Former Australia left-arm chinaman bowler Brad Hogg reckons India can beat New Zealand easily in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final if in-form pacer Matt Henry is unavailable for selection due to shoulder injury. Matt Henry, who claimed a fifer in the group stage clash against India, injured his shoulder trying to take a catch against South Africa in the semifinal clash at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
While Hogg believes Kiwi spinners Michael Bracewell, captain Mitchell Santner are capable of troubling Indian batters in spin-friendly Dubai conditions, Matt Henry’s availability is crucial for the BlackCaps.
New Zealand are fretting over the injury concern of fast bowler Matt Henry, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 10 scalps to his name. Henry sustained a shoulder injury during the Kiwis’ semifinal against South Africa while attempting to take a catch; however, he returned to bowl two overs later in the match.
Matt Henry as vital cog in the NZ pace attack
The New Zealand men’s cricket team will look at repeat history on Sunday (March 9) and defeat India once again to win the ICC Champions Trophy title. The Kiwis stunned India by four wickets in the 2000 Champions Trophy final played at Nairobi on October 15, 2000, and the Black Caps will expect a similar performance from Mitchell Santner’s men as well in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to take place at Dubai International Cricket Stadium from 2:30 PM IST onwards on Sunday against the Rohit Sharma-led side.
However, for the final match, Kiwis are set to miss the services of star fast bowler Matt Henry. Matt Henry, who became the first bowler in history to take a five-wicket haul against India in the Champions Trophy on Sunday, March 2, is a doubtful starter for the summit clash. The 33-year-old right-arm pacer Matt Henry suffered an injury while playing in the semifinal against South Africa on Wednesday (March 5), and due to that, there’s suspense over his participation in the match.
The New Zealand team management has not ruled him out of the match, but there are very slim chances of him being fit and available for selection in Sunday’s match.
If he misses out, then New Zealand will have to pick between Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy as his replacement. Duffy is a specialist bowler and has 19 wickets to his name in 11 ODIs played so far, whereas all-rounder Smith has picked up seven wickets in seven ODIs. The 26-year-old cricketer from Dunedin played in the Champions Trophy 2025 opener but only bowled two overs.
New Zealand could also drop opening batter Will Young for the summit clash and bring Devon Conway in his place. Young, after scoring 107 runs against Pakistan in Karachi on February 19, has not been able to do much with the bat. Conway, on the other hand, has a good record in ODIs against Men in Blue.
Premier New Zealand pacer Matt Henry has been nursing a shoulder niggle, and Santner said a final call on his availability for the final will be taken later. Ahead of the highly-anticipated grand finale clash, former Australia spinner and two-time World Cup winner Brad Hogg called India “the favourites” but also named one player who can be the game changer for the Kiwis.
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg names Matt Henry and Tom Latham as key player for IND vs NZ 2025 Champions Trophy final
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg feels that New Zealand will be the favorites in the 2025 Champions Trophy final against India, if Matt Henry features in the playing XI. The pacer is doubtful for the upcoming clash after sustaining an injury while taking a catch in the second semi-final against South Africa in Lahore recently.
New Zealand are yet to confirm his availability as they wait to see how he goes about in the nets, before making the final call. The bowling spearhead has been pivotal in the Blackcaps’ run in the tournament, and is currently the leading wicket-taker with 10 scalps at an average of 16.70.
“Yeah, so we’ll be going across the road and training after this. And Matt’s going to have a bowl just to see how he is. Yeah, and then I guess we’ll make a call after that,” captain Mitchell Santner said in the pre-match press conference.
Moreover, Matt Henry’s ability with the new ball is an essential match-up against the high-flying Indian top order. The pacer has troubled the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the past as well, making his presence in the playing XI absolutely vital.
Brad Hogg feels that Matt Henry is the point of difference for New Zealand and that his absence would leave them as the underdogs.
“The Kiwi spinners Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner are good enough to trouble Indian batters in Dubai. The only thing for New Zealand is Matt Henry. If he is not fit for the final then India can easily win the game but if he’s there, then I am slightly leaning towards the Kiwis,” Hogg said in an interview with NDTV.
Matt Henry clinched a five-wicket haul when New Zealand faced India in the group stages. He had trapped Shubman Gill LBW early on, following which the Men in Blue were soon reduced to 30-3 in the first powerplay.
New Zealand’s batting unit, barring Kane Williamson, crumbled in the run chase during their last meeting against India. However, the batters have been in fine form, with Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham, and Glenn Phillips, all among the runs across various stages of the tournament.
Hogg labelled Latham as a threat for India due to his ability to play spin efficiently.
“India are obviously the favourites because they have already played four games in Dubai. But New Zealand have a strong batting lineup too. They have got good batters who can play spin brilliantly. They have got (Tom) Latham in the middle, who can take on left-arm spinners and Varun Chakravarthy the leg spinner, as well as Kuldeep who doesn’t give extra bounce. Latham can play his brilliant sweep shots and I think he is the key for New Zealand,” Hogg said (as per the aforementioned source).
The 2025 Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand is scheduled for Sunday, March 9, at the Dubai International Stadium.