To meet Australia in semis

India will take on Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025  at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, UAE, on Tuesday, following their comfortable 44 runs win over New Zealand in the final Group A league fixture at the same venue on Sunday.

Indian slow bowlers led by Varun Chakravarthy hogged the limelight while defending a modest target of 250, at this very venue, which had back-tracked his International career following a poor show in another ICC event four years ago.  

Playing only his second ODI match, the 33-year old leg spinner struck a purple patch, after all-rounder Hardik Pandya had dismissed opener Rachin Ravindra (6) cheaply in the fourth over of the innings.

Chakravarthy unleashed a spin web castled opener Will Young (22) soon after the first power play, later bamboozled the Kiwis' middle-lower order batters of the likes of Glenn Phillips (12) , Michael Bracewell (2), Mitchell Santner (28) and Matt Henry (2) for his maiden five wicket haul with his variations and accuracy. He was well supported by spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja who too bowled miserly the majority of the overs in the middle stage to build dot ball pressure at the other end.

Jadeja in fact provided the crucial breakthrough for his only wicket as he trapped Tom Latham (14) in front of the wicket with a brilliant delivery to end the enterprising partnership of 40 runs with Kane Williamson. The former New Zealand skipper who had two reprieves early on held fort even as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. Williamson (81) resilient knock came to an end after he was finally stumped by KL Rahul while trying to go for a big one in the final over of Axar, 41st of the innings in the face of mounting run rate which had reached over nine at this stage.  

New Zealand's chase came to a grinding halt at 205 in the 46th over as India's quartet of spinners cumulatively bowled 37.3 overs and shared nine wickets among themselves while conceding 166.

Early  put in to bat first, India faced early trouble as Matt Henry ripped through the top order. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill fell cheaply, leaving the team struggling at 30 for 3 in 6.4 overs. Shreyas Iyer (79) and Axar Patel (42) led the recovery, stitching a vital partnership to stabilize the innings. Hardik Pandya (45) added crucial runs later, ensuring India posted a fighting total.

Player of the Match, Varun Chakravarthy post the match said, “   I was nervous at the start since I haven't played many ODIs for India, but as the game progressed, I felt more settled. The team kept talking to me, telling me to stay calm, which really helped. I found out last night that I was playing, and while I was expecting the opportunity, there were some nerves. The pitch wasn’t a rank turner, but if you bowled in the right areas, there was enough turn to trouble the batters. This was a complete team effort—Kuldeep, Jaddu, and Axar bowled brilliantly alongside me, and that made the difference."

Mitchell Santner,  New Zealand Captain following his team’s first loss in the tournament:"It was a slower wicket than what we've faced before. India controlled the middle phase well, with Shreyas batting beautifully and Hardik finishing strong. The pitch offered more spin than expected, much more than in previous games here. With four quality spinners in their attack, it was always going to be tough. The key for us was taking early wickets in the powerplay, but we couldn't capitalize. Kane’s form is a positive for us going forward. South Africa is a quality side, and on pitches with pace and bounce, their four pacers will be a real challenge."

An elated Rohit Sharma, India Captain following his team's third win in a row said, “Finishing on a high was very important for us. New Zealand is a strong side and has been playing well recently. The partnership between Axar and Shreyas was crucial after our early wickets, and they set up a competitive total. With the quality of our bowlers, we were confident of defending it. Varun brings something different, and we wanted to see what he could offer. He’s tough to read when he gets it right. Momentum is key in a short tournament like this. Australia has a great ICC record, but for us, it’s about executing our plans on the day. We’re looking forward to the challenge and hope to get the result in our favour."