India stormed into the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinals with an unblemished record, finishing at the top of Group A after a dominating win over New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
The spin attack proved decisive, accounting for nine of the 10 wickets as New Zealand crumbled for 205 while chasing a target of 250.
The star of the show was Varun Chakaravarthy, who claimed his first-ever five-wicket haul, but the pivotal moment of the match came when Axar Patel dismissed Kane Williamson, shifting the game firmly in India's favor.
Axar's bowling, thrown in with added elevation, tricked Williamson, who had expected a faster ball. Stepping down the track for a single to maintain strike, the ex-New Zealand captain lost his judgment as the ball ran past his inside edge and nipped the leg stump. KL Rahul quickly effected the stumping, and Williamson, on 81 and the Black Caps' last best hope, walked off without even looking back at the crease. This wicket, on the last ball of the 41st over, broke New Zealand's hopes of winning.
In the wake of the decisive turning point, Virat Kohli injected some fun by making a mischievous gesture, shocking Axar by bending down and paying respects at his feet. Axar was left surprised and ended up in stitches, as team-mates flocked in to celebrate the occasion and laud his match-turning act.
India, who had three consecutive victories in the group stages, topped Group A and now meet Australia in the semifinal on Tuesday in Dubai. Australia, under captain Steve Smith, could manage a solitary victory during the group stage, with their two matches against Pakistan being washed away by rain.
This much-awaited encounter provides India an opportunity to even the score with Australia, who beat them by six wickets in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad, ending their championship aspirations on home ground.
In the other semifinal, South Africa, the Group B table-toppers, will face New Zealand in Pakistan on Wednesday. The final will bring the tournament to a close on Sunday.
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