Kiwis caught in India’s spin trap

Depth in batting and a spin-heavy attack proved crucial as India defeated New Zealand to enter the Champions Trophy semifinals undefeated.

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After conquering neighbours Bangladesh and Pakistan, the Indian team prevailed over New Zealand by 44 runs to set up a semifinal date with Australia. It was the heroics of Shreyas Iyer (79), Axar Patel (42) and Hardik Pandya (45) that helped the team to overcome early setbacks and post 249/9 on a slow surface in Dubai.

However, it was newcomer Varun Chakravarthy (5/42) who stole the show, becoming the third Indian after Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja to claim a five-wicket haul in the history of the tournament. The Black Caps were bowled out for 205 after a masterful performance by Chakravarthy in the middle overs.

Kane Williamson (81 off 120 balls) kept New Zealand in contention, but the run-rate mounted through the middle overs and the last seven wickets fell for 72 runs. Williamson, who was dropped on 17 by KL Rahul off Axar Patel, played a refined innings full of placements.

The Indian spinners placed efficiency ahead of wizardry and bowled in a manner suited for the conditions. The likes of Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Patel found good turn while Chakravarthy bamboozled the New Zealand batters with his ‘mystery’ spin.

Earlier, India’s batting had a rough start thanks to a dazzling display of fielding by the Kiwis. India were tottering at 30/3 with skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli getting out without putting much pressure on the bowlers.

Sharma started brightly, pulling pacer Mark Henry for a four and six, but perished to the pull as he was caught by Will Young off Kyle Jamieson. Henry had his own moments of joy as Gill was trapped plumb in front. He also took out the in-form Kohli, but the credit must also go to Glenn Phillips for his stunning catch. Kohli, playing his 300th ODI, was left stunned as he stood there for a while before going back to the pavilion.

However, Iyer and Patel came up with a crucial 98-run stand for the fourth wicket. Iyer produced a composed innings under pressure and went on to score 79 off 98 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes. He was well supported by Patel (42 off 61 balls, with three boundaries and one six). Rahul’s innings looked promising with 23 off 29 balls. As the side was once again in trouble at 182/6, Pandya produced some hits to ensure that India got close to the 250-mark. Pandya scored 45 off 45 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes. Henry finished with 5/42.

“A night before the match, I was told about my inclusion in the squad. I did feel nervous in the initial stages. Not played a lot for India in ODIs, so was nervous. As the game progressed, I was better,” Chakravarthy said.

Brief scores: India: 249/9 (Iyer 79, Pandya, 45, Patel 42; Henry 5/42); NZ: 205 (Williamson 81; Varun 5/42)