India and New Zealand, the top modern-day giants, will fight for Champions Trophy glory in front of a sold-out crowd at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The two sides last met in a Champions Trophy final at Nairobi in the 2000 final. Chris Cairns hammered an unbeaten century to chase India’s modest 265-run target and lift the coveted accolade. Twenty-five years have passed, and a lot has changed in how both sides have dominated the ICC tournaments. India shared the title with Sri Lanka in 2002 and a decade later secured the title under ‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni.
On the other hand, Kiwis have appeared on the hunting ground but returned empty-handed on every occasion. After 25 years, the Blackcaps stand just one victory away from ending their ICC trophy drought.
Dubai has been the perfect playground for captain Rohit Sharma and his troops. The spinners have dominated the proceedings for India, especially after the inclusion of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy in its playing XI.
The seasoned ball tweaker was introduced in the tournament in the final group stage game against the Kiwis. He broke the backbone of New Zealand’s 250-run chase and returned with match-winning figures of 5/42. In front of India’s spin prowess, New Zealand surrendered to a 44-run defeat.
In a pulsating atmosphere on Sunday, if the surface plays out the way it has for the entirety of the tournament, spinners are expected to dictate the terms of the play.
On the other hand, New Zealand also has the capability of fighting India with its ball tweakers, who have certainly made a mark in the tournament, especially on Pakistan’s high-scoring venues. New Zealand’s spinners claimed seven wickets in the semi-final against South Africa, their joint-highest tally in a game of 50-over cricket.
Ahead of the high-stakes encounter, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner addressed the challenge that lies ahead of them and hoped for his side’s victory.
“I mean, hopefully, we’re third-time lucky, but no, I think we know India is going to be a challenge tomorrow. They’ve been playing some very good cricket. They understand these conditions pretty well. But I think we’ve also been playing decently. Admittedly, obviously, slightly different conditions,” Santner told reporters on the eve of the clash.
“But I think, obviously, having the run against India a few days ago will definitely help us out, understanding the conditions a little bit better. But it is a knockout game. And I guess whoever turns up on the day could take home a trophy,” he added.
Meanwhile, India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill is cherishing the opportunity to play alongside the best batting lineup he has been a part of in his career.
“I think this is the best batting lineup that I have been part of personally. Rohit and Virat I think all time one day greats in the world. Rohit is one of the best openers in white ball. Virat is one of the best ODI batsmen ever. So, in the case of batting, we have Shreyas in such a good form, KL, Hardik, and Jaddu. So, I think the depth in our batting makes it easier for the upper batsmen,” he said.
“We can play more freely from the top because we have so much depth. And I think this is one thing in which we struggled a little in the beginning. There was not enough depth in batting. So, there was a little more pressure on the batsmen to score long. But I think the depth in batting allows us to play a little more freely,” he added.
The final of the Champions Trophy could see history being rewritten as India stalwart Virat Kohli stands just 45 runs away from breaking Chris Gayle’s record to become the highest run-getter in the tournament.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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