Champions Trophy: Ravindra Revels in Semifinal Victory

Lahore, March 5 (NationPress) Following his remarkable performance of 108 runs off 101 balls in New Zealand's decisive 50-run victory over South Africa, which paved the way for a showdown against India in the 2025 Champions Trophy final, Rachin Ravindra expressed his joy in contributing to such a significant semifinal win.

During the match at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday, Ravindra achieved his fifth ODI century, with all of them scored in ICC events and this being his second in the current tournament. He has set a record as the only men's batter to score his first five ODI centuries in ICC tournaments, as New Zealand registered the highest total in Champions Trophy history.

At 25 years old, Ravindra also partnered with Williamson to add 164 runs off 154 balls for the second wicket; Williamson contributed a solid 102 off 94 balls, marking his 15th century in this format. "It’s a wonderful feeling to have played a part in such an emphatic semifinal win. My start wasn’t as strong as I hoped, as South Africa bowled effectively. However, as we settled in, it was gratifying to build partnerships with Kane and Young. Navigating the ups and downs of one-day cricket was enjoyable," he remarked during the post-match ceremony after receiving the Player of the Match award.

New Zealand's captain, Mitchell Santner, who played a crucial role in derailing the Proteas' chase with figures of 3-43, stated that reaching the 2025 Champions Trophy final felt fantastic. "We faced a strong opposition. Having previously played against India, we are eager to compete again. The foundation laid by Rachin and Kane was instrumental in setting up the final stages of the innings effectively," he said.

"Our finishers performed excellently. Williamson consistently delivers under pressure, and that partnership was significant. While it may have felt frustrating at times, they ensured we reached 360 runs, which in hindsight, 320 might not have sufficed," he added.

Santner praised the bowling unit for maintaining pressure on South Africa's batsmen. "The bowlers’ key task is to consistently chip away at wickets. Personally, it was satisfying to secure three solid dismissals," he noted.

"We have four all-rounders capable of bowling spin, which adds depth. GP's two wickets and Rachin's five overs were commendable. We weren't certain if Henry, who was sore yet fine, would bowl. We knew that hitting a hard length could either spin or seam," he explained.

Discussing strategies for the final, Santner remarked, "Having played in Dubai and putting India under pressure previously instilled confidence. We take note of what strategies work and what doesn’t. Not winning the toss might actually be advantageous."

South Africa's captain, Temba Bavuma, lamented the absence of significant partnerships in their chase, particularly noting that neither he nor Rassie van der Dussen managed a substantial score. "New Zealand set a challenging target. Despite their excellent batting, we were confident about chasing down 350 runs with the wicket improving. While we had a couple of decent partnerships, it wasn't enough," he stated.

"One of us, either myself or van der Dussen, needed to perform significantly, but that didn’t happen. New Zealand placed us under constant pressure from the beginning, regularly targeting the offside and consistently hitting boundaries during the middle overs, making it tough to contain them with wickets in hand during the dying moments," he added.

"At 125 for 1, with Rassie and I batting, we needed to last until the 35th over. However, we failed to establish a solid base for the middle order. My dismissal was unfortunate, and Rassie faced a better ball. We left too much for the incoming batters to accomplish. In terms of batting strategy, being more decisive is paramount. We must be ruthless and seize the game," stated the South African captain.