As New Zealand get ready for the Champions Trophy 2025 final against India in Dubai, they will be reminded of the last encounter betw✨een the two team🎶s at the Dubai International Stadium on March 2.
India's young spinner Varun Chakravarthy claimed his first five-wicket haul in One-day Internationals (ODI), his 5-42 helping In𝓰dia defeat New Zealand by 44 runs and top the group and remain unfinished.
So, it was no surprise that ques🥃tions on Varun Chakravarthy were the first to crop up when Black Caps head coach Gary Stead faced the media couple of days ahead of the final.
Thඣe question that came up was whether Chakravarthy was more dangerous in daylight or un𓆏der floodlights.
When you have a wrist-spinner like that is bowling, then you're looking for clues as a batsman. And I think it's always a little bit easier when you're in the daylight to see those things. So, there's no doubt he's a class bowler. He obviously showed his skills against us last time and he's a big threat in the game.
Stead ꦺsaid they expect Chakra♈varthy to play in the final against them and they will be planning how to tackle that threat.
I mean, he's obviously a very good bowler. He bowled very well. We'll have a look at the pitch conditions down there as well and see what, the effect is that that he may have on the game as well. So look, we certainly expect him to play after getting 5 for 42 against us in the last game. And yeah, we'll be planning our, I guess, intentions around that as well.
The New Zealand head coach admitted that Matt Henry’s availability for the Champions Trophy final against India remains uncertain after the pacer sustained♊ a shoulder injury during the semifinal against South Africa in Lahore.
Henry suffered an injury while taking a catch to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen. Though h🐲e returned to bowl two overs and was active in the field a꧂fter hurting his shoulder, his fitness is still under assessment just over 48 hours before the summit clash against India.
Matt Henry obviously landed on his shoulder and it was pretty uncomfortable. I guess the positive thing from our perspective is that he got back out there to bowl. We've had some scans and stuff done on him and we're going to give him every chance to be playing in this match. So, still a little bit unknown at this stage. He's obviously pretty sore just from landing on the point of his shoulder. But yeah, hopeful he will be OK
Henry has been New Zealand’s standout bowler in the tournament, leading the wicket charts with ten scalps at an average of 16.70. Just like Varun Chakravarthy, Henry had claimed a fifer in the final 💜group match, though his 5-42 ended in a losing cause.
Stead was expecting his star batter Kane Williamson to lead their batting effort once again in this tournament. Williamson along with Rachin R💖avindra had scored a century in the semifinal win over South Africa.
Kane is a guy that rises for the big occasion and he's done it many, many times for New Zealand in the past. Crickets is a game where runs aren't guaranteed. But I know that Kane will be doing everything he can to prepare to score well. He's one of those unique individuals, I think around the world that has that ability to adapt to different conditions and he seems to be able to do that faster than the many other players. So look, fingers crossed from our perspective that Kane has had a big day.
