Ravindra ton powers New Zealand into Champions Trophy semis, hosts Pakistan out
- 24 Feb 2025
Rawalpindi: Rachin Ravindra struck a superb 112 to lead New Zealand into the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a five-wicket win over Bangladesh and in turn dump hosts Pakistan out of the semi-final race.
The result in Rawalpindi also ensured India’s semi-final berth in the 50-over tournament as Bangladesh became the other team from Group A to be knocked out.
Both New Zealand and India have two wins from two matches and will now meet in Dubai on Sunday to decide team one and two from the group.
Pakistan, who won the previous edition of the Champions Trophy in 2017, lost to New Zealand and then India in the first International Cricket Council (ICC) event they are hosting since the 1996 ODI World Cup.
India refused to tour Pakistan due to political reasons and instead are playing all their matches in Dubai, which will host the final if the Asian giants go the distance.
New Zealand have been the team to beat in this group after they humbled Pakistan by 60 runs in the tournament opener.
Coming in as firm favourites in their second match, New Zealand elected to field first and spinner Michael Bracewell returned career-best ODI figures of 4-36 to restrict Bangladesh to 236-9.
Chasing 237 for victory, New Zealand slipped to 15-2 and 72-3 before Ravindra and fellow left-hander Tom Latham, who made 55, added 129 for the fourth wicket.
Both were dismissed before the end but New Zealand still achieved the target with 23 balls to spare.
The Black Caps had a disastrous start when pace bowler Tasking Ahmed bowled first-match centurion Will Young for a duck.
Ravindra reset: Bangladesh’s new pace sensation Nahid Rana took down Kane Williamson caught behind for five with a delivery bowled at 148.8 kph (92.4 mph).
Ravindra, who returned to the team after recovering from a nasty blow to his forehead in a recent tri-series match against Pakistan, joined Devon Conway to rebuild the innings.
Conway hit back with a flurry of boundaries and made 30 before Bangladesh checked the surge and Mustafizur Rahman hurried one on to the left-hander who chopped on to his stumps.
Ravindra stood firm and with fellow left-hander Latham, another centurion in the opener against Pakistan, waded his way through the chase and after reaching his fifty bossed the bowlers.
He raised his fourth ODI ton with a single off Rana and raised his bat to soak up the applause.
Ravindra finally fell, caught at long-on off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, and wicketkeeper-batsman Latham’s run out added some late drama. But Glenn Phillips, 21 not out, and Bracewell, who hit the winning boundary, sealed the chase.
Player of the match Bracewell set up victory with key strikes that started with his second delivery to dismiss Tanzid Hasan out for 24 and end a strong start by Bangladesh.
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto made 77 and Jaker Ali 45 in an attempt to put up a competitive total but Bracewell kept getting wickets.
He was ably supported by the New Zealand quicks with rookie Will O’Rourke returning with two wickets.
Agence France-Presse
