India vs New Zealand scoreboard in Champions Trophy Group A match

Dubai: Shreyas Iyer’s pressure-defying fifty and Varun Chakravarthy’s spin masterclass helped India script a 44-run win over New Zealand here on Sunday to top Group A, setting up the semifinal against Australia in the Champions Trophy.

Iyer made a composed 79 off 98 balls under pressure but New Zealand, led by pacer Mark Henry (5/42), managed to stifle India to an under-par 249 for nine.

Chasing 250 was not a tall order for New Zealand’s capable batting unit but they struggled against India’s spin quartet led by Chakravarthy (5/42) to be all out for 205 in 45.3 overs. Kane Williamson's gritty 81 went in vain. India will face Australia, who finished second in Group B, in the first semifinal here on Tuesday while the Kiwis play South Africa in the other semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday.

Scoreboard

New Zealand innings

Will Young b Varun Chakravarthy 22

Rachin Ravindra c Axar b Hardik Pandya 6

Kane Williamson st Rahul b Axar 81

Daryl Mitchell lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 17

Tom Latham lbw b Ravindra Jadeja 14

Glenn Phillips lbw b Varun Chakravarthy 12

Michael Bracewell lbw b Varun Chakravarthy 2

Mitchell Santner b Varun Chakravarthy 28

Matt Henry c Kohli b Varun Chakravarthy 2

Kyle Jamieson not out 9

William O Rourke b Kuldeep Yadav 1

Extras: (lb-2, w-8, nb-1) 11

Total: 205 all out in 45.3 overs

Fall of wickets: 17-1, 49-2, 93-3, 133-4, 151-5, 159-6, 169-7, 195-8, 196-9

Bowling: Mohammed Shami 4-0-15-0, Hardik Pandya 4-0-22-1, Axar Patel 10-0-32-1, Varun Chakravarthy 10-0-42-5, Kuldeep Yadav 9.3-0-56-2, Ravindra Jadeja 8-0-36-1.