Shepherded by a brilliant Kuldeep Yadav (2/40), Indian spinners aced the conditions but well-timed fifties by Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell steered New Zealand to a competitive 251 for seven in the Champions Trophy final here on Sunday.
Daryl Mitchell (63, 101 balls) and Bracewell (53 off 40 balls) navigated the Blackcaps through a turbulent middle phase after they opted to bat first.
However, the start made by New Zealand did not justify the total that they eventually managed.
They raced to 69 for 1 in 10 overs despite losing Will Young to Varun Chakravarthy (2/45), who came to bowl as early as the sixth over. The introduction of Kuldeep 11th over changed the complexion of the game.
With his first ball, Kuldeep consumed Rachin Ravindra, who failed to read a wonderfully concealed googly that disturbed his stumps.
It also ended a good 57-run opening stand, in which Ravindra, who punished Hardik Pandya for a six and two fours in row, was dropped on 28 by Mohammed Shami off his own bowling.
In the very next over, Kane Williamson’s forward prod off the left-arm wrist spinner eventuated in a return catch as the Kiwis slipped to 75 for three in 12.2 overs.
The four-pronged Indian spin attack assumed control of the proceedings from that point, and New Zealand could not find a boundary for the next 81 balls.
That tedious sequence was broken when Glenn Phillips hammered Kuldeep for a six over long-off.
Kuldeep and Varun, who at times breached the 100 kmph barrier, found appreciable turn off the deck.
Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, however, relied more on quickness to cramp Kiwis batters for space.
Both the methods of operation were equally effective on the day as the Indian tweakers conceded just 144 runs in the 38 overs bowled between them.
Chakravarthy also mixed his endless ensemble of tricks and accounted for Phillips to end a promising 57-run alliance for the fifth wicket
Phillips could not nullify a 93 kmph googly, and was bowled while looking to cut the ball past square of the wicket.
However, New Zealand might still have hoped for a total in the vicinity of 260 as Mitchell, who cleverly milked the field for singles and twos, brought up his fifty in 91 balls.
His twin boundaries off Shami in the 46th over indicated a late charge by the Kiwis. He also stitched a useful 46-run partnership with Bracewell, who played some hefty shots, for the sixth wicket
But the veteran pacer had the last laugh as Mitchell’s feeble attempt to launch him over the covers ended in the hands of Rohit Sharma.
Bracewell's enterprise meant that the Kiwis would get 50 runs in the last five overs.
