Matt Henry was eager to play in the Champions Trophy final but suffered a shoulder injury during the semi-final against South Africa, preventing him from participating. As the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with ten wickets, his absence was keenly felt, especially against India, where he had a strong record. Captain Mitchell Santner noted that Henry’s skills were missed, as his replacement only bowled two overs. Despite New Zealand’s efforts and a strong start, they stumbled in the middle overs and ultimately lost the final by four wickets. Santner praised the team’s resilience and individuals like Rachin Ravindra, who thrived despite challenges.
Nevertheless, the injury sidelined him for the final against a team he usually fares well against. In his 11 ODIs against India, he has taken 21 wickets with an average of 21.00 and an economy rate of 4.48. Although India’s chase in Dubai encountered some issues midway, they ultimately secured victory with four wickets in hand and an over to spare.
“He was the leading wicket-taker going into this match, and he’s an exceptional bowler, as we’ve seen,” Santner remarked. Despite missing the final, Henry’s ten wickets at an average of 16.70 still top the Champions Trophy wicket chart. “He has a knack for getting movement on pitches that seem unresponsive, so I believe we missed that today. I really feel for Matty; he’s a vital team player, and he looked quite disappointed.
“We all agreed to play for him. It was tough for him to reach this stage and then be sidelined for the final, and I suppose it was tough for us too. He did everything possible to be ready for this match, but unfortunately for us, he just wasn’t quite there.”
New Zealand faced additional challenges throughout the tournament. While India played all five matches in Dubai, New Zealand had to travel between Dubai and all three venues in Pakistan, being the only team in the Champions Trophy to compete at four different locations.
“These tournaments never go perfectly, especially with the quick turnaround of games we experienced,” Santner acknowledged. “However, what’s most gratifying is that different players seized their opportunities and rose to the occasion. I’m incredibly proud of the team.
“There were players coming in and out due to injuries. The way Rachin bounced back immediately after his head injury and made an impact was impressive. Additionally, Kyle Jamieson flying in and fitting seamlessly into the team was commendable; he bowled exceptionally well in the matches he played.”
While New Zealand made some errors in the field while trying to defend a target of 253 in the final, Santner pointed out that the first innings was crucial. New Zealand was 57 for no loss after 7.4 overs but quickly lost Will Young, Ravindra, and Kane Williamson to be reduced to 75 for 3 after 12.2 overs. Varun Chakravarthy delivered the first wicket, followed by Kuldeep Yadav, who dismissed Ravindra and Williamson within his first seven balls.
“I believe the approach we took in the first eight overs was exceptional. However, it took some outstanding performances from the spinners to really pull us back and create challenges during that middle period,” Santner commented. “After the start, we were likely considering a score around 275 or 280. Credit goes to Kuldeep for his outstanding bowling immediately after the powerplay and to Varun during it.”