The better understanding India had about Dubai’s playing conditions along with Rohit Sharma’s 75 run winning performance led New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner to explain their defeat in the Champion Trophy final.
India concluded their run chase by winning with four wickets as they scored 252 against their opponents. Santner expressed both joy and sadness about the game’s outcome following the final where he praised his team’s performance.
Santner recognized that New Zealand demonstrated strong competition throughout the match but lost control at important moments during the game. According to Santner, the big difference between the Dubai cricket pitch and Lahore cricket conditions, where they had defeated South Africa in the semis, was crucial to their final result.
Although the Kiwis had accounted for the conditions change, they faced defeat from an impressive Indian team. The team faces one more complication from the absence of wicket leader Matt Henry, who had taken 10 wickets during the tournament.
Santner acknowledged flat wickets would have greatly benefited from Henry’s movement-extracting capabilities in the game. Santner expressed his respect for his team both on their tournament performance and dedication throughout the event despite their final result. The future makes him optimistic, while he maintains faith that New Zealand will return to success.