India will face a formidable opponent in New Zealand in Sunday’s ICC Champions Trophy final. South Africa wouldn’t have had the conditions if they had made it, but New Zealand knows what to anticipate because they played India there last Sunday. The Indian Express examines the factors that make New Zealand a formidable opponent in the championship match.
The Kiwis are the only team in the Champions Trophy with the spin bowling resources to challenge or even approach India. They have three other spin bowling options, namely Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips, and Rachin Ravindra, under the leadership of left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner. Thus, they have everything they need in the spin department in terms of variation. India played well in their group encounter and came out ready to take on them. However, New Zealand will return this time knowing exactly what to do under these circumstances. The Kiwi spinners will be crucial because the last set will be played on the same ground as India’s match versus Pakistan.
The movement that India’s seamers were able to create with the new ball was what took them by surprise when they faced the Kiwis. Seam movement has been nonexistent in India’s other three games played here. It was different versus Kiwis, though. Their pacers are all tall, which contributes to the fact that there is a greater probability of movement in the air because they bowl a decent length and have more air time. Along with their movement, they produce extra bounce, which has recently caused problems for India’s top order in all formats in ICC events. Since runs in the first Powerplay are vital, India must devise a clear strategy to counter this.
Fielding
New Zealand can save 30–40 runs in the field, as seen by their fielding last Sunday. They frequently turn half-chances into catches if that isn’t enough. While players like Santner, Will Young, and Michael Bracewell could be regarded as elite fielders on any other team, Glenn Phillips is able to alter the outcome of games with his superb fielding. When the spinners are in action, they can exert pressure by cutting off singles with all of their top fielders in the ring. They also dive around to take blinkers if the ball is within range. India is under more strain since they are aware that they must earn every run.
Batting
The Black Caps’ batting lineup is appropriate for the situation, just like India’s. They possess the quality to not be written out, even though they didn’t quite succeed in their pursuit on Sunday. They have a top three in Rachin, Young, and Kane Williamson who can not only get things going quickly but also stay around long enough to establish a middle order base. Because players like Tom Latham, Daryll Mitchell, and Phillips are effective against tweakers, the Kiwis can reverse the trend of most teams struggling against India’s spinners. Varun Chakaravarthy’s exceptional performance the other night undid them, but they will be ready on Sunday.