Dubai, March 9: India secured a historic third Champions Trophy victory, clinching the title with an unblemished record, thanks to a formidable combination of spin bowling and Rohit Sharma’s impressive batting. The Indian spinners, led by Kuldeep Yadav, dominated the match, restricting New Zealand to a gettable 251 for 7, and setting the stage for their title win.
Rohit Sharma’s 83-ball 76 was instrumental in India’s victory, with Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul contributing crucial runs in the chase. The opening duo’s 105-run partnership set the tone for India’s victory, with Rohit’s aggressive batting early on against New Zealand’s pacers and his more cautious approach later, soaking up the pressure and ensuring the team remained unbeaten. KL Rahul’s 34 not out steered the team to the finish line after India lost well-settled batsmen Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli.
The Indian spin quartet of Kuldeep, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Jadeja, and Ravindra Jadeja was the key to their success, conceding just 144 runs in 38 overs and stifling the New Zealand batting. The foursome used their different skills to great effect, with Kuldeep and Chakravarthy extracting turn from the wicket, while Axar and Jadeja used their quickness to trouble the Kiwi batsmen.
New Zealand’s top-order batsmen struggled to get going, with Will Young’s early wicket leaving the team reeling. The Indians then took control, as the Kiwis went 81 balls without hitting a boundary, before Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell steadied the ship with a 57-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Howver, it was too little, too late for New Zealand, as India’s spinners continued to toil and restrict them to a modest total.
Pacer Nathan Smith, who replaced injured Matt Henry, was unable to contain Rohit’s aggression, and it was left to the Indian spinners to wrap up the match. The victory marks India’s third Champions Trophy win, cementing their status as one of the most dominant teams in the tournament’s history.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/03/10/rohit-rahul-spinners-shape-indias-third-ct-title-triumph/
Category : SPORTS
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Publish Date: 2025-03-10 04:07:00
