New Zealand pacer Matt Henry has etched his name in history by becoming the first bowler to take a five-wicket haul against India in the Champions Trophy.
Henry set the tone for his remarkable feat by dismissing the in-form Shubman Gill early. He then went on to claim four more wickets, securing his place in the record books with an achievement no one had managed before.
In the final group-stage match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday, Henry delivered a stunning spell, taking 5 wickets for 42 runs against India. No bowler had previously enjoyed such success against the Asian giants in this tournament.
India, after losing the toss and being put into bat, struggled against Henry’s brilliance. Despite a fighting fifty from Shreyas Iyer and solid contributions from Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya, they managed to post 249 for 9.
Shreyas scored 79 runs off 98 balls, including 2 sixes and 4 fours. Axar contributed with 42 runs off 31 balls, hitting 1 six and 3 fours. Hardik Pandya scored 45 runs off 45 balls, hitting 2 sixes and 4 fours.
Rohit Sharma was pleased to bat first, seeing it as a chance for the bowlers to test their skills. However, he and the other top-order batsmen failed to provide a solid start for the team.
Shubman Gill, who had scored an unbeaten 101 and 46 in the previous two matches, couldn’t make it to double digits this time. He was dismissed for just 2 runs, LBW to Henry. Despite reviewing, the Indian opener couldn’t survive. A few overs later, Rohit was dismissed for 15 by Kyle Jamieson.
Virat Kohli, playing his 300th ODI, also failed to make an impact, scoring only 11 runs (2 fours). He was caught spectacularly by Glenn Phillips off Henry’s delivery outside the off stump, resulting in a sharp catch at point.
India, struggling at 30 for 3, found stability through Shreyas and Axar. They rebuilt the innings with a partnership of 98 runs. However, the stand was broken when Axar was dismissed for 42, caught by Kane Williamson off Rachin Ravindra’s delivery.
Shreyas, who had reached his fifty off 75 balls, seemed confident but was caught at short mid-wicket, unable to handle a short ball from Will O’Rourke. Lokesh Rahul also failed to settle in, scoring 23 runs.
Hardik Pandya then formed a crucial 41-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. However, Jadeja was dismissed by Henry, and Pandya, attempting a big shot, was caught off a short ball from Henry in the final over.
At that point, Henry had 4 wickets with 3 balls remaining. There was some doubt whether he would complete his five-wicket haul, but Mohammad Shami was caught out on the last ball, allowing Henry to achieve the milestone.
This was Henry’s third five-wicket haul in ODIs. His career-best performance came in 2014 against Pakistan, where he took 5 wickets for 30 runs. He also picked up another five-wicket haul two years later against Sri Lanka, taking 5 wickets for 40 runs.
