India continued with their imperious form and maintained a 100 percent success rate in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Men In Blue launched their campaign with a six-wicket win against Bangladesh, and defeated Pakistan by the same margin. The two wins saw India make it to the semifinals and as skipper Rohit Sharma mentioned at the toss ahead of the match against New Zealand "approach will be very similar to the previous games", the team replicated the same on the field by defeating New Zealand by 44 runs and top the Group A table.
India after being invited to bat were restricted for 249/9 in 50 overs, leaving the onus of the bowlers to defend the respectable total in a slow Dubai pitch. The bowlers in return shouldered the responsibility with Varun Chakaravarthy, playing his first match of the tournament, leading the ranks. Chakaravarthy registered a five-wicket haul and conceded just 42 runs in his 10 overs.
IND vs AUS, Dubai pitch in focus: Spinners shining but Indian batters will be tested in Champions Trophy semi-final
The match also saw great camaraderie between Virat Kohli, playing his 300th ODI, and Axar Patel, which took place right after his final delivery of the 10th over. While Chakaravarthy kept New Zealand in check with his clinical display, Kane Williamson, their star batter, dug deep and kept pushing the Black Caps forward. His presence in the middle always remained a threat, considering 250 was not a mountain to climb.
However, Axar, who was so far wicketless, ensured he got the big fish in the final ball of his 10th over. The spinner offered some flight, which saw Williamson dance down the track but miss it completely, leaving KL Rahul with the easiest of stumpings.
Celebrations were obvious but in the manner which Virat Kohli left many delighted as Kohli was seen trying to touch Axar's feet, who then stopped him from doing it and both shared a laugh. Here is the video:
Axar Patel finds 'self-belief' in his journey as an all-rounder
Axar is quickly positioning himself as an useful all-rounder in white ball formats, and for him "self-belief" is the key ingredient in that transformation. In the latest instance, Axar made a handy 42 and then claimed the prized wicket of Williamson to play an important role in India's win over New Zealand.
"I was not able to click earlier and it was in the back of the mind that I was not able to show my talent. Maybe, I was putting more pressure on myself back then, despite knowing that I have the talent," Axar said in a mixed zone interaction with reporters in Dubai.
But an unbeaten 35-ball 64 against the West Indies at Barbados in 2022 unlocked his mind. The knock helped India chase down a daunting 312. "After that match against the West Indies, I knew I could finish games. As soon as I gained that self-belief, I didn't think much about whether I wanted to show batting to anyone or not. I know that I have it and if I give my 100 percent, I can be confident of doing well continuously," he said.
-with PTI inputs
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