Matt Henry was the top wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy, but unfortunately, he couldn’t play in the final.
Despite a shoulder injury sustained in the semi-final against South Africa, where he bravely completed his overs after taking a catch, the injury prevented Henry from participating in the final against India. Historically, Henry has performed well against India in ODIs, taking 21 wickets in 11 matches with an average of 21.00 and an economy of 4.48. In their recent match in Dubai, India overcame a shaky middle order to win with four wickets remaining.
Captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged that Henry was missed. Nathan Smith, Henry’s replacement, bowled only two overs in the final. Henry was visibly upset after failing a fitness test just before the game.
“He was the leading wicket-taker coming into this game, and he’s an outstanding bowler,” Santner stated. “He has the knack for getting wickets even when the pitch doesn’t seem to favor it. We definitely missed that today. I really feel for Matty. He’s a great team player, and he was clearly very upset.”
Santner added, “We wanted to play for him. It’s incredibly tough for him and for us to come so far and then have an injury prevent him from playing in the final. He did everything he could to be ready, but unfortunately, he wasn’t quite fit.”
New Zealand faced other challenges during the tournament. Unlike India, who played all their matches in Dubai, New Zealand had to travel between Dubai and three different venues in Pakistan, making them the only team to play in four locations in the Champions Trophy.
Rachin Ravindra, who was named Player of the Tournament with 263 runs and three wickets, also suffered a head injury while attempting a catch in a preceding tri-series in Pakistan. Kyle Jamieson joined the team as a late replacement for Lockie Ferguson, who was injured in the ILT20.
“Tournaments like this, with quick game turnarounds, are never going to be perfect,” Santner commented. “But what’s most encouraging is that different players stepped up when given opportunities. I’m extremely proud of the team.”
He continued, “We had players moving in and out due to injuries. And Rachin’s quick recovery after his head injury and immediate impact was fantastic. Kyle Jamieson flying in and contributing strongly was also excellent.”
While New Zealand made fielding errors while defending a target of 253, Santner believes the first innings was decisive. After a strong start of 57 for no wicket in 7.4 overs, New Zealand quickly lost Will Young, Ravindra, and Kane Williamson, falling to 75 for 3 by the 12.2nd over. Varun Chakaravarthy initiated the breakthrough, and Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Ravindra and Williamson in his first seven balls.
“I thought our batting approach in the first eight overs was excellent. But then, the Indian spinners bowled brilliantly to restrict us and make it difficult in the middle overs. After that initial start, we were probably aiming for a score around 275 or 280,” Santner explained.
“Credit must be given to Kuldeep for his bowling right after the powerplay and to Varun during the powerplay.”
