In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, India emerged victorious over New Zealand by 44 runs, securing the top position in Group A and setting the stage for a Champions Trophy semifinal clash with Australia. This victory at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium was largely thanks to spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who claimed five wickets for 42 runs, marking his first five-wicket haul in just his second one-day international match.
Chakravarthy expressed his gratitude for the support from senior teammates, stating, “The senior players helped me and, as the game went on, I felt better.” He noted that, despite not being a big turner of the ball, accurate bowling in the right areas can yield benefits from the pitch. Accompanying Chakravarthy’s efforts, Kuldeep Yadav contributed with 2-56, while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel each took a wicket, resulting in New Zealand’s dismissal for 205 runs in 45.3 overs.
Shreyas Iyer played a crucial role in India’s batting lineup, scoring 79 runs off 98 balls to help India post a competitive total of 249-9 in 50 overs. Commenting on the match, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged, “It spun a little more than we thought (under lights) and they squeezed us with four quality spinners.”
Both teams had already secured their semifinal spots, with India winning all three group matches and set to face Australia in Dubai on Tuesday. Meanwhile, New Zealand is slated to meet Group B winner South Africa in Lahore, Pakistan on Wednesday.
The match also marked a significant milestone for star Indian batsman Virat Kohli, who played his 300th one-day international, joining an elite group of Indian cricketers who have achieved this feat. Sachin Tendulkar remains at the top with 463 ODIs.
Winning the toss, New Zealand opted to bowl and swiftly dealt India an early blow by removing Rohit Sharma for 15 and trapping Shubman Gill lbw for two. Virat Kohli’s innings came to an abrupt end when he was caught for 11 by a spectacular one-handed catch from Glenn Phillips, leaving India at 30-3.
Iyer’s partnership with Patel was a crucial stabilizer for India, contributing 98 runs for the fourth wicket. Patel scored a composed 42 off 61 balls, affirming his position as a dependable middle-order batsman with three boundaries and a six. Iyer, initially restrained in his approach, reached his half-century with a series of boundaries and accelerated towards the latter part of his innings before being caught off Will O’Rourke in the 37th over.
Patel suffered a similar fate, dismissed by a remarkable catch from Kane Williamson off Rachin Ravindra, while Hardik Pandya’s brisk 45 off 45 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes, propelled India close to the 250-mark.
In response, New Zealand’s chase was spearheaded by former captain Kane Williamson, who top-scored with 81 off 120 balls. However, the Indian spinners proved too formidable for the Black Caps on a challenging pitch. Chakravarthy was instrumental, dismissing Will Young for 22 and later dismantling the lower order with four more scalps.
Partnerships from Williamson with Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham offered some resistance, but key breakthroughs by Yadav and Jadeja, trapping Mitchell and Latham lbw respectively, stifled their progress. Chakravarthy’s consistent performance culminated in him claiming his fifth wicket, becoming the quickest Indian bowler to achieve the feat in ODIs, before Williamson’s innings ended via a stumping from Patel in the 41st over.
