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In a thrilling Champions Trophy final, India's spinners mesmerized the New Zealand batting line-up, restricting them to 251/7 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The sold-out crowd witnessed a captivating display of spin bowling as India's tweakers outsmarted the Kiwis' premier batters. New Zealand's premier batters' struggle against the Indian spinners continued in the Champions Trophy final on Sunday in Dubai. The Indian spin quartet, comprising Varun Chakravarthy (2/45), Kuldeep Yadav (2/40), Axar Patel (0/29), and Ravindra Jadeja (1/30), combined to take five wickets, conceding just 144 runs in 38 overs at an economy rate of 3.79. Their impressive performance left New Zealand struggling to gain momentum. Kane Williamson and Tom Latham, New Zealand's accomplished spin-players, fell prey to Kuldeep and Jadeja, respectively. Williamson was outwitted by Kuldeep, edging the ball back to the bowler, while Latham was left stunned by Jadeja's experience, getting pinned in front of the stump. Williamson, who showed glimpses of peaking at the high-stakes clash, got outwitted by Kuldeep. He leaned forward to keep the ball down but cushioned it back to Kuldeep, ending his stay on the crease with a score of 11(14). Kuldeep has had the upper hand over New Zealand's modern-day greats in the ODIs. In 68 deliveries, Williamson has managed to amass 55 runs, averaging 18.33 while being dismissed three times. On the other hand, Latham, known for his prolific batting skills against spinners, was left gobsmacked by Jadeja's experience. He tried to execute a sweep shot, missed the ball completely and got pinned in front of the stump. The seasoned southpaw has faced 33 deliveries from Jadeja, garnered 22 runs, averaging barely 7.33, and lost his wicket thrice, all of them LBW. Even in their group stage encounter, Chakravarthy's sizzling five-wicket haul was the prime architect of the Kiwis' downfall. Axar, Kuldeep and Ravindra chipped in with valuable contributions to break the backbone of New Zealand's chase and seal a thumping 44-run victory. The experienced pace duo of Mohammed Shami (1/70) and Hardik Pandya (0/30) combined to take a sole scalp but split 104 in 12 overs at an economy rate of 8.67. Daryl Mitchell's composed 63 (101) and Michael Bracewell's explosive 53* helped New Zealand recover from a top-order collapse, eventually reaching 251/7. However, India's spinners had already done the damage, setting the stage for a thrilling run chase. After the top order flopped, Daryl Mitchell's composed 63(101) and Michael Bracewell's explosive 53* lifted New Zealand to 251/7. (ANI)
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