New Zealand were undeniably second best as India won the Champions Trophy final by four wickets in Dubai, extending their opponents’ long wait for limited-overs silverware.
India’s spin stranglehold proved too tight to break as they restricted Mitchell Santner’s side to 251-7, overhauling that target in the 49th over with fewer nervy moments than the final margin might suggest.
In a rematch of the 2000 final that brought the Black Caps’ last trophy in white-ball cricket, there would be no repeating the indelible image of Chris Cairns celebrating the winning runs. But for players and fans alike, at least there was nothing resembling a Super Over.
Unlike the heartbreak of that 2019 World Cup final against England, this match had more in common with the defeat by Australia four years earlier. A favourite playing in favourable conditions; the roar of a partisan crowd as they seized almost immediate control; a few flickers of resurgence aside, little ultimately for New Zealand to cheer about.
India's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the ICC Champions Trophy final defeating the Black Caps in Dubai. Photo / AFP
The day began on a bad note as Matt Henry failed a pre-match fitness test, the seamer’s absence a considerable setback considering he snared 5-42 when the teams met in group play.
Then, after Santner won the toss, it slowly and steadily became worse.
Only Daryl Mitchell (63 off 101) and Michael Bracewell (53no off 40) were able to offer resistance with the bat. Simply finding a gap was too difficult for most, with India sending down 154 dot balls across 50 painfully parsimonious overs.
After Rachin Ravindra had collected five boundaries from six early balls of pace, the response from Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was immediate and unsurprising. Varun Chakravarthy was introduced in the sixth over and four Indian spinners took unrelenting command.
The middle 30 overs would be shared entirely by Varun, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja. That block yielded 103 runs while four wickets fell.
Varun Chakaravarthy celebrates the wicket of Will Young. Photo / Getty Images
Varun, who a week earlier had bamboozled the New Zealand batters with 5-42, finished with 2-45. Jadeja (1-30) was at times unplayable. The quartet combined to record 5-144 from 38 overs – an economy rate of 3.8 – while 12 overs of pace cost 104.
As Varun dismissed Will Young and Kuldeep claimed the wickets of Ravindra and Kane Williamson in consecutive overs, what was most impressive about the bowling was the lack of evident spin.
The pitch was providing much less turn than available during the three group games and semifinal played in Dubai. But India’s accuracy in line and length prevented attempts to alleviate pressure, with the Black Caps batters either unwilling or unable to take risks.
As Mitchell, Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips began an arduous rebuild, the trio went 81 balls without a boundary.
That drought ended in the 27th over, yet the floodgates barely budged. Mitchell crept to his half-century from 91 balls – the slowest of his ODI career, slowest of the tournament and slowest by any New Zealand man in more than a decade.
As Phillips was outfoxed by Varun’s googly, his side went another 65 balls without finding the fence.
Bracewell finally increased the impetus, but his clean hitting was affixed with the caveat of coinciding with the reintroduction of pace, the allrounder pulling both Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya into the stands to boost the total and level of belief.
Ravindra Jadeja celebrates the wicket of Tom Latham. Photo / Getty Images
If there were any doubts about how the Black Caps would have to approach the second innings, they disappeared along with the ball as Rohit dispatched Kyle Jamieson’s second delivery high over deep square.
The opener raced to 50 from 41, hitting three sixes and five fours en route to the milestone – more than any New Zealander had managed in either category.
Missing Henry’s wicket-taking ability, Mitchell had to hold a brisk flick from Gill in Jamieson’s fourth over. Instead, the ball burst through his outstretched right hand and Santner had seen enough.
The skipper began the eighth over and tasked Ravindra with the ninth, boundaries staunched and seamers banished. Santner applied enough of a squeeze that Gill felt the need to lash out, failing to account for the presence of Phillips fielding close to the wicket, his latest outstanding snag leaving India on 105-1 in the 19th over.
Virat Kohli’s introduction was matched by Bracewell and their one-ball duel ended as the batter misread the turn. Optimism surged as the Black Caps celebrated Kohli’s review being denied, but while Rohit remained no comeback would be complete.
Without a boundary since the 15th, the skipper’s frustration was manifest in the 27th, dancing down the wicket to Ravindra only to have his bails removed by Latham.
India had lost 3-17; 130 more were required. The only problem for New Zealand: Santner, Bracewell and Ravindra were rapidly running out of overs.
Only seven remained from the trio as their side’s waning hopes seemed to slip from the grasp of Jamieson, the hero of the 2021 World Test Championship triumph over India spilling a straightforward chance to remove Shreyas Iyer.
Santner (2-46) and Bracewell (2-28) did their best to provide a final complication, each adding another wicket late in their last spell. But when Ravindra (1-47) joined his spin cohort in bowling out, yet another limited-overs final escaped the Black Caps’ reach.
