IND vs NZ, Champions Trophy: Varun Chakravarthy’s fifer helps India beat New Zealand by 44 runs; to face Australia in semifinal

Varun Chakravarthy displayed his outstanding bowling talent by claiming five wickets, guiding India to a 44-run win over New Zealand in their Group A match in Dubai. New Zealand struggled in their pursuit of 250 runs after the loss of Kane Williamson, who contributed 81 runs. The Blackcaps made a significant mistake when Michael Bracewell was ruled out LBW, opting not to challenge the decision. Later, ball tracking technology indicated that the delivery would have missed the off-stump.

Earlier, Shreyas Iyer was instrumental in India’s innings, scoring 79 runs, with support from Hardik Pandya’s 45 and Axar Patel’s 42, helping India post a total of 249 for 9 after being put in to bat first. India encountered early challenges with the quick dismissals of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, leaving them at just 30 runs. However, a strong 98-run partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel allowed India to bounce back from those early losses.

Meanwhile, Matt Henry shone for New Zealand with an impressive five-wicket haul, establishing himself as the standout bowler.