Rohit Sharma’s India outplayed New Zealand in the last league match of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The game was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday, March 2. Both teams were coming off unbeaten in the tournament in this ‘battle of the bests’.
The Blackcaps dominated the game in the first half with their bowling by troubling the Indian batters. However, Indian batting was rescued somehow and they managed to score 249 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Later in the second innings, the Kiwi batters found themselves trapped in the web of an Indian bowling attack and got bundled out at the score of 205 runs, losing the game by 44 runs.
Three reasons behind New Zealand’s defeat against India in the last league match of the tournament:
Here are 3 reasons why New Zealand lost to India:
1. Batting struggle against spin
While chasing the target, New Zealand were looking quite comfortable at the score of 93 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. But then came the trouble for the Kiwis as Indian skipper Rohit Sharma started introducing spinners regularly in the bowling attack. It was the moment when NZ lost their third wicket at the team’s score of 93 runs and wickets started falling at regular intervals.
It also exposed the struggle of the New Zealand batters against the top-class spin attack of the Indian team. It can be understood with the fact that the Indian spinners scalped 9 wickets out of NZ’s total 10 wickets, including Varun Chakravarthy’s amazing 5-wicket haul. So, the struggle of Kiwi batters against spin was one of the prime reasons behind their defeat.
2. Lack of depth in the batting lineup
The moment when New Zealand lost Glenn Phillips as the fifth wicket dismissal was the moment when it marked an almost end of their core batting strength. The lower middle-order and the tailenders of New Zealand looked clueless against the Indian bowlers except for a few shots from Mitchell Santner.
The lack of depth in New Zealand’s batting lineup also came to notice as it was revealed against a quality bowling attack in the Dubai conditions. It was also a serious reason behind their debacle against the Men in Blue.
3. Lack of intent in first ten overs with the bat
While chasing a quite optimum target of 250 runs, New Zealand approached the run chase with a sluggish approach in the first powerplay. They had a good chance to dominate the Indian team with an aggressive batting approach in the first 10 overs of the second innings.
But, the lack of intent was visible in the approach of the Kiwi batters in the first powerplay. They scored only 44 runs for the loss of 1 wicket in 10 overs with a dismal batting average of 4.40, having Kane Williamson scored 16 runs off 18 balls, and Will scored 20 runs off 31 balls, with poor strike rates. This sluggish approach and lack of intent also backfired and dented their hopes of chasing down the target and winning the game.
Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.
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