New Zealand and India are through to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy from Group A, following New Zealand’s five-wicket win over Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Monday. The two will face each other on March 2 in Dubai for top spot in Group A, but regardless of the result in that game, India will play the first semi-final in Dubai on March 4, while New Zealand play the second semi-final in Lahore on March 5.
Bangladesh and hosts Pakistan are out of the running. The two will play each other for consolation points – both are winless after two games each – in Rawalpindi on February 27.
New Zealand leave for Dubai on Tuesday morning, captain Mitchell Santner confirmed after the Bangladesh match. He lauded Player of the Match Michael Bracewell for setting up the victory over Bangladesh. “We knew Bangladesh would be a tough challenge on this wicket and I think the way we were able to pull it back with the ball in the middle [overs] was pleasing,” Santner said at the post-match presentation. “That’s probably the hardest thing in one-day cricket, to take wickets in the middle, and I think Bracewell was outstanding.”
Bracewell bowled his ten overs on the trot to finish with figures of 4 for 26 – 43 dots included – as New Zealand restricted Bangladesh to 236 for 9, and then the chase was directed by centurion Rachin Ravindra, who stroked 112 off 105.
Bangladesh had been 45 for 0 when Bracewell came on in the ninth over, but he struck straightaway, and by the time he was done in the 27th, they had fallen to 119 for 5. Bracewell said he was happy to contribute to sealing the semi-final spot, and the experience he gained from the preceding tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa helped.
“It’s awesome to contribute to a win. The main focus was coming here and getting the win and securing that semi-final spot, and we were able to do that today,” Bracewell said, adding about his learnings from the tri-series: “I think just keeping the stumps in play as long as you can [is important]. Looks like if you give a little bit of width [on these pitches], guys can free their arms and score pretty freely, so [I was] just trying to bowl as straight as I can, bring in that little bit of variable bounce [which the pitch offered].”
Australia and South Africa, who play at this same venue on Tuesday, might be taking note. They are in a tussle in Group B, which is still wide open. Both teams as well as Afghanistan and England are still in contention for a semi-final spot, although Afghanistan and England have little room left for error, both having lost their first game.
