Now the stage is set once again between the two greatest rivals in world cricket. Will India take revenge on Australia for the ODIs World Cup 2023 loss? With the win over Kiwis by 44 runs on Sunday, Team India has now officially entered the semi-final race for the fifth time in Champions Trophy history, taking on Australia on 4th March, Tuesday, at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, while New Zealand will take on South Africa on 5th March, Wednesday, at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Earlier, during the match, New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner had won the toss and opted to bowl first at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, inviting India to bat. They started with a strong bowling attack, claiming their first wicket—Shubman Gill in the third over, bowled by Matt Henry. Soon after, wickets continued to fall as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli departed early in the powerplay. Rohit managed to score only 15 runs off 17 balls, hitting one four and one six. Meanwhile, Kohli, playing his milestone 300th ODI match, fell victim to a stunning one-handed catch from Glenn Phillips, scoring just 11 runs off 14 balls, including two fours.
For the fourth wicket, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel formed a crucial partnership of 98 runs. So that by the end of 50 overs, India managed to score 249 runs by losing 9 wickets. They had salvaged India’s hopes after the Men in Blue were reduced to 30/3 by the seventh over, losing the top three batters very cheaply. Iyer scored 79 off 98 while Axar chipped in with 42 before both departed with the score reading 172/5.
From New Zealand’s bowling attack, Matt Henry starred with a five-wicket haul. New Zealand showcased exceptional fielding, especially with some spectacular flying catches from Glenn Phillips (to dismiss Virat Kohli) and Kane Williamson (to send home Ravindra Jadeja).
Chasing a 250-run target, New Zealand’s Ravindra got out in the 4th over, scoring only 6 runs, bowled by Hardik Pandya as Patel took a superb catch to dismiss the opener. The top scorer from the Black Caps side was Kane Williamson, who fell for 81 runs in the final group stage match against India. Varun Chakravarthy’s brilliant spin spell (5-42) proved decisive.
