Varun Chakravarthy turned a low total into a winning one. His spin proved too much for Kane Williamson and his team. Despite restricting India to below 250, New Zealand couldn’t capitalize, and Rohit Sharma’s team advanced to the semifinals as group champions.
In the final match of Group A in Dubai, India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs. After losing the toss and batting first, India posted 249/9. In response, New Zealand was bowled out for 205 in 45.3 overs.
With this result, the semifinal lineup is now confirmed. On Tuesday in Dubai, India will face Australia in the first semifinal. The following day in Lahore, New Zealand will take on South Africa in the second semifinal.
New Zealand Falters Against India’s Spin Attack
Chasing a modest target, New Zealand seemed to have an easy task ahead. However, apart from Williamson, no other batter could stand against India’s spinners. No one else even crossed 30 runs.
New Zealand lost opener Rachin Ravindra at just 17 runs. While they didn’t lose more wickets during the powerplay, Varun Chakravarthy soon struck. He started by dismissing Will Young for 22.
Williamson then built a 44-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell for the third wicket. However, Mitchell fell for 17, leaving New Zealand at 93 runs. Tom Latham (14) couldn’t settle in either.
After Latham’s dismissal, New Zealand’s batting lineup collapsed. They lost four wickets for just 36 runs—Glenn Phillips (12) and Michael Bracewell (2) followed quickly. Williamson, who had fought hard, couldn’t hold on any longer, getting out for 81 off 120 balls.
Towards the end, Mitchell Santner’s 31-ball 28 gave New Zealand a glimmer of hope, but it wasn’t enough. Varun Chakravarthy, playing only his second ODI, took an impressive five-wicket haul.
India’s Batting Struggles Before Setting 249-Run Target
Earlier, after losing the toss, India struggled from the start. At just 15 runs, they lost opener Shubman Gill for 2. Captain Rohit Sharma also didn’t last long, getting caught for 15 while attempting a pull shot off Kyle Jamieson.
India’s troubles deepened as Virat Kohli, playing his 300th ODI, fell for just 11. He was caught brilliantly by Glenn Phillips off Matt Henry’s bowling.
At 30/3, India found stability through Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel. They built a crucial partnership, with Axar scoring 42 off 61 balls before being dismissed at 128/4 in the 30th over. Iyer continued, later partnering with KL Rahul.
Iyer missed his century, falling for 79 off 98 balls with India at 172. Rahul didn’t last much longer, getting out for 23 to Santner. Hardik Pandya was the only other batter to contribute significantly, scoring 45, while Ravindra Jadeja managed 16.
For New Zealand, Matt Henry was the standout bowler, taking 5/42. Jamieson, William O’Rourke, Santner, and Ravindra took one wicket each.
India’s bowling effort, led by Varun Chakravarthy, ultimately ensured their unbeaten run continued, securing their place as group champions.
