Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 8 (ANI): As India prepares to take on New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday, former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta shared his thoughts on two key players–captain Rohit Sharma and pacer Mohammed Shami.
Rohit has not been at his best recently. However, Dasgupta remains hopeful that the Indian skipper will deliver a big innings in the final.
“Rohit is known for double hundreds. His playing nature has changed, and so has the team’s approach. We definitely hope that instead of scores of 30-40, he will get 130, or 140 but the way he is playing, it is important for him to continue in that manner,” Dasgupta told ANI.
“What about Shami? I mean, listen–just look at the record. Nobody has a better record than him in ODIs. So, leave him as he is. He is very good,” he said.
India are undefeated in the tournament so far and the Kiwis have looked rock solid with bat and ball under Mitchell Santner’s captaincy.
The clash promises to be an epic sequel to the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy final, which New Zealand won. Men in Blue would like to avenge losses to the Blackcaps in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal and 2021 ICC World Test Championship final.
India claimed last week’s contest against the Kiwis by 44 runs, after posting 249 runs from their 50 overs and restricting New Zealand to 205 runs all out in the 46th over. While there’s been a lot of focus on spin bowlers stepping up in the UAE, it was Matt Henry who starred with the ball for the Black Caps, claiming 5/42 off eight overs, in an innings where Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with a 79 off 98 balls.
Kane Williamson fought valiantly for the Kiwis with an 81 (120 balls), but couldn’t find support in the middle order. India’s spinners combined for nine wickets, led by ‘secret weapon’ Varun Chakaravarthy, taking 5/42 – coincidentally the exact figures as Henry for the Kiwis – in what was just the 33-year-old leg-spinner’s second One Day International.
Squads:
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand Squad: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy. (ANI)
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