New Zealand storm into Champions Trophy final with dominant comeback

DUBAI: The Black Caps have showcased excellent ODI form, rebounding strongly from a defeat to secure a commanding spot in the Champions Trophy final, as per the ICC.

New Zealand have shown fine form during the tournament so far, with great displays with bat and ball. Their only hiccup came against India in Dubai, having already qualified for the knockout stage by the time they played that game, setting up for a shot at sweet redemption against the Indians.

They opened the tournament by defeating Pakistan reasonably comfortably. Will Young and Tom Latham both hit hundreds as the Black Caps amassed a total of 320/5, with 113 coming off the last ten overs.

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Mitchell Santner and Will O’Rourke then took three wickets apiece as they bowled the co-hosts out for 260. They then knocked Bangladesh out of the tournament with a five-wicket win.

Michael Bracewell was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4/23. Rachin Ravindra came to the crease with his side at 15/2 and capped off his return from a brief stint on the sidelines brilliantly, producing a memorable century. Combined with a fifty from Latham, they made good headway towards the target, leaving it to the sixth-wicket partnership of Glenn Phillips and Bracewell to see the team home with 23 balls to spare.

Back-to-back wins confirmed semifinal qualification. Top spot in Group A was on the line when the Black Caps travelled to Dubai to take on India and it wasn’t to be, as New Zealand had to settle for a runner-up finish and a semi-final showdown against South Africa back in Pakistan.

The Kiwis tried hard against India, with Matt Henry collecting an impressive five-wicket haul as Rohit Sharma’s side was restricted to just 249/9 from their 50 overs.

Kane Williamson collected a half-century in reply, but it wasn’t enough as New Zealand was bowled out for just 205 to leave the side 44 runs short of victory. Despite the loss, it was a good chance to gain familiarity with the Dubai conditions. The Kiwis bounced back from the India loss with authority.

In a must-win affair, Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson came up clutch, both scoring impressive hundreds at faster than a run-a-ball. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips fired in the middle order to help New Zealand to an imposing 362/6 from their 50 overs.

South Africa’s top order was unable to emulate the efforts of their Kiwi counterparts, as spinners Mitchell Santner, Ravindra and Phillips all produced with the ball, which bodes well for their chances on the Dubai deck in Sunday’s final. (ANI)