Follow UsNew Zealand defeated Bangladesh comprehensively by five wickets in Rawalpindi to reach the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is being held in Pakistan and UAE.
The stars of the show for the Blackcaps were Rachin Ravindra with the bat and Michael Bracewell with the ball. While Ravindra became the first batter to score a century on both Champions Trophy and ODI World Cup debut, Player of the Match Bracewell bowled his 10 overs for just 26 runs and collected four Bangladeshi wickets as a reward for his tight lines.
However, New Zealand’s next game, although it’s a dead rubber, will be against India in Dubai, and the Indian batters have negotiated the spinners decently in the first two games they played there. When asked if it would be a challenge for the Kiwi spinners, Ravindra backed Bracewell and Mitch Santner to come good against the Men In Blue since they are in very good form.
“Beasty [Bracewell] bowled out of his skin I think [against Bangladesh]. His development as a cricketer over the last few years has been amazing to watch,” the left-hander batter said.
“Being able to play with him way back in the day in Wellington sort of five, six years ago and seeing him develop is amazing and he's learning his craft so well and seeing him be so consistent as he is recently is amazing and give so much depth to our spin attack.
“Obviously, led by Sat [Santner], who's a world-class bowler, one of the best in the world. Having someone like Mike to supplement him is great.
“And yeah, looking ahead to the India challenge, it's always going to be difficult playing in there. But we see it's a bit of a slow wicket, and our spinners have been bowling really well, so hopefully we can execute that.”
When asked about his splendid hundred that helped New Zealand polish off the chase with 23 deliveries remaining, Ravindra stressed the importance of playing according to the need and building partnerships.
“For us [Tom Latham and him] it was just about building our partnership and trying to take it deep,” the Kiwi said.
“I guess the beauty of chasing 240 is you don't really need to push the accelerator too much on good wickets and fast outfields. So, for us, we're just playing good cricket shots and trying to work together in little five-run blocks.”
Ravindra was returning against Bangladesh after a freak injury in the Tri-nation series played before the Champions Trophy in its buildup. He was hit on his forehead as he misjudged the catch in the lights at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and had to be taken away. The 25-year-old thanked all his well-wishers and staff who helped him recover quickly from a serious injury setback.
“It was definitely freak accident. I think things like that don't really happen too often,” Ravindra remarked.
“I'm very grateful to have a great support crew around me in terms of Black Caps set up, coaches and doctors and physio that have been able to come out of it reasonably well and I'm extremely grateful for the love and support of everyone.
“I've been showered with so much care and love and really it does make me seriously happy knowing how many people care about me, and I'm very grateful to everyone who's reached out and given their support so thank you for that.”
New Zealand will play against India in Dubai on March 2.