India 254 for 6 (Rohit 76, Iyer 48, Rahul 34 *, bracewell 2-28, Santner 2-46) New Zealand 251 for 7 (Mitchell 63, bracewell 53, Phillips 34, Kuldeep 2-40, Varun 2-45) per four counters
New Zealand defended itself with all its strength against the favorite heavy of India. But, in the end, India just had too much quality and depth for them, and ended their second undefeated consecutive ICC tournament. They now hold two of the four Trophies of the ICC, having lost in the final of the other two. During the last three ICC tournaments, India has won 22 of its 23 games completed.
It was a final to save the tournament that lacked competitors. India has come with much more ammunition for the conditions than New Zealand, but the draw turned out to be a little equalizing. Rachin Ravira, leading Run-detained the tournament, beat like a dream against the new ball, the best conditions all day. He scored 37 out of 29 in a departure that amazed the crowd, helped by two reversed chances.
Under the pump, India went to their most sympathetic window takers as opposed to the usual formula of Axar Patel with the new ball. Varun Beat will be young with a drift on a legs, but the natural variation provided the revealing blow to trap it LBW. Kuldeep, only five counters so far, has been announced in the final with two of the biggest counters: delighted with a bad ball of evil, and Kane Williamson beat in the air with a great drop and offering a return.
Three counters fell to reduce New Zealand to 75 for 3, and it belonged to Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell to keep the counters in hand for the final push. Mitchell had a hard time scoring fluidly, which meant that Latham – a faithful in the middle of the ODI crickets – was to take a risk. And when you take a risk against metronomic jadeja-10-0-30-1-You better not miss because it will get LBW.
For the second time in this tournament, India played simply through the intermediate letters. It was a slow track but offered a minimum turn. It is a testimony to the quality and precision of the spinners of India that New Zealand was suffocated during the period. They took them 21 letters to double their score of ten out of 69. Varun returned to obtain Glenn Phillips in the 38th, repelling their charge again.
Bracewell brought back memories of how Ravira was beaten with fluidity while India returned to punctuate the ball in the back. Mitchell, who followed Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill to mark his fiftieth largest, have now tried an assault but a slower ball by Mohammed Shami took over. Bracewell, however, struck three four and two to give New Zealand what was only like respectability at that time.
Even this respectability seemed doubtful of the way Rohit began the pursuit. Certain sensational strikers of rapid quasses – including Nathan Smith, the replacement of Matt Henry, the main carrier of the tournament who was injured in the shoulder – pushed his hand from Santner. He got into the ninth, but the best that he and ravished could manage were a few relatively calm overs.
In the first after the drinking break, Phillips produced its third incredible capture of the tournament, jumping on an additional blanket and by drawing a single blow to return Gill. With his first ball, Bracewell trapped Kohli LBW for one. Now the easy races have stopped. Rohit has slowed down, as if he was preparing for an old Rohit. Then, however, after a spell of eight overs for 19 points and two counters, he instructed Ravira, seeking to strike his fourth six of the night, missed and was perplexed.
Iyer, two half-century in his name already, and Axar then repaired the damage with a partnership of 61 points of 122 for 3. Iyer was the most nervous of the two. Young caught up with him at the deep fence of Midwicket but hit the plinth at the limits, Jamieson dropped him while he was trying two consecutive Phillips, the sixth dropped between the two teams.
When Iyer fell into the 39th, caught Santner with a short fine leg, India needed 67 out of 68. The demand rate only hovered around a bullet – the biggest difference between the balls and the races was four with six overtime. Confident in their depth, India continued to take the strange risk and continued to strike six. When Pace finally returned, calm Rahul took India. Jamieson provided a last stumbling block with the Hardik counter on a bad bouncer in the 48th, but India always had Jadeja at the bank.
Sidharth Monga is main writer at espncricinfo
