Dubai, Mar 2 (Reporter) India posted a total of 249 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs against New Zealand in the last match of Group A of the ICC Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday. After being put in to bat, India struggled to build momentum on a pitch that offered significant assistance to the NZ bowlers. The Indian innings got off to a shaky start as opener Shubman Gill (2) was trapped leg before by Matt Henry in the third over, setting the tone for a disciplined bowling effort from the Kiwis. NZ, who have displayed the highest catching efficiency in the tournament at 96 percent, showcased their sharp fielding once again. Glenn Phillips pulled off a stunning catch at backward point to dismiss Virat Kohli (11), playing in his 300th ODI, off Henry’s bowling. The early dismissals continued as skipper Rohit Sharma (15) mistimed a pull shot off Kyle Jamieson to be caught by Will Young at mid-wicket, leaving India reeling at 30 for 3. Shreyas Iyer (79) steadied the innings with a patient knock, anchoring India's middle order. His 98-ball innings included four boundaries and two sixes, which was crucial in India reaching a competitive total. Axar Patel contributed 42 before falling to Rachin Ravindra, while K L Rahul (23) and Ravindra Jadeja (16) failed to convert their starts. Hardik Pandya played a crucial knock of 45 off 45 balls, accelerating in the death overs with some lusty blows, including a massive 98-metre six off Kyle Jamieson. Mohammed Shami (5) and Kuldeep Yadav (1*) ensured India batted out their full quota of overs. India's batting performance highlighted their struggles against pace, as they managed only 115 runs for seven wickets in the first 25 overs, with a high false shots. However, they fared better against spin, accumulating 124 runs for two wickets in the next 25 overs, with a significantly lower false shots. Henry was the pick of the bowlers for NZ, claiming 5 for 42 in his 8 overs—the second-best figures by a Kiwi in Champions Trophy history after Jacob Oram’s 5/36 against the USA in 2004. This also marked the first five-wicket haul against India in the tournament’s history. Jamieson (1/31), William O’Rourke (1/47), Rachin Ravindra (1/31), and Mitchell Santner (1/41) provided valuable support, restricting India from posting a larger total. NZ’s exceptional fielding played a significant role, in stark contrast to India’s fielding woes in the tournament. While the Black Caps lead the catching efficiency charts at 96 percent, India have struggled with a below-par 77.7 percent, dropping four catches in the tournament. The Dubai pitch continued to assist the spinners, with deliveries bowled under 85 kph turning 69 percent more than those above 85 kph. The challenging conditions meant that the Indian batsmen struggled to score freely, with NZ’s bowlers exploiting the conditions effectively. NZ will now look to chase down the 250-run target to top the points table...////...