DUBAI, Mar 2: Shreyas Iyer’s remarkable fifty under pressure and Varun Chakravarthy’s brilliant spin performance secured India a 44-run victory over New Zealand on Sunday, allowing them to top Group A and set up a semifinal clash against Australia in the Champions Trophy.
Iyer scored a composed 79 off 98 deliveries amid mounting pressure, but New Zealand, spearheaded by pacer Mark Henry (5/42), managed to restrict India to a modest 249 for nine.
Chasing a target of 250 was not beyond New Zealand’s accomplished batting lineup, but they faltered against India’s spin attack led by Chakravarthy (5/42), getting bowled out for 205 in 45.3 overs. Kane Williamson’s resilient 81 was in vain.
India will take on Australia, who finished second in Group B, in the first semifinal here on Tuesday, while the Kiwis will face South Africa in the other semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday.
As seen throughout this tournament, India’s spinners prioritized efficiency over flamboyance, adapting their bowling to suit the conditions.
Ravindra Jadeja extracted significant turn from the pitch, but it was Chakravarthy’s relentless targeting of the stumps that troubled the New Zealand batters.
The spinning attack took over following Hardik Pandya’s dismissal of Rachin Ravindra early in the innings.
Williamson, who was dropped on 17 by wicketkeeper KL Rahul off Axar Patel’s bowling, played a stylish innings filled with placements and poise, but lacked support from his teammates.
There was a partnership of 44 runs for the third wicket with Daryl Mitchell, but just as it was flourishing, Kuldeep Yadav trapped Mitchell lbw.
They lost Tom Latham (14), Glenn Phillips (12), and Michael Bracewell (2) in quick succession, but Williamson remained calm and composed.
His innings featured deft placements using soft hands, and two majestic cover drives off Jadeja for fours sparkled in his innings.
However, Axar deceived Williamson with a fuller delivery, and Rahul effortlessly removed the bails, effectively sealing the match in India’s favor.
Earlier in the innings, Iyer combined for a well-structured 98 runs partnership with Axar (42 off 61 balls) for the fourth wicket, while Hardik (45 off 45) contributed a quick innings towards the end to stabilize India after an early collapse.
Iyer faced a different scenario this time, as the top three batters had previously provided him with a cushion to play freely. Today, he had to construct the innings from scratch, which he accomplished with precision, scoring his fifty off 75 balls with a single off Ravindra. His natural flair shone through at times, including a six over long-on off pacer Will O’Rourke, with Axar providing solid support on a slow pitch.
However, Axar fell against the run of play when his attempt to scoop Ravindra over short fine leg resulted in him being caught by Williamson. A century was within reach for Iyer, but he fell to a weak pull off O’Rourke, caught by Will Young inside the covers.
Rahul, batting at an odd No. 6 position, looked promising with 23 off 29 balls, including a brilliant six over long-on off Ravindra.
But Latham made a stunning catch after Rahul edged a ball from left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who once again delivered a commendable spell of bowling at around 70 kmph.
Those dismissals proved costly for India, but Hardik ensured that they reached close to the 250-mark with some hefty hits. Before Iyer’s steady performance and Hardik’s contributions, India were struggling at 30 for 3, losing skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli early.
Brief Scores:
India: 249 for 9 in 50 overs (Shreyas Iyer 79; Matt Henry 5/42).
New Zealand: 205 all out in 45.3 overs (Kane Williamson 81; Varun Chakravarthy 5/42).
(PTI)
