Varun Chakaravarthy’s spin proved to be the game-changer as India secured a commanding 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final Champions Trophy group-stage clash on Sunday. The off-spinner, making his first appearance in the tournament, bamboozled the Kiwi batters with figures of 5/42 in 10 overs, helping India defend a modest 249 and finish atop Group A.
New Zealand, despite the loss, joined them in the semifinals as the second-placed team.
Skipper Rohit Sharma lauded Chakaravarthy’s impact and explained the rationale behind his inclusion in the playing XI. However, he also admitted that the spinner's performance gives India a ‘good headache’ over team selection for the semi-final against Australia.
“He has got something different about him, so wanted to try and see what he had to offer. We got to think a little about what to do for the next game, it's a good headache. If he gets it right, it's very difficult to read him,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation.
Rohit on semi-final
India will lock horns with Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday, while New Zealand will face South Africa a day later in Lahore. Rohit acknowledged Australia’s formidable record in ICC tournaments but emphasized that India would focus on their own game.
“It will be a good game, Australia has a rich history of playing well in ICC tournaments, but it is about us and what we want to do on that particular day. It will be a great contest, looking forward to that. Hopefully, we can stitch one towards us,” said Rohit.
{{/usCountry}}“It will be a good game, Australia has a rich history of playing well in ICC tournaments, but it is about us and what we want to do on that particular day. It will be a great contest, looking forward to that. Hopefully, we can stitch one towards us,” said Rohit.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, this will be India's first ODI match against Australia since the 2023 World Cup final, where the men in yellow registered a fairly one-sided victory by six wickets in Ahmedabad.
With the Champions Trophy being a short tournament, Rohit underlined the importance of maintaining winning momentum and rectifying mistakes swiftly.
“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. Important to finish on a high. 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,” said Rohit.