India beat New Zealand by 44 runs in a low-scoring contest at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to top Group A in the Champions Trophy.
Electing to field, New Zealand restricted India to 249-9 with Matt Henry (5-42) leading their superb bowling display backed up by their characteristic sharp catching.
Shreyas Iyer (79), Axar Patel (42) and Hardik Pandya (45) scored valuable runs but India still settled for a below-par total.
Varun Chakravarthy (5-42) helped India bundle out New Zealand for 205 despite Kane Williamson’s classy 81.
India will now face Australia in the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday.
New Zealand and South Africa, who had travelled to Dubai in case they ended up being India’s last-four opponents, will now fly back to Pakistan for their semi-final on Wednesday.
Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain said…
“It is an advantage. The best team in the tournament have that advantage. I saw a Tweet the other day saying Pakistan host nation, India home advantage, and that sort of sums it up really.
“They’re in one place, they’re in one hotel, there is no travel, they’re in one dressing room. They know the pitch, they’ve picked for that pitch.
“I think they were very smart [selection wise]. They probably knew what Dubai was going to be like.
“They picked all their spinners. There was a bit of debate even from India media saying: ‘Why haven’t you gone for the extra seamer? Why all these spinners?’ Well, we’ve seen why. And also other sides have not done that.
“All the other sides have to pick for different conditions, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Dubai, and then they have to travel and adjust to those conditions.
“So it is an advantage, but what else could happen? The ICC, once India refused to come to Pakistan, what else could happen? You can’t have a tournament like this without India-Pakistan, so it had to be in Dubai.”
Watch both semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy on Tuesday and Wednesday live on Sky Sports Cricket from 8.30am
