New Zealand vs India, 12th Match, Group A, ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 - CommentaryNZ vs IND, 12th Match, Group A, ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 - Commentary

So India play Australia in an ODI for the first time since the night of 19th November, 2023. Words like revenge would be a bit misplaced given the tournaments are at different statures, but India vs Australia in an ICC knockout game would be a thrilling contest nonetheless. New Zealand travel back to Lahore where they will play South Africa. That's all for now, see you next on Tuesday!

Rohit Sharma: Important to finish on a high. NZ are a good team who are playing some good cricket. Very important to get a good result, we played a perfect game. It was important at that stage (after being 30/3) to build a partnership, and I thought we got to a good total. We have the quality in our bowling to defend that total. (On Chakaravarthy) He has something different about him, so wanted to try and see what he can offer. We haven't thought much about the next game, but good headache to have. Critical to possibly win every game and doing everything right in a short tournament. Important to correct mistakes quickly, and that's where we know if your team is going up or going down. It will be a good game, Australia has a rich history of playing ICC tournaments well, but is is about us and what we want to do well on that particular day. It will be a great contest, looking forward to that. Hopefully we can stitch one towards us.

Mitch Santner: It was a slower wicket than what we have come against. We knew that going in. India controlled the middle phase better. Shreyas played a great knock that was finished off well by Hardik. It spun a bit more than we thought, and they squeezed us well with four quality spinners. The key for us was getting wickets in the powerplay, and that was good to see. Our next game is in Lahore where Henry will be massive. (On facing South Africa) On those wickets with some pace and bounce, they have four good pacers so we will have to see how we play them. We have to wait and see if it is a used surface or a fresh one.

Nine wickets by India's spinners is the most by spinners in an innings in Champions Trophy bettering eight by Pakistan against Kenya in Edgbaston in 2004.

Best figures on Champions Trophy debut
6/52 Josh Hazlewood vs NZ Edgbaston 2017
5/42 Varun Chakaravarthy vs NZ Dubai 2025
5/53 Mohd Shami vs Ban Dubai 2025

Varun Chakaravarthy has picked a five-fer in his second ODI - the earliest by an Indian bowler in his ODI career. The previous earliest was Stuart Binny who picked 6/4 against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2014 in his third ODI.

This is the first instance of two five-wicket hauls in the same Champions Trophy game.

Best figures for India in Champions Trophy
5/36 Ravindra Jadeja vs WI The Oval 2013
5/42 Varun Chakaravarthy vs NZ Dubai 2025
5/53 Mohd Shami vs Ban Dubai 2025
4/38 Sachin Tendulkar vs Aus Dhaka 1998
4/45 Zaheer Khan vs Zim Colombo RPS 2002

Varun Chakaravarthy | Player of the Match: First of all I did feel nervous in the initial stages. I have not played many matches for India in the ODI format but as the game went on I felt better. Virat, Rohit, Shreyas and Hardik were talking to me and that helped. (on when he knew he was playing this game) I found out last night. I was definitely expecting to play for the country but on the other side I was nervous. It was not a rank turner, but if you bowled in the right places it was giving help. The way Kuldeep, Jaddu and Axar bowled, even the pace bowlers, it was a total team effort.

20:11 Local Time, 16:11 GMT, 21:41 IST: Horses for courses! On a slow, low surface that was turning quite a bit, India have terrorised the opposition with nearly 40 overs of spin, coasting through to a win in the end. New Zealand lost Rachin Ravindra early, thanks a diving catch from Axar at third-man. Will Young and Williamson got a bit of a partnership, but the former was castled by Chakravarthy. Mitchell and Williamson then scored too slowly, as the spinners sunk their claws into them. Mitchell departed, and then the rest of the middle order feel meekly. Williamson was waging a long battle but he too was stumped off Axar Patel's final delivery. Santner entertained with a few meaty sixes, but the game was too far gone by then. Jadeja was turning it square at pace, and Chakravarthy deceived the batters with his variations. The mystery spinner ended with a fifer, while the rest of the spinners were all amongst the wickets. Stick around for the presentations.

Kuldeep Yadav to William ORourke, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Varun Chakravarthy to Matt Henry, THATS OUT!! Caught!!