Chakravarthy’s magical spell stuns New Zealand, sets up India-Australia clash in semifinals

By Ehsan Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Leg-spinning sensation, Varun Chakravarthy, during his maiden outing in the tournament, captured five wickets to spin India to 44-run victory over New Zealand in the last league encounter of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at Dubai International Stadium on March 2. 

Having topped the Group A, with six points, Rohit Sharma’s Indian team will now clash with Steve Smith-led Australian side in the first semifinal at the same venue on March 4 while South Africa will take on New Zealand in the other semifinal at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on March 5. 

Proving a mystery for the batsmen, Chakravarthy grabbed five wickets for 42 runs in his quota of ten overs as the Blackcaps, chasing 250 for victory, were bowled out for 205 in the 46th over. 

Master craftsman, Kane Williamson, following a couple of low scores in the earlier games, made amend a defiant 81 off 120 balls with seven boundaries before being stumped by K L Rahul off Axar Patel. 

He seemed set to be playing another match-winning knock before charging down the wicket in pursuit of another aggressive shot. Later, captain Mitchell Santner kept the contest alive by hitting a quick 28 off 31 balls with two towering sixes and a four before he was foxed by Chakravarthy. And the writing was on the wall after his dismissal. 

This was India’s sixth successive victory over New Zealanders in One-day Internationals. This also ended also ended New Zealand’s winning streak of six straight victories including three in Tri-Series in Pakistan during last few weeks. 

Earlier, India recovered from a horrible start to reach 249 for nine in their 50 overs after being sent to bat first in the last league outing of the Champions Trophy. 

The batting in the initial overs was very challenging as the conditions were conducive to swing and seam bowling. The pace trio of Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke were right on the money and even the celebrated Indian top-order was rattled. 

Shubman Gill (2), Rohit Sharma (15) and Virat Kohli (11), all of them world-class batters, perished inside the first seven overs and India struggled at 30 for three. The collapse was reminiscent to the one the Indians had suffered at the hands of the same opponents in the semifinals of the 2019 World Cup. 

Opener Gill was trapped leg before by Henry in the third over and even the review failed to save the top-ranked ODI batter in the world at the moment. 

Skipper Sharma dared played a few productive shots before being caught brilliantly by Will Young off Jamieson trying to pull. He made 15 with a six and a four. Kohli was astonished when Glenn Philips took a spectacular catch at deep gully area. 

Having smashed a match-winning unbeaten 100 against Pakistan in the previous game, the champion batter could make just 11 with the help of two fours. 

The Indian batting line-up looked like sinking but it went to the credit of Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel to have abandoned their natural game in order to come to terms with the tight bowling and superb fielding and incredible catching by the New Zealanders. 

The rate of scoring dipped considerably for a while as they chose to dig deep and play the waiting game, realizing that it was a 50-over contest, not another T20 shootout which is more common these days. 

They, however, changed gears after settling down. With their eyes in, they were able to rotate strike regularly besides punching the loose balls to the boundary. 

The partnership was heading towards mammoth proportions, when part-time spinner Rachin Ravindra provided the breakthrough with Williamson taking another fine catch. 

Left-handed Patel, played the role of a floater with the bat, hit four fours and brace of sixes in his run a ball 45. He and Iyer added 98 runs for the fourth wicket to retrieve the situation. 

Then KL Rahul joined Iyer and they built a 44-run fifth wicket stand. After Iyer left after scoring 79 off 98 balls, it was all-rounder Hardik Pandya (45 off 45 balls) who stretched the Indian total to a fighting 249. 

With so much depth in their batting, India could have added a few more only to be denied by the returning Henry, who claimed five wickets in the game, including a couple in the final over.

The New Zealanders bowled and fielded brilliantly to contain the mighty batting line-up and they looked like the happier side at the halfway stage of the match. That their own batters faltered in the examination at the hands of the spinners later in the evening was another matter.

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South Africa become group champions by thrashing England; fiery spell from Jansen

By Ehsan Qureshi at National Stadium, Karachi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

South Africa stormed into the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 when they thrashed England by seven wickets at National Stadium, Karachi, on March 1 in what turned out to be a one-sided encounter. 

Playing excellent cricket, the South Africans also became the Group B champions with their tally of five points, relegating Australia to the runners-up slot who aggregated four points. 

England ended pointless after suffering their third successive defeat. Overall, it was their seventh defeat in a row in One Day Internationals, already leading to the resignation of their captain, Jos Butler, a day before the third and final league fixture. 

For the rampaging South Africans, batters Heinrich Klassen and Rassie van Der Dussen scored enterprising half-centuries after their lanky left-arm speedster Marco Jansen picked up top three wickets in a fiery spell. 

Chasing a modest victory target of 180, they romped home with more than 20 overs remaining. They lost openers Tristan Stubbs for duck and Ryan Rickelton for 27, both of them to the giant fast bowler, Jofra Archer. 

But der Dussen and Klassen repaired early damage and later charged with brutal power-hitting. The pair put on 127 runs for third wicket to lay the foundation for another comfortable victory. 

Klassen went after making a fluent 64 off 56 balls laced with 11 sizzling boundaries under dazzling lights in the 29th over. Dussen finished undefeated on 72 and his 87-ball knock was studded with six fours and three sixes. 

Electing to bat first, England were jolted by southpaw Jansen, who delivered a sensational opening spell, claiming three wickets in rapid succession. His lethal bouncers proved too hot to handle for the English batters. Later, Wiaan Mulder, a medium-pacer, caused the middle-order wobble with the figures of 3 for 25 and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took two wickets for 35 runs as England disappointingly got bowled out for 179 in the 39th over. 

Opener Phil Salt hit a couple of boundaries in Jansen’s first over. But on the last ball, he topedged his shot to be neatly caught Dussen for eight. Jamie Smith went for duck after facing just three balls caught by Aiden Markaram off Jansen.

Before England could recover from the setback, in-form opener Ben Duckett also topedged a bouncer. It was a big blow to their chances of compiling a decent score as they crashed to 37 for three in the 17th over. 

Trying to put England innings on track, Joe Root and Harry Brook added 50 runs for the fourth wicket off 52 balls. But Brook’s indifferent form continued as he was brilliantly caught by Jansen for 24. He hit four boundaries in his 21-ball knock. 

Root, when looking good, was bowled by Mulder 37. He clubbed five fours and a six in his 44-ball 37. Liam Livingstone followed him quickly stumped by Dussen. He made only nine. Archer showed flashes of brilliance while making 25 but England’s final total of 179 was below par on a pitch which had plenty of runs. 

Butler’s last outing as captain of England turned out to be a nightmarish one. His job was on the line after the dismal results under his command and he chose to quit voluntarily when his team was knocked out of the event after losing to Afghanistan.

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