New Zealand pacer Matt Henry acknowledged that India’s deep understanding of Dubai’s conditions played a crucial role in their dominant bowling display during the Champions Trophy clash. The Men in Blue, fully aware of what the pitch had to offer, fielded a lethal spin quartet, led by Varun Chakravarthy, that kept the Kiwis under relentless pressure.
India, who have played all their matches in Dubai, unleashed their spin-heavy attack of Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel in their final Group A match on Sunday. Their strategy proved to be a game-changer as they clinched a 44-run victory and secured a semifinal berth against Australia.
Reflecting on the game, Henry admitted, “I think, obviously, the way to have four frontline spinners was a really effective way to play. I think having that luxury of knowing (conditions)…they played to the conditions beautifully. That was probably the challenge for us.”
The Kiwi bowler further added, “We knew that they were going to play the four spinners. They bowled beautifully. They read the situation and the conditions well. Yeah, unfortunately, we couldn’t get across the line.”
While all four spinners contributed to India’s win, Varun Chakravarthy stole the show with a sensational five-wicket haul (5/42), proving to be the biggest nightmare for the New Zealand batters. With this clinical performance, India now marches ahead to face Australia in a high-stakes semifinal showdown!
