is a special player to us,' said Stead of Williamson.
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