Daijiworld Media Network – Dubai

Dubai, Mar 2: Shreyas Iyer’s composed 79 and Hardik Pandya’s quick 45 guided India to a total of 249/9 against New Zealand in their final Group A match of the Champions Trophy on Sunday. New Zealand pacer Matt Henry was the standout performer with the ball, securing an impressive five-wicket haul (5/42).

Both teams had already booked their places in the semifinals after winning their previous two matches, making this clash a battle for the top spot in Group A.

Opting to bat first, India had a shaky start as Shubman Gill (2) fell LBW to Matt Henry in the third over, followed by skipper Rohit Sharma (8), who was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson in the sixth over. The early blows continued when Virat Kohli, playing his 300th ODI, was caught by Glenn Phillips off Henry’s bowling in the seventh over, leaving India reeling at 34/3.

With India in trouble, Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings with a composed knock of 79 off 98 balls, marking his second consecutive half-century of the tournament. Iyer’s innings came under pressure, and although it was the slowest ODI fifty of his career, it provided much-needed stability. However, his resistance ended in the 37th over when he mistimed a pull shot off Will O’Rourke and was caught by Will Young.

Axar Patel (42) provided crucial support at the other end but fell to Rachin Ravindra, with Kane Williamson taking a sharp catch. KL Rahul (23) was dismissed in the 40th over by New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner.

India crossed the 200-run mark in the 43rd over, with Hardik Pandya leading the charge in the death overs. He looked set for a half-century but was dismissed for 45 by Henry in the final over. Ravindra Jadeja (16) also departed in the 46th over, with Williamson pulling off a spectacular diving catch at backward point.

Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, India managed to post a competitive total of 249/9 in 50 overs. New Zealand’s bowling was spearheaded by Matt Henry’s five-wicket haul, while Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, and Mitchell Santner chipped in with crucial breakthroughs.

With a semifinal berth already secured, the winner of this contest will top Group A and carry momentum into the knockout stage.