The Indian team put in a brilliant show against New Zealand, defeating them in the final group stage clash of the Champions Trophy and setting up a clash against Australia.
The stage is set for the semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025. India will take on Australia, whereas New Zealand will lock horns against South Africa. The match-ups were decided after the Indian team registered a hard-fought win against New Zealand in the final group stage game of the tournament.
Both sides locked horns at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 2, and the clash began with India coming in to bat first after losing the toss. The Men in Blue got off to a horrid start after Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli were all sent packing in the first seven overs of the game.
After the shaky start, it were the knocks of Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel that stabilised the innings for India. Iyer amassed 79 runs, whereas Axar scored 42 runs. Furthermore, Hardik Pandya‘s late push of 45 runs saw India post a total of 249 runs in the first innings of the game. As for New Zealand, Matt Henry was the highest wicket taker in the first innings with five wickets to his name. Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rouke, Mitchell Santner, and Rachin Ravindra took one wicket each as well.
As for the second innings, as New Zealand aimed to chase down a target of 250 runs, the side got off to a subpar start as openers Will Young and Rachin Ravindra departed on scores of 22 and 6, respectively. However, after the shaky start, it was the knock of Kane Williamson who stood firm on the crease.
Williamson amassed 81 runs in 120 deliveries. However, he did not get a suitable partner to bat alongside with. Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham added 17 and 14 runs, respectively. Furthermore, Glenn Phillips added 12 runs on the board alongside skipper Mitchell Santner who amassed 28 runs in 31 deliveries.
It was the spell of Varun Chakaravarthy which propelled India to an emphatic victory. The star spinner, included in the lineup for his first game of the tournament, made an instant impact. The star player took five wickets and helped India bundle out the Kiwis on a score of 205 runs as India won the game by 44 runs.
