Rachin Ravindra Shines as New Zealand Faces India in ICC Champions Trophy 2025
What a thrilling match we have on our hands! India and New Zealand are battling it out in the final group stage game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Both teams have already secured a spot in the semifinals, but this game decides who tops the group and faces Australia in the next round. And once again, New Zealand’s bowling attack, led by Matt Henry, has delivered a masterclass in restricting India to just 249 runs.
The start of India’s innings was nothing short of dramatic. The top order crumbled under the pressure of New Zealand’s pace attack. Matt Henry, who seems to have a special knack for troubling Indian batters in crucial games, struck early. Shubman Gill, looking to shuffle across the crease, was trapped LBW. Virat Kohli, fresh off a brilliant century in the previous game, tried to take on Henry but ended up gifting his wicket to a stunning catch by Glenn Phillips. Rohit Sharma, the captain, also fell cheaply, mistiming a pull shot straight to mid-wicket. At 30 for 3, India was in deep trouble.
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But then came the fightback. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel put together a much-needed partnership. It wasn’t easy, though—the duo had to grind through a tough phase where boundaries were hard to come by. Iyer played some exquisite shots, using his footwork brilliantly against the spinners. He brought up a well-deserved half-century, his sixth 50+ score against New Zealand in ODIs. Axar played a crucial supporting role before falling for 42. Just when it looked like India was regaining control, the wickets started tumbling again.
Iyer’s dismissal, top-edging a short ball, was a turning point. KL Rahul fell soon after, completely beaten by Mitchell Santner’s sharp turn. At 182 for 6, India was in danger of not batting out the full 50 overs. That’s when Hardik Pandya stepped up. His quick-fire 45, along with some late support from Ravindra Jadeja, gave India a fighting total. However, Henry had the last laugh, wrapping up the innings with a five-wicket haul, ensuring India could only manage 249.
Now, all eyes are on New Zealand’s chase. Can India’s spinners turn the game around, or will Rachin Ravindra and the Kiwi batters guide their team to victory? Stay tuned for what promises to be an epic finish!
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