India Vs New Zealand Match Highlights
The ICC Champions Trophy’s match number 12, group A, was looked after with much anticipation on March 2, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where India played New Zealand from 1:00 PM local time. India, after having their fair share of ups and downs, managed to win eventually by 44 runs on a pitch that tested the skills of both batting and bowling. India managed to score 249 runs for 9, a target which New Zealand could not chase down, getting all out for 205 in 45.3 overs due to some magnificent spin and determination.
Early jabs from the pacers set the tone of the New Zealand innings as the Indian top order crumbled on an early start. Rohit Sharma, captain of India, managed 15 off 17 balls-a six included-before falling to a catch taken at slip by Will Young, courtesy Kyle Jamieson. A painstaking 7 off 2 on the part of Shubman Gill ended in LBW against Matt Henry, who then trapped Virat Kohli for a score of 11. With India reeling at 30 for 3 at one point in the match, Shreyas Iyer batted with uncommon poise to score 79 off 98 balls, including 8 fours.
A 98-run stand with Iyer was followed by Axar Patel’s 42 off 61, with one six; it gave India a little impetus. KL Rahul’s contribution was 23, eventually given out by Mitchell Santner on the spin. Hardik Pandya got 45 runs off 45 balls, including four fours, taking India toward the 250 mark, even though Matt Henry kept the run rate in check with 5 for 42.
Kuldeep Yadav ended up not out at 1, helping India to finish their full quota of overs, despite losing a total of 9 wickets, thanks to ten extras. New Zealand’s reply started tentatively. Hardik Pandya struck early to remove Rachin Ravindra for 6 with Axar catching it. Will Young’s 22 off 35 was cut short by Varun Chakravarthy, who soon became the match-winner.
Kane Williamson anchored the innings by scoring a careful 81 off 120 balls with 8 fours, but partnerships just failed him. Daryl Mitchell fell to the guile of Kuldeep Yadav at 17 and Tom Latham, with Ravindra Jadeja’s spin, could muster only 14. At 133 for 4, New Zealand seemed to be in contention, only for Varun Chakravarthy’s spell to extinguish it. Trapping Glenn Phillips (12) lbw and Michael Bracewell (2), and cleaning up Mitchell Santner (28), and having Matt Henry (2) caught by Kohli firmed up a 5 for 42 finish.
Axar Patel finally delivered the knockout punch, having Williamson stumped by Rahul for 169 for 7. And, bowled William O’Rourke for 1 to clean up the tail, Kuldeep Yadav saw that New Zealand collapsed by 205. An unbeaten 9 from Kyle Jamieson could not salvage the chase, with 11 extras unable to bridge the gap.
While powerplays listed different tales of fortune to tell—India made 37 runs in their first 10 and lost three wickets; New Zealand scored 44 and lost one—India, while shaky, showed how robust their batting line-up was: Iyer and Axar made important contributions. Henry took 5 wickets; Jamieson and O’Rourke supported the pressure with figures of 1 for 31 and 1 for 47, respectively—but their batsmen faltered against the Indian spinners. Chakravarthy’s match-defining spell, backers for Axar’s 2 for 32 and Kuldeep’s 2 for 56, unveiled New Zealand’s frailty.
The Dubai surface, offering turn and an occasional bounce, seemed to benefit India’s varied attack, while Williamson’s lone fight couldn’t obscure his side’s inability to build partnerships. The win further cemented India’s adaptability in this tournament and left New Zealand with the task of lifting themselves, having failed in key moments of a chase that looked promising.
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