Michael Bracewell played a top-order show in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 final against India, making an unbeaten 53 that assisted New Zealand in reaching a competitive score of 251/7 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. His 40-ball stay, studded with three boundaries and two sixes, brought the much-needed zip during the death overs for the BlackCaps.
Bracewell’s late attack on Indian pacers Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya was decisive in helping New Zealand reach the 250-run mark. His aggressive style in the last overs of the innings helped the Kiwis get out of a mid-innings lull, providing a target that their bowlers could defend.
Middle-Order Resistance of New Zealand
Bracewell was instrumental in steadying the innings, coming up with a key 46-run sixth-wicket stand with Daryl Mitchell. Mitchell top-scored for New Zealand with 63 from 101 deliveries, offering an anchor at one end but failing to push the strike rate high. His knock, while useful, saw him get out to a lot of dot balls, placing pressure on the batting partners.
New Zealand started well with Rachin Ravindra and Will Young contributing a 57-run opening partnership. But the Indian spinners took charge soon, cutting down the run flow and claiming vital wickets in the middle overs.
Indian Spinners Dominate with Five Wickets
India’s spinners were the ones who put the brakes on New Zealand’s scoring. Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja, the quartet of Indian spinners, took five wickets between them and kept a tight leash on the game.
Kuldeep Yadav proved to be the bowlers’ choice, collecting 2/40. He had a massive impact by taking out both Rachin Ravindra and New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, arresting the rhythm of the Kiwi innings. Varun Chakaravarthy also had an impressive performance, taking two wickets, including the game-changing wickets of Will Young and Glenn Phillips.
Indian Pacers Leak Runs, Spinners Take Charge
As the Indian spinners kept the opposition under wraps, the seamers could not stem the flow of runs. Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya conceded 104 runs off a mere 12 overs in their partnership. Compared to this, the spinners bowled 38 overs and conceded only 144 runs while securing five wickets.
With 251/7, New Zealand posed a fascinating challenge for India’s batting order. The Mitchell Santner-led team will now depend on their spin unit, comprising Bracewell, Glenn Phillips, and Rachin Ravindra, to limit India and defend their score in the high-pressure final.
