New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted that the absence of star pacer Matt Henry significantly impacted their performance in the ICC Champions Trophy final against India. Henry, tournament’s leading wicket-taker, was ruled out due to a shoulder injury sustained during the semifinal against South Africa.
Henry had delivered a stellar performance in the semifinal, claiming five wickets against India. He finished the tournament with 10 wickets at an impressive average of 16.70, despite missing the final. His replacement, Nathan Smith, bowled only two overs in the final as India successfully chased down 253 with four wickets to spare and an over remaining.
“He was the leading wicket-taker going into this game, and he’s an outstanding bowler, as we’ve seen,” Santner told ESPN Cricinfo. “He has a unique ability to extract movement on pitches that don’t seem to offer much assistance, so we definitely missed that today. I feel for Matty. He’s a dedicated team player, and he was visibly distraught.”
While India played all five of their matches in Dubai, New Zealand had to travel across multiple venues in Pakistan and the UAE, making their campaign more demanding. The Black Caps were the only team to compete at four different locations throughout the tournament.
Rachin Ravindra, named Player of the Tournament, was instrumental in New Zealand’s campaign. He amassed 263 runs at an average of 65.75 and a strike rate of 106.47 while also contributing three wickets. His journey was not without challenges, as he suffered a forehead injury while attempting a catch in the tri-series preceding the tournament.
Kyle Jamieson, a late replacement for Lockie Ferguson due to injury, also made a significant impact. “Tournaments like these rarely go exactly as planned, especially with the tight schedules,” Santner said. “But the most encouraging aspect was seeing different players step up when needed. I couldn’t be prouder of this group.”
New Zealand’s struggles against India’s spinners and lapses in the field ultimately proved costly. After a strong start at 57 for no loss in 7.4 overs, they lost three quick wickets, including Kane Williamson and Ravindra, reducing them to 75 for 3. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy were instrumental in restricting New Zealand’s total.
“I think the way we approached the first eight overs was outstanding. Then, India’s spinners produced moments of brilliance that pushed us on the back foot,” Santner added. “At one stage, we were looking at a total of around 275 or 280. Credit must go to Kuldeep for the way he bowled straight after the powerplay and to Varun for his impact inside the powerplay.”
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