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Spin attack leads India to Champions Trophy title

Spin attack leads India to Champions Trophy title
The Indian cricket team played all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan due to political tensions. (AP)
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Updated 09 March 2025

Spin attack leads India to Champions Trophy title

Spin attack leads India to Champions Trophy title
  • India finish unbeaten in the eight-nation contest played in Pakistan and UAE

DUBAI: Rohit Sharma made a combative 76 to back up a potent spin bowling display as India beat New Zealand by four wickets to win a record third Champions Trophy title on Sunday.

Chasing 252 to win, India got off to a fast start through their captain’s first half-century of the tournament before KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 34 to help seal victory with six balls to spare in the final in Dubai.

India added to their trophies in 2002 and 2013 to go past Australia, who have two titles. India finished unbeaten in the eight-nation tournament played in Pakistan and the UAE.

In a battle of spin on a sluggish Dubai pitch, New Zealand’s bowlers put India in trouble at 203-5 with Rohit and Shreyas Iyer, who hit 48, back in the pavilion.

But Rahul kept calm and along with Hardik Pandya (18) and Ravindra Jadeja, who hit the winning boundary, steered the team home to loud cheers from a largely Indian crowd in a sea of blue.

India played all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan due to political tensions.

India played four spinners in their last three matches, which proved telling in deciding the outcome.

Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each to help restrict New Zealand to 251-7 after the Black Caps elected to bat first.

In reply, Rohit came out firing as he took on the pace bowlers with regular boundaries including a six and two fours in one over off Nathan Smith.

The captain reached his fifty in 41 balls to put the pressure on the opposition.

New Zealand’s spinners attempted to pull things back and a stunning catch from Glenn Phillips secured a key breakthrough.

Phillips went airborne to pluck a flying ball at extra cover to dismiss Shubman Gill for 31 off skipper Mitchell Santner.

Virat Kohli fell in the next over, trapped lbw for one off Michael Bracewell’s off spin and the momentum shifted as runs dried up for India.

Rohit, after a maiden over from Bracewell, jumped out of his crease against Rachin Ravindra only to be stumped by Latham as India slipped from 105 without loss to 122-3.

Iyer controlled the chase aided by a dropped catch by Kyle Jamieson but soon fell to Santner.

India lost Axar Patel and Pandya but Rahul stood strong to drag his team over the line.

New Zealand missed their pace spearhead Matt Henry after he was forced out of the final due to a shoulder injury.

Kane Williamson also could not come out to field after his batting effort of 11 due to a quad strain.

Daryl Mitchell hit 63 and Bracewell made a quickfire 53 not out for New Zealand, but it was not enough against an Indian side with considerable batting depth.


Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge
Updated 06 November 2025

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge
  • Barcelona found their equalizer in the 77th minute when Yamal lifted a cross into the box and defender Seys headed the ball into his own net when trying to clear

BRUGES, Belgium: Barcelona fought back three times to snatch a 3-3 draw at Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, equalising for the final time late in the game with an own goal from 20-year-old Belgium defender Joaquin Seys.
Barcelona are now 11th in the standings on seven points from four matches while Club Brugge sit 22nd on four points, with both teams still in the hunt for qualification.
In a thriller at Brugge’s Jan Breydel Stadium, the home side opened the scoring through Nicolo Tresoldi in the sixth minute, after a quick counter by Carlos Forbs that exposed the vulnerability of Barcelona’s high defense.
The 21-year-old jet-heeled Portuguese forward controlled a long ball in his stride to beat the offside trap up the right channel before bursting into the box and crossing low for Tresoldi to score with a tidy finish past the goalkeeper.
Barcelona hit right back with Ferran Torres from close range two minutes later but Brugge regained the lead in the 17th minute with Forbs scoring after another quick counter.
In an end-to-end encounter with both sides creating several chances, Jules Kounde struck the crossbar in the 27th minute as Barcelona tried to find the equalizer, while Ferran Torres missed from close range right before the break.

FRANTIC FINALE
Barcelona keeper Wojciech Szczesny made a stunning save early in the second half when Seys entered the penalty box in a counter-attack and struck a bullet shot from close range that the veteran Polish keeper blocked away brilliantly.
Barca defender Eric Garcia almost scored in the 59th minute with a thunderous strike from long range that exploded off the crossbar but it was teenager Lamine Yamal who scored a brilliant individual goal one minute later to level the match again. However, it took Club Brugge only two minutes to get back the lead, with Forbs scoring from another counter-attack, beating Barcelona’s high defense again for the umpteenth time before chipping a tidy finish round Szczesny into the net.
Barcelona found their equalizer in the 77th minute when Yamal lifted a cross into the box and defender Seys headed the ball into his own net when trying to clear.
There was more drama as Brugge thought they had scored the winner in added time through Romeo Vermant, thanks to what looked to have been a massive blunder by Szczesny. But the VAR video review ruled out the goal as the forward fouled the keeper in his effort to recover the ball, helping Barca rescue a point.
“They have created a lot of danger on the counter-attack and we should have done much better everywhere,” a visibly frustrated Ferran Torres told Movistar Plus.
“It seemed like that with two passes they were already in our box. We have to find ways to improve. The team reacted well, we had a lot of chances. But when you’re behind... It’s tough.”