Sachin Tendulkar Applauds Key Performers in India’s Commanding Win Over New Zealand
23 days ago | 5 Views
Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy justified his selection by achieving a maiden five-wicket haul, which was instrumental in India's 44-run victory over New Zealand in a Group A match, with both teams having already secured their places in the Champions Trophy semifinals. Even the legendary former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was impressed by Varun's exceptional bowling performance; however, another noteworthy contribution did not escape his attention.
After winning the toss and opting to field, New Zealand effectively limited India to a total of 249 runs for the loss of nine wickets, with Matt Henry delivering an outstanding bowling performance, claiming 5 wickets for 42 runs, complemented by their trademark sharp fielding.
In their pursuit, New Zealand appeared confident, particularly with Kane Williamson's elegant innings of 81. Nevertheless, the Indian spinners stifled the scoring during the middle overs on a challenging Dubai pitch, with Varun leading the charge with figures of 5 for 42. Collectively, the spinners accounted for nine of the ten wickets, contributing to India's third consecutive victory in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Nonetheless, Sachin Tendulkar highlighted another significant performance in his social media post on Sunday night. He praised Shreyas Iyer for his commendable innings of 79, which played a crucial role in helping India recover from an early batting collapse and set a target of 250 runs.
"Shreyas Iyer delivered a vital inning, and Varun Chakaravarthy's exceptional bowling ensured India maintained the upper hand. A commendable team victory!"
'I did feel nervous in the initial stages...'
In a slow and low surface in Dubai, India opted to replace pacer Harshit Rana with Varun, who made an immediate impact in his tournament debut, earning the player-of-the-match accolade. His impressive figures of 5 for 42 marked the second-best bowling performance by an Indian in the Champions Trophy and the second-best on debut in an ICC tournament. Achieving a five-wicket haul in only his second appearance in the format, he set a record for the fastest such achievement by an Indian bowler in ODIs. The previous record was held by Stuart Binny, who claimed 6/4 against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2014 during his third match.
Following the game, Varun acknowledged feeling nervous but credited conversations with senior players for his composure.
"Initially, I was quite nervous. I haven't played many ODIs for India, but as the match progressed, I became more comfortable. The support from Virat, Rohit, Shreyas, and Hardik was invaluable," he remarked.
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