3 things India need to do right to beat New Zealand in Match 12 of the 2025 Champions Trophy ft. right-left combinations

India's final group game of the 2025 Champions Trophy will see them take on New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, March 2. The Men in Blue have already qualified from Group A and will face either Australia or South Africa in the semifinals depending upon their final position in the standings.

India have had a week off since their comprehensive win over Pakistan and will be well rested for this encounter. Rohit Sharma and Co. will likely have an eye on keeping their players fresh for the knockouts but will know the importance of momentum, with the semifinals scheduled to be held soon after their clash.

India will need to be on point from a tactical perspective against New Zealand, who have proven to be worthy opponents in ICC events over the years. The Kiwis have been as consistent as ever in the tournament so far and are playing excellent cricket right now.

India's squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.

On that note, here are three things India need to do right in Match 12 of the 2025 Champions Trophy.

---

#3 Picking an additional spinner might not be the worst idea

India Portraits - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Source: Getty

The pitch at the Dubai International Stadium has been used a bit over the last few weeks, and reports suggest that the slowest track of the group stage could be dished out on Sunday. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate suggested during his pre-match press conference that spin could be key against New Zealand.

India already have three quality spinners in Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, but adding a fourth might not be the worst idea. Varun Chakaravarthy is someone who is capable of bowling across phases, while Washington Sundar could be useful against the slew of left-handers in the Kiwi lineup.

Resting one of the frontline pacers, or Hardik Pandya, could be the way to go for India. Even if they sacrifice a batting option for an extra spinner, it could help them prep for the semifinal while making the most of conditions in Dubai.

---

#2 India need right-left combinations in the middle order to counter Mitchell Santner

Bangladesh v India - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Source: Getty

Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner had Pakistan and Bangladesh on strings in the last two matches, with Glenn Phillips being more than capable of bowling out his quota. As mentioned earlier, spin to win might be the theme, and India need to be wary of that.

The Men in Blue have used Axar Patel as a floater in recent times and could adopt the same strategy on Sunday. Rishabh Pant, who had an extended net session on the eve of the match, could also be included to give the batting unit an exciting new dimension.

Either way, it's clear that India will need capable left-right combinations through the middle overs to counter the accuracy and guile of Santner and Bracewell.

---

#1 India's openers need to put New Zealand's pace trio under the pump

Bangladesh v India - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Source: Getty

In the 2023 World Cup, Rohit Sharma's positive approach against Matt Henry set the tone for India. Shubman Gill, meanwhile, has been proactive with his shot-making against the new ball to put oppositions under pressure.

On Sunday, the opening duo need to follow the same approach and ensure that the powerplay is maximized. Batting has been the easiest in the early phase of innings, with spin and cutters coming into play later in the piece. If Rohit and Gill can pick apart Henry, Will O'Rourke and Kyle Jamieson, Santner could be forced to make some unorthodox bowling changes.

India bat deep, so this is a sustainable approach for them. And with Rohit nursing a hamstring injury, his best bet at getting through to the semifinals unscathed might be to throw caution to the wind and minimize running between the wickets.