(Image source from: x.com/ICC)
New Zealand put up a valiant defense against the heavily favored India. Ultimately, however, India showcased their superior quality and depth, clinching their second consecutive ICC tournament without a loss. They now possess two out of four ICC trophies, having reached the finals in the other two tournaments. In their last three ICC competitions, India has achieved an impressive record, winning 22 of their past 23 completed matches. The run-scoring on a weary pitch adhered to familiar trends. After securing a crucial toss - particularly significant as they had lost their past 15 ODI tosses - New Zealand surged to 69 for 1 during the powerplay, only for India’s high-quality spin bowling to rein them in. On a pitch that provided the least turn in all matches played in Dubai during the tournament, the Indian bowlers delivered 38 overs, yielding just 144 runs while taking five wickets. As the pace increased towards the end of the innings, Michael Bracewell managed to score 53 runs off 40 balls, setting a target for himself and the bowlers.
In response, India had a similarly rapid start, reaching 64 for no loss in their powerplay. Yet, New Zealand persistently fought back despite a solid 105-run opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Although lacking the enigmatic skills of Varun Chakravarthy and the unique left-arm wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav, New Zealand took advantage of the increased turn – averaging 2 degrees in the first innings and 3.4 in the second – and thoroughly tested India’s batters. Their spinners bowled 35 overs, allowing 152 runs and taking five wickets. Every batter except Virat Kohli got off to a decent start, with scores ranging from Rohit’s 76 to Hardik Pandya’s 18 runs off 18 balls, yet none managed to finish the job. Nevertheless, India’s remarkable depth shone through as KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja guided the team across the finish line with an over to spare and four wickets remaining.
This match served to invigorate a tournament that had lacked closely contested games. India arrived with superior resources suited to the conditions compared to New Zealand, but the toss levelled the playing field. Rachin Ravindra, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, batted exceptionally well against the new ball under the best conditions of the day. Without exerting much effort or taking unnecessary risks, he scored 37 off 29 balls, which surprised the audience. Facing pressure, India opted for their most likely wicket-takers rather than their typical strategy of using Axar Patel with the new ball. Varun managed to outsmart Will Young with drift on a leg break, leading to a lbw dismissal due to natural variation. Kuldeep, with only five wickets to his name prior to the final, made his impact known by claiming two significant wickets: Ravindra with a wrong'un on his first bowl and Kane Williamson, who was deceived in the air and caught off a leading edge.
New Zealand found themselves in a tight spot at 75 for 3 after losing three wickets, placing the onus on Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell to conserve wickets for the final stretch of play. Mitchell had difficulty finding his rhythm, prompting Latham—who is known for his steady performances during the middle overs of one-day internationals—to take a gamble. Taking a risk against the consistent Jadeja, who delivered figures of 10 overs, 30 runs, and 1 wicket, demands precision; otherwise, an lbw dismissal is almost guaranteed.
For the second instance in this competition, India opted to utilize spin bowlers exclusively during the middle overs. The pitch was slow but provided minimal spin. This showcased the skill and precision of India’s spinners, effectively stifling New Zealand’s scoring rate. It took the Kiwis 21 overs to score as many runs as they had in their first ten, which was 69. Varun returned to claim Glenn Phillips in the 38th over, further hindering New Zealand's attempts to accelerate.
Bracewell reminded everyone of Ravindra's smooth batting style as India switched back to pace bowling towards the end of the innings. Mitchell, who had just joined the ranks of slowest fifty scorers after Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill, attempted to be aggressive but succumbed to a slower delivery from Mohammed Shami. Meanwhile, Bracewell managed to strike three boundaries and two sixes, which merely offered New Zealand a façade of respectability at that point.
However, that respectability appeared shaky right from the start of India's chase. Rohit unleashed some explosive shots against the pace bowlers, including Nathan Smith, who filled in for Matt Henry—the tournament's leading wicket-taker sidelined by a shoulder injury—which compelled Santner to intervene. He chose to bowl himself in the ninth over, but even with Santner and Ravindra, they could only muster a handful of uneventful overs.
After the drinks break, Phillips dazzled yet again, executing his third remarkable catch of the tournament by leaping at extra cover to take a one-handed catch that dismissed Gill. Immediately after, Bracewell struck with his first delivery, trapping Kohli lbw for a mere one run. From that point, runs became harder to come by. Rohit seemed to slow his pace, appearing to gear up for a classic innings akin to his earlier exploits. However, after a stretch of eight overs yielding just 19 runs and two wickets, he moved aggressively against Ravindra in an attempt for a fourth six of the evening, but ended up being stumped.
Iyer, who had already scored two half-centuries, along with Axar, then stabilized the innings by forming a 61-run partnership, bringing the score to 122 for 3. Iyer seemed more anxious of the duo. Young managed to catch him at the deep midwicket boundary, albeit with his foot touching the rope. Additionally, Jamieson misjudged a catch when Iyer swung for consecutive sixes off Phillips, marking the sixth dropped catch of the match.
As Iyer was caught off Santner’s bowling at short fine leg in the 39th over, India found themselves in need of 67 runs from the remaining 68 balls. The required run rate lingered close to a run per ball, with just a four-run gap between runs and balls remaining, alongside six overs to go. Trusting in their batting lineup, India continued to take calculated risks, consistently sending the ball over the boundary for six. As fast bowlers returned to the attack, Rahul's composed approach guided India forward. In the 48th over, Jamieson posed a final challenge by claiming Pandya's wicket with a vicious bouncer, yet India still had Jadeja waiting in reserve.
