Big Picture: Battle of the Spin Powerhouses

India’s spin quartet—Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja—has been the cornerstone of their dominance in this tournament, collectively claiming 21 wickets. Their ability to outfox batters with turn, guile, and variations has left opponents struggling to decode their strategies. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s spinners, led by Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell, have also been impressive, picking up 17 wickets so far, including a seven-wicket haul against South Africa in the semi-final.

While India will rely heavily on their spin arsenal, New Zealand’s success may depend on how effectively they counter this threat. The pitch in Dubai is expected to favor slower bowlers, making it a tantalizing contest between bat and ball.

Key Match-Up: India’s Spinners vs New Zealand’s Batters

The spotlight will be on how New Zealand’s top order, particularly Kane Williamson and Will Young, handles India’s spin-heavy attack. Williamson, who has been in sublime form, will look to anchor the innings while targeting the Indian spinners in the middle overs. For India, the onus will be on Kuldeep and Varun to exploit the turning tracks and deliver breakthroughs.

On the flip side, India’s batting lineup, featuring Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill, will need to navigate New Zealand’s pace-spin combination. Matt Henry’s fitness remains a concern for the Kiwis after he injured his shoulder during the semi-final. If Henry plays, his knack for taking crucial wickets in ICC tournaments could tilt the scales in New Zealand’s favor. Check out New Zealand’s road to the final

In the Spotlight: Kane Williamson and Shubman Gill

• Kane Williamson: As one of the modern greats, Williamson finds himself at a crossroads. This could be his last chance to lift an ICC trophy in ODIs, given the retirements looming over several stalwarts like Virat Kohli. A victory here would cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats.
• Shubman Gill: The young Indian opener has already announced himself on the global stage with a stunning double-century against New Zealand earlier in his career. With another opportunity to shine in an ICC final, Gill could further solidify his status as the future of Indian cricket.

Team News and Probable Line-Ups

India

India are unlikely to tinker with their winning combination from the group stage match against New Zealand in Dubai. Their focus will remain on utilizing the spin-friendly conditions to maximum effect.
Probable XI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy

New Zealand

Matt Henry’s availability remains uncertain due to his shoulder injury. If he’s ruled out, Jacob Duffy or Nathan Smith could step in, though neither possesses Henry’s experience in high-pressure games.
Probable XI:
Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry/Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke

Pitch Report and Conditions

The fresh pitch prepared for the semi-finals was challenging for batters, and similar conditions are expected for the final. Teams winning the toss are likely to bat first, aiming to post a competitive total before the surface deteriorates later in the game. With no dew expected, the team bowling second might find it easier to grip the ball and execute their plans.

Stats and Trivia

• Virat Kohli is just 45 runs away from surpassing Chris Gayle’s record as the highest run-scorer in Champions Trophy history.
• Matt Henry has been instrumental against India in ICC events, taking five wickets in their group-stage encounter.
• India have reached the knockout stages in 12 of the last 14 ICC events, winning three titles, while New Zealand have made eight knockouts, claiming one title.

Quotes Ahead of the Final

• Kane Williamson: “Yeah, regardless of whether it’s my last or not, that’d be pretty nice, wouldn’t it?”
• Gautam Gambhir (India Coach): “There’s a lot of debate about undue advantage. What undue advantage? We haven’t practiced here even for one day. Some people are just perpetual cribbers.”

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India’s star Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer slammed their respective centuries to take India towards the high score of 397/4 after 50 overs. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul also shined in India’s high-scoring batting campaign. New Zealand also did well with the bat and showed the fighting spirit with the match looking difficult for India at one point.

But, Indian pacer Mohammed Shami shined again as he clinched 7 wickets to derail New Zealand’s batting and break some crucial partnerships.

India vs New Zealand: Team India’s innings

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma continued on his attacking note and started well against New Zealand. The Indian openers played well against the New Zealand pacers with the new ball, but as Rohit Sharma (47) came very close to his 50, Tim Southee dismissed the Indian skipper. While walking back to the pavilion, Rohit Sharma shared something with Virat Kohli and the Indian star used it well to punish New Zealand bowlers.

Shubman Gill played brilliantly well and slammed his half-century, but felt some discomfort due to the cramps. As the problem grew, Rohit Sharma asked the batter to come back to the dressing room as he didn’t wanted Shubman Gill to give his wicket. Shreyas Iyer entered the ground with the confidence of a century in the previous match and played in a similar fashion.

Also Read: ‘If India don’t win this ICC World Cup, they will have to…: Ravi Shastri

Virat Kohli (117) and Shreyas Iyer (105) played in a wonderful partnership and both batters slammed their respective centuries. This was the record-breaking innings by Virat Kohli, who surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record and slammed 50 centuries in ODI cricket. KL Rahul (39*) and Shubman Gill (80*) ensured that India finished well on the score of 397/4 after 50 overs.

India vs New Zealand: Team New Zealand’s innings

Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra started well against India and got some boundaries in the early overs of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. As the openers got settled, Rohit Sharma decided to change the bowling and bring in star pacer Mohammed Shami, who dismissed Devon Conway (13) on his first ball. New Zealand was still recovering from the wicket when Mohammed Shami struck again to dismiss Rachin Ravindra (13).

Then a tough phase began for India as Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell played in a beautiful 181-run partnership. Indian bowlers were desperately chasing wickets, but New Zealand batters kept slamming boundaries, and the high runs of India were not looking that strong now. Rohit Sharma again introduced Mohammed Shami who clinched 2 consecutive wickets as he dismissed Kane Williamson (69) and Tom Latham (0).

Glenn Phillips came on strike with a clear role to support Daryl Mitchell and take the team towards the target. Phillips (41) slammed some boundaries to provide some chills to Indian fans, but Jasprit Bumrah didn’t let him do much as he dismissed him soon. Spinners were not very successful today, but Kuldeep Yadav didn’t fail to leave the spin mark as he dismissed Mark Chapman (2).

The game was moving away from New Zealand’s hand, but Daryl Mitchell (134) was standing strong on the crease, still slamming some boundaries to keep the Kiwi’s hope alive. He again tried a big shot, but this time it was against Mohammed Shami and the ball went straight into the hands of Ravindra Jadeja.