New Zealand pacer Matt Henry acknowledged that India’s deep understanding of the conditions in Dubai played a key role in their bowling strategy, particularly in their Champions Trophy 2025 group-stage clash. India, having played all their matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, fielded a four-pronged spin attack featuring Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel.
This move paid off as India secured a 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final Group A fixture on Sunday. Matt Henry admitted that India’s familiarity with the conditions gave them an edge, allowing them to assemble an effective bowling unit that put the Kiwi batters under relentless pressure.
“Playing four frontline spinners was a really effective way to go about it. India played to the conditions beautifully, and that was probably the challenge for us,” Henry stated in the post-match press conference.
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New Zealand were aware of India’s spin-heavy strategy but struggled to counter it. “We knew they would play four spinners, and they bowled beautifully. They assessed the conditions well and kept us under pressure throughout. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get across the line,” he added.
The standout performer among India’s spinners was Varun Chakravarthy, who delivered a match-winning spell, claiming 5/42. Matt Henry was full of praise for the mystery spinner.
“He bowled beautifully, didn’t he? He showed his skill by turning the ball both ways and even generating pace. His ability to extract turn and bounce was remarkable, and he put us under pressure from start to finish. It was a match-winning performance,” Henry acknowledged.
Despite the loss, Henry found positives in New Zealand’s fast bowlers, who troubled India early on, reducing them to 30/3 in the powerplay. He believes that maintaining a similar approach will be crucial in their upcoming semifinal against South Africa in Lahore.
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“The key is adapting. As a fast-bowling unit, we focus on reading conditions and making it difficult for the opposition to score. We did that in the powerplay here, and if we can continue taking wickets at regular intervals, it will make a big difference. We’ll take our learnings from this game and apply them against South Africa,” Matt Henry concluded.
