DUBAI: New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner could not confirm that pace spearhead Matt Henry will be available for Sunday’s Champions Trophy final but was confident they can tame India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy.
The tournament’s leading wicket-taker Henry suffered a shoulder injury while taking a catch in the deep in the semi-final against South Africa.
“Matt’s going to have a bowl just to see how he is,” Santner told reporters on Saturday. “I guess we’ll make a call after that.”
India beat New Zealand in a group match in Dubai where Chakravarthy claimed 5-42 with his bag of tricks that includes off-break, leg-break, googly and the ‘carrom ball’ that he pushes with his knuckle.
Santner expected India to field a four-pronged spin attack again retaining Chakravarthy, who burst into prominence after impressing in the Indian Premier League.
“He’s obviously a world-class bowler; we’ve seen it here and obviously in the IPL and that little bit of mystery,” Santner, in his first global tournament as New Zealand captain, said. “But it was the first time some of the guys have been facing him. I think they’ll learn from the other day.”
New Zealand batters had seen more footage of Chakravarthy but Santner felt India’s three other spinners could also prove a handful.
“If the pitch plays a similar way it’s going to be a challenge along with all three of their other spinners. “I think we obviously know what his [Chakravarthy] threats are now. That 115 kilometres per hour arm-ball that got me — that was a bit of a threat.”
Santner said that mid-match communications and adaptability regarding the pitch could be key to success.
India have played all their matches in Dubai after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan due to political tensions and come in the title clash unbeaten in four matches.
The pitches have been vastly different in the two countries.
Pakistan tracks produced big totals, in contrast to the slow and turning decks of the Dubai stadium.
“I think we have to kind of go in with an open mind of how the pitch will play, and then adjust accordingly,” Santner told reporters.
“Get those communications back to the groups, what you think a good score is. Yeah, I think we obviously, it could be a 300 wicket, we don’t know I guess yet, but it could also be a 250 kind of winning score.
“So, I think there will be periods throughout this game on both sides where you’re under pressure for a period of time. But if you can kind of withstand that and get through, it might get easier,” he added.
The highest total at Dubai in this 50-over tournament was Australia’s 264 in the semi-final and India overhauled the score with 11 balls to spare.
New Zealand went down to India by 44 runs in the last group meeting at the venue where the Black Caps restricted the opposition to 249 before being dismissed for 205.
“We’ll learn from that,” said Santner. “We know India are probably going to go in with the same team. So, I think we have to be ready and be adaptable for what’s coming.”
The tournament’s tangled schedule, with teams flying in and out of the UAE from Pakistan while India have stayed put, has been hugely controversial. New Zealand beat South Africa in Lahore and flew back to Dubai.
“I think it was a bit of a shock,” Santner said on the temperature in the two cities. “Jumped up 10 degrees in the last four days for us. But I think, obviously, coming off a semi-final win, the guys are in pretty good spirits.”
New Zealand will be looking to win the tournament for the second time, having done so in 2000 when they beat India in the final.
New Zealand also beat India in the inaugural World Test Championship final in 2021.
“Hopefully we’re third time lucky,” Santner said. “But no, I think we know India are going to be a challenge tomorrow.”
Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2025
