Ravi Shastri shortlists NZ players who pose biggest threat to India’s dominance in CT final

Dubai [UAE], March 8 (ANI): Former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri outlined the biggest threat posed by New Zealand to India in the upcoming high-stakes Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday, ICC review reported.

India will finally have an opportunity to avenge its past heartbreaks inflicted at the hands of New Zealand in the 2000 Champions Trophy and the final of the inaugural World Test Championship.

At the top of the list stood young southpaw Rachin Ravindra, who has thrived in the early days of his career on his sheer consistency. His knack for hunting down the three-digit figures has made him a force to be reckoned with.

In the second semi-final clash against South Africa, Rachin upped the ante and slammed his fifth ODI century, all of them coming in ICC events. According to Shastri, Rachin’s talent resonates in his rare talent of playing an invaluable knock in pulsating affairs.

“I just like the way he moves in the crease. There’s an element of fluency, which is fabulous to see. He’s either forward, he’s back, he’ll cut, he’ll sweep it, play the quicks well and he’s got a very good temperament. You don’t get hundreds in big tournaments like this just like that. You’ve got to have something up your sleeve and I think he’s immensely talented,” Shastri said on the latest episode of The ICC Review.

The next player on Shastri’s list is New Zealand’s modern-day stalwart Kane Williamson. The veteran batter found his groove in the semi-final and kept his strike rate high with his elegant strokeplay.

He played a starring role for the Blackcaps and impressed in the group stage against India (81) and South Africa (102), becoming an imperative for New Zealand’s fortunes on Sunday.

“He’s very stable and there’s an element of calmness, a no-nonsense element about him the way he goes about his job. He’s like a saint, a sage, just sitting, meditating. A lot of people look at the big shots, I look at the way he moves in the crease. There’s an element of fluency,” he said.

“Joe Root when he’s batting at his best. He’s forward, back. Kohli (as well). When people move in the crease, the footwork is sound. It’s a joy to watch. And then with their experience, their talent, the volume of runs they’ve got, doesn’t matter what format they play,” he added.

With the ball Shastri expects New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner to wreak havoc by weaving spin traps. In his debut tournament as a skipper, Santner has made his presence felt across all spectrums of the game.

He has been a prime wicket-taking candidate for the Kiwis, chipped in with cameos with the bat and regulated his bowling options to their optimum effect.

‘He’s an intelligent man. And I think this captaincy suits him. It just adds that edge to him as a batter, as a bowler, as a cricketer. So I think it’s a smart move by New Zealand opting for that and just the way he goes about his job, like I said, he’s a good reader of the game, is an intelligent bloke and should be there for some time for New Zealand,” he said.

Shastri also gave a special mention to Glenn Phillips and said, “He might just show flashes of brilliance in the field. He might come and smash a cameo of 40-50 and probably surprise you by taking a wicket or two.”