Dubai, March 9 (IANS) Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels New Zealand’s first innings score of 251/7 in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy is ‘not enough’ to stop India from claiming the trophy for the third time.
India’s spinners called the shots yet again on a slow pitch with just two degrees of turn as they restricted New Zealand batters from scoring big in most of the innings. Blackcaps started well before losing their first five wickets to Indian spinners. It took half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell to drag the Kiwis to a defendable total.
“I feel it’s not enough, but New Zealand needed that innings from Bracewell there – fifty in 39 deliveries. If he hadn’t played the way he did, a score of 220-230 was never going to be enough. This is a pretty good surface. But they’ve got past 250 because of that innings and they’ve given themselves a chance in a final. Over to you India,” said the former England captain to Sky Sports.
With Mitchell scoring the slowest half-century of his ODI career, reaching the milestone in 91 deliveries, Bracewell’s quickfire fifty helped the Mitchell Santner-led side cross the 250-run milestone.
The story remained the same for India as their spin quartet troubled the Kiwi batters to the point where there was an 81-ball boundary drought. The spinners ended up picking five wickets while conceding just 144 runs in 38 overs. Former England cricketer Michael Atherton claimed India followed the template they have set so far in the tournament.
“It has been the story of the tournament. On the whole, India have squeezed with their spinners in the first half of a game, and then held their nerve when chasing in the second. So far it is following that template. I think in that middle phase of the innings, New Zealand went 81 balls without getting a boundary at one point,” Atherton said.
–IANS
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