Dubai, March 9: India secured an unprecedented third Champions Trophy triumph with an unblemished record, thanks to Rohit Sharma’s combination of freedom and steely resolve.
The Indian spinners, led by Kuldeep Yadav, dictated the terms of the match, and India won the trophy without losing a match, reflecting their dominance in the tournament they won back in 2002 and 2013. No other team has won the event thrice.
Rohit Sharma’s performance was not a one-man show, as the spinners set it up nicely by restricting the Kiwis to a gettable 251 for seven. Later Shreyas Iyer (48) and KL Rahul (34 not out) soaked in pressure, ensuring that the team stays unbeaten. Rohit’s ebullient 83-ball 76 had already given them the cushion to overhaul the target in 49 overs.
KL Rahul with his 34 not out led the side past the finish line after India lost well-settled batters. Pacer Nathan Smith, who replaced injured Matt Henry in the line-up, felt the heat as Rohit hammered him for two sixes and as many fours in the beginning of the chase.
Shubman Gill (31), who helped Rohit raise 105 runs for the opening wicket, was more subdued and the lone spark in his innings was a maximum off spinner Rachin Ravindra.
A stunning catch by Glenn Phillips off left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner ended his stay, and opened a creek for the Kiwis. Virat Kohli came to the middle accompanied by loud cheers but his stay lasted just two balls, as an effort to turn Michael Bracewell off his pads saw the master batter getting trapped plumb in front.
Rohit had decided to knuckle down after racing to 49 in the Power Play. In the next 16 overs, he added only 27 runs more to his score, as he tried to play a rather forgotten role of innings building.
His belief in his own defense also seemed to have come back as he smothered Santner and Bracewell quite effectively.
India’s spinners can rightfully claim a good chunk of credit for this victory. Kuldeep (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) were excellent alongside Axar and Ravindra Jadeja as the quartet conceded only 144 runs in the 38 overs bowled between them.
However, the start made by New Zealand did not justify the total that they eventually managed. They raced to 69 for 1 in 10 overs despite losing Will Young to Chakravarthy, who came in the sixth over.
The four-pronged Indian spin attack assumed control of the proceedings from that point, and New Zealand could not find a boundary for the next 81 balls.
Kuldeep and Varun found an appreciable turn off the deck, while Axar and Jadeja relied more on quickness to cramp Kiwis batters for space.
Chakravarthy mixed his endless ensemble of tricks and accounted for Phillips to end a promising 57-run alliance for the fifth wicket. Mitchell, who cleverly manipulated the field for singles and twos, brought up his fifty in 91 balls.
Towards the end, Bracewell’s enterprise meant that Kiwis would get 50 runs in the last five overs, but the effort was way too less on the night that firmly belonged to India. (PTI)
