---Advertisement---
India won the semifinals against New Zealand by 44 runs. Varun Chakravarthy has been the star of the Indian innings with a fifer. Initially, India struggled during the batting when it lost both its openers by a mere 22 runs. Shreyas Iyer along with Axar Patel stabilized the Indian paralyzed innings by building a partnership of 98 runs. From New Zealand’s end, Matt Henry also took a fifer by dismissing India’s top batters including Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. Shreyas Iyer smashed 79 runs and missed a potential century today.
Kane Williamson 81 runs of 120 balls playing a slow yet crucial innings. India gave a reasonable target of 250 to the Kiwi batters but the spin magic of Varun, Chakravarthy has led them to the victory podium in the last match of the league stage. We also witnessed some brilliant fielding from Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips and Axar Patel with their spectacular catches.
It could be very well seen that today’s game belonged to the spinners. Apart from Chakravarthy’s fifer, Kuldeep Yadav took 2 wickets and Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel bagged 1 wicket for themselves. Surprisingly Mohammad Shami could not put any wickets for himself in the bag while Hardik Pandya’s contribution with the bat and the ball was commendable. Pandya smashed 45 runs while claiming 1 wicket for himself.
India will now meet its arch-rival Australia in the Semifinals, but after witnessing today’s performance it is clear that it would be a competition of the two biggest powerhouses of the cricket fraternity. South Africa topped group B and will now play against New Zealand on 5 March at Lahore.
Kuldeep Yadav to William ORourke, out Bowled!! Game, set, match! A googly from Kuldeep - it is generally not picked by top order batters, so number 11 William ORourke had no real chance there. Pitches on leg stump and spins away to beat the outside edge of the bat as ORourke tried to clip it away. Crashes onto middle and off.
Varun Chakravarthy to Matt Henry, out Caught by Kohli!! A fifer for Varun! That should bury any ghosts of 2021 he would have of this venue... A full and quick delivery onto middle, Henry tries to get under it and slam it down the ground. Gets a lot more elevation than distance as Kohli runs in from long-off to settle under the catch.
Kuldeep Yadav to Santner, 1 run, fuller and slides on with the arm, Santner pushes it to the left of Kuldeep for a single
Mitchel Santner hit a six to Varun Chakravarthy over the mid-on. New Zealand still in the run
Axar to Williamson, out Stumped!! A wicket off the last ball for Axar Patel! He gets a warm embrace from Hardik Pandya. Well deserved... A flighted delivery onto middle that slides in with the arm, Williamson shimmies forward a long way and the ball sneaks past his inside edge and past leg stump. He just continues to shimmy towards the dressing room, doesn't even bother to look at the keeper.
Kuldeep Yadav to Santner, no run, googly from Kuldeep, beats Santner on the inside edge as he took a swipe at that delivery
Varun Chakravarthy to Williamson, no run, dances down the track as the ball drifts in and strikes the pads. Outside the line of off though
Varun Chakravarthy to Michael Bracewell, out Lbw!! Another one! A superb leg break from Chakravarthy, pitches on off and spins back towards the batter. Bracewell tried to drive towards mid-off and gets pad first and then bat. He was thoroughly beaten on the inside edge with this ball. Chakravarthy strikes again, New Zealand in a spot of bother.
What a response from Chakravarthy! Fuller and drifts in from just outside off. Pitches in line and turns to beat the inside edge and strike the front pad. That's the end of Phillips' cameo. India in the driver's seat now.
Jadeja to Williamson, 1 run, half chance!! A flat delivery that spins a bit from off stump, Williamson backed away to play inside out. Ends up getting an edge that richochets off the glove of Rahul and lobs to his right. It was a quick delivery and would have needed something remarkable for the keeper to grab on, this catches either stick or they don't
Latham doesn't even think of the review, simply accepts his fate and walks off. Pushed fuller onto off stump and straightens after pitching. Latham tries a reverse sweep and misses, as the ball thuds onto his back thigh pad. Would have crashed onto off stump, given out almost instantly. A much deserved wicket for Jadeja.
Jadeja to Latham, 1 run, fuller and with the arm towards off, Latham shuffles back to block and gets a thick outer edge towards gully
Kuldeep Yadav to Mitchell, out Lbw!! When umpire Michael Gough says out, it mostly stays out. Kuldeep Yadav tricking Mitchell into thinking this was a googly, which is why the batter got a stride forward and played an off-side drive, but he reached out for the ball and that meant the gate was open. Kuldeep smartly snuck he leggie through, impact on middle and hitting top of leg stump. Important wicket this for India.
Jadeja to Williamson, turn, bounce, beaten, almost bowled as well! Pitching around middle and off and gripping, goes past Kane's defence. Very lucky to survive that
Kuldeep Yadav to Williamson, 1 run, there is the sweep that Kuldeep probably won't mind the batter playing. Middled along the ground to deep square leg though
Kane pulls, was uppish but just wide of Varun's dive to the right at square leg. That was catchable, although tough. Maybe a more agile fielder could have had it. Short ball deliberately on the pads with square leg catching, the plan almost worked
There's the one bad ball that batters have to capitalize when the going is tough and Kane shows his class and he's tough too. Slider just outside off stump, Kane rocks back and cuts past point
Clearly both batters weren't as confident playing Varun. Young now tries to dab this flatter delivery, inside edge onto back leg/ground and then onto the stumps. Varun dismisses Young
full delivery, driven down the ground. Shreyas dives at long-on and saves one. But he might have touched the rope with the foot while flicking the ball back. Yes, definite contact and four
Four runs to deep square leg
Flighted delivery outside off stump by Axar Patel, Kane looks to drive through the covers but gets beaten by the spin
Caught by Axar!! That was a high and hanging ball. Axar runs forward and takes a really good catch. Hardik does a double fist with a big smile and celebrates like a happy kid clapping fast.
Almost edged that to the keeper. Rachin thought he could clip this fullish delivery to the on-side on seeing it shape into him but it nips away off the seam and goes past the outside edge
Young looks to tickle fine, seems like it came off the pad or has it? No, given runs! He did get a fine tickle on that. Shami got greedy there and tried to start the outie too straight and ended up spraying the ball
A slower delivery that was pitched up on middle, Shami clears the front leg and swings for the hills. Hits it in the air and Phillips from deep mid-wicket rushes in to complete the catch and India finishes at 249/9
Henry bends his back for this short pitched delivery, rushes the batter with some extra pace. Pandya attempts a pull shot but skews it in the air and holes out to deep square leg. A smart catch by Ravindra who had the sun in his eyes.
FOUR!! Pandya tries to cut it away and gets an edge on this one. Trickles to the left of short third's dive and runs away for four.
Good length and gets a bit of extra bounce outside off stump, was pace. Shami gets a leading edge as he tried to defend and fell short of few inches. Shami survives
Another stunning catch from the Kiwis. Hit in the air at your own peril against them. This was a back of length delivery outside off, Jadeja cuts it to the left of Williamson at backward point. Was dying down on him but he swoops low and gathers it with his less dominant left hand.
Short pitched and just outside off. Hardik Pandya stands tall and flat bats it over the bowler's head, to the right of mid-off. A tennis ball shot there in the ICC Champions Trophy!
Short onto the body, angling slightly down leg. Pandya swats it away to the left of short fine to pick up a boundary
This was tossed up and in the arc, Pandya swings through the line and hits it with the spin. Connected out the middle and sails over deep mid-wicket
Jadeja smashes Bracewell for a Four through cow corner for a boundary
KL Rahul departs as Captain Mitch Santner gets him behind the stumps by a thick edge and celebrate the punching slightly through the air
Nice backfoot six by Iyer!!!
Good Shot By KL Rahul!!!
Axar Patel gets out by some sensational catch by Williamson!
Well composed fifty by Shreyas Iyer!!!
Good pull shot for FOUR!!!
Wonderful boundary by Axar Patel!!!
Back to back boundary for Iyer!!!!
Second boundary for Iyer!!!!
Boundary for Shreyas Iyer!!
After 51 balls, boundary for Team India!!!
Sensational catch by Glenn Phillips led Virat Kohli's wicket.
Edge and safe for a boundary for Kohli!
Rohit Sharma departs cheaply after playing a some of good shots.
First boundary for Virat Kohli!!!
Get Breaking News First and Latest Updates from India and around the world on News24. Follow News24 on Facebook, Twitter.
---Advertisement---
Dhurandhar LIVE Updates: Box office collection so far
---Advertisement---
