CT25: India Secures top group spot by beating New Zealand, Varun , Iyer shines

 

India advanced to the Champions Trophy semifinals undefeated, following victories over Bangladesh and Pakistan, with another commanding win against New Zealand. On Sunday, India secured a 44-run victory, led by Varun Chakravarthy's five-wicket haul. Batting first, India posted a total of 249 runs, while New Zealand was bowled out for 205.

New Zealand’s fielding prowess was on display in Dubai from the outset. In a venue notorious for dropped catches, Glenn Phillips and his teammates showcased exceptional catching skills. Their sharp fielding efforts put India on the back foot, leading to crucial early wickets and restricting the scoring rate. However, when India took the field, their impact was less about fielding brilliance and more about their spinners' dominance. New Zealand’s batters struggled against India’s spin attack, with the lone exception of Kane Williamson, who played a resilient knock of 81 runs.

India made a strategic change for this match, bringing in Varun Chakravarthy in place of Harshit Rana, anticipating the assistance spinners would get from the Dubai pitch. The decision paid off, as India fielded four spinners and controlled the game. Varun starred with a five-wicket haul, while Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets. Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya picked up one wicket each. In contrast, New Zealand’s pacers claimed seven wickets, but India's spinners outshone them by taking nine.

India’s top order struggled early, losing Shubman Gill (2), Rohit Sharma (15), and Virat Kohli (11) within the first 30 runs. Gill fell lbw, while Rohit perished attempting a pull shot. Kohli’s dismissal, however, was orchestrated by Glenn Phillips’ stunning fielding effort.

Kohli had no opportunity to make this match his own—Phillips ensured that. In the seventh over, bowled by Matt Henry, Kohli attempted a fluent off-side stroke. Under normal circumstances, the ball might have raced to the boundary, but Phillips had other plans. Positioned at point, he leaped to his right, fully airborne, and plucked the ball out of the air. The ball, which traveled to him in just 0.68 seconds, was caught slightly behind where he was initially standing—an incredibly difficult grab, made to look effortless by Phillips.

New Zealand’s fielders continued their dominance throughout India’s innings. Kane Williamson also pulled off a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja, adding to the list of game-changing moments. Their outfield efforts saved multiple boundaries, further restricting India’s total.

India’s batting highlight came from Shreyas Iyer, who scored 79 runs. He built a crucial 98-run partnership with Axar Patel, which seemed to set India up for a big total. However, Axar (42) fell unexpectedly, playing a shot towards the leg side and gifting a catch to Williamson, who ran backward to complete another fine grab. It was a puzzling dismissal at a critical moment.

Towards the end, Hardik Pandya (45) made an effort to boost India’s total, but lacked consistent support. KL Rahul (23) and Ravindra Jadeja (16) got starts but couldn’t capitalize. In the 49th over, Pandya struck two fours and a six off Kyle Jamieson, preventing India from finishing at an even lower total.

While Matt Henry’s five-wicket haul stood out on paper, two of those wickets were purely due to the brilliance of Phillips and Williamson’s catching. Jamieson, Will O’Rourke, Mitchell Santner, and Rachin Ravindra claimed one wicket each.

When New Zealand chased , none of the batters could make good their starts . Will Young looked good for his 22 , later Santner scored 28 but it was Kane Williamson who looked the most likely to achieve the target with a fine fighting 81 . Varun Chakravarty 's brilliant 5 wicket haul cut short the Kiwis as none of their batters could read his variations  and thus India achieved a convincing win . 

Sunday’s victory is a significant confidence booster for India. Against Bangladesh and Pakistan, India had the advantage of chasing, but this time, they had to set a target—and they delivered. Their spinners took control and ensured India’s passage to the semifinals, demonstrating their adaptability to different match situations.