India and New Zealand will face off in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai. The favourites saw off Australia in the semi-finals, while the Black Caps beat the Proteas.
India (1.42) are heavy favourites for this fixture against New Zealand (2.85) despite the convincing manner in which Gary Stead’s team saw off the Proteas. This is, in part, due to India having beaten New Zealand already in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Head-To-Head and Previous Champions Trophy Clash
On Sunday, the teams faced off in the group stage, also playing the fixture in Dubai. Led by Shreyas Iyer’s 79 off 98 balls, India posted a total of 249-9 – far from impossible to chase down. However, a strong effort from their bowlers saw them get the Black Caps all out for 205 after 45.3 overs.
Kane Williamson scored 81 for New Zealand, but their next highest scorer was Mitchell Santner with 28. India’s bowlers did a superb job with Varun Chakaravarthy leading the charge with 5/42. Matt Henry had also posted figures of 5/42 for New Zealand.
The last time these teams faced off in a series was in 2022/23, with India winning 3-0, claiming a clean sweep. New Zealand, however, won the previous two ODI series between the sides.
India See off Australia
India faced a tough semi-final against Australia, who posted 264 all out. Mohammed Shami led the attack with 3/48. With the bat, Virat Kohli led from the front, scoring 84 runs in 98 balls. Shreyas Iyer scored 45 off 62 balls while KL Rahul got 42 not out off 34 balls. India chased down the total with four wickets and 1.5 overs to spare.
“Partnerships on this pitch are the most important thing, so it’s about stringing those together and rotating strike. I was pleased with my timing and composure at the crease. I wasn’t getting desperate in chasing the total down,” Kohli said after the game, as per Sky Sports.
“This game is all about pressure – especially in semis and finals – and so if you go deep in the innings, with enough wickets in hand, the opposition usually gives in and the game becomes easier.”
Meanwhile, India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, said: “At the halfway stage, we felt like it was a reasonable score to chase, although we knew we’d have to bat well. We were clinical with the bat, very calm and composed in the chase.
“Kohli has done it for us for so many years. We wanted big partnerships, like he had with Shreyas and Axar, while those shots at the end from Rahul and Hardik were also very crucial.
“Credit goes to everyone in the team. When you go into a final, you want your players to be in form. All of these guys have made an impact and that’s something that gives us a lot of confidence.”
New Zealand Compound Proteas’ Pain
New Zealand had a superb performance with the bat against South Africa in the other semi-final, scoring 362/6 as Rachin Ravindra led the way with 108 off 101 balls. Despite the best efforts of David Miller, who stormed to 100 not out, the Proteas could not match that and got 312/9.
Conclusion:
India head into the ICC Champions Trophy final as favourites according to the online sports betting odds, but New Zealand have proven their ability to step up on the big stage. The Black Caps will need a strong batting display to counter India’s formidable bowling attack, while their bowlers must find a way to break key partnerships.
With both teams in strong form, an exciting final awaits in Dubai as India look to reaffirm their dominance and New Zealand chase glory.
