Mitchell Santner reveals secret behind New Zealand’s turnaround against India

Dubai: Drama, and a game-changing moment in the final. India seemed to be cruising towards the Champions Trophy title as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill toyed with New Zealand’s bowling under the lights at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. A 100-run stand, effortless stroke play, and no signs of trouble — until Mitchell Santner called his team in for a chat during the drinks break. What followed was a remarkable turnaround as the Black Caps flipped the script and left India searching for answers.

Santner’s rallying cry

What did he tell the team to inspire the turnaround? The New Zealand skipper felt Rohit Sharma’s wicket would be the key, as the Indian captain was attacking the bowling.

“We just needed to get Rohit Sharma out by the looks of it. Yeah, I think it was. Obviously, they got off to a good start with some good batting and a good partnership. But we still felt through the middle stages; you could really squeeze the new batters. It looked like a tough wicket to start on, as it was the other day here,” the 33-year-old Santner told the media on Sunday.

“We’re still trying to be aggressive with the ball. Just told someone to potentially change the game with a catch or run out or something. And we were still able to chip wickets out. There was a little period of play there before Rohit got out that we definitely started to squeeze and you could feel something happening. But I think to go run a ball 70 or 80 on that wicket was a pretty good knock.”

Phillips’ brilliance shifts momentum

Responding to the captain’s call, ‘Superman’ Glenn Phillips pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss Gill, giving New Zealand the breakthrough they had been waiting for. A few tight overs followed, including the wicket of Virat Kohli, piling tremendous pressure on Rohit Sharma. The Indian skipper, looking to break the shackles, stepped out for a big shot but was eventually stumped.

Santner, a left-arm spinner and a gutsy batter, took over the white-ball captaincy in December from Kane Williamson, who stepped down after the T20 World Cup last year.

The Black Caps lost two of their five matches in the Champions Trophy — both defeats coming against India. They defeated Bangladesh and hosts Pakistan in the group stage before knocking out South Africa in the semi-final in Lahore, thanks to centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Williamson.

Santner proud of Black Caps’ campaign

“I guess it’s kind of bittersweet at the end,” Santner said.

“I think we came up against a good side in the final but yeah you know we challenged in there at times throughout this game, which was pleasing.”

He added: “I think there were probably a couple of small moments where we let it get away from us, but yeah, incredibly proud of this group and the way we’ve gone about it throughout this tournament.”

A fight to remember

New Zealand may have fallen short in the final, but their fightback in Dubai was a testament to their resilience. Santner’s tactical shift, Phillips’ brilliance in the field, and the Black Caps’ unwavering belief turned a one-sided chase into a battle. India may have lifted the trophy, but for a brief moment, New Zealand made them sweat for it.