With the pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) expected to offer some grip to the spinners, the Indian batters did not want to leave anything to the chance.
England recovered from a disastrous start as captain Brook bludgeoned 135 from 101 balls and Jamie Overton made 46 to help their side finish on 223 all out in 35.2 overs for a fighting chance in the contest.
Stationed at mid off, Du Plessis 'flew' with his right hand stretched out to pluck it out of the air. The 39 year old timed his jump to perfection as he was 2.3 metres off the ground when he grabbed the ball.
Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner has emerged as New Zealand's trump card in the ongoing World Twenty20 but his bowling partner Ish Sodhi said it is not fair to compare him to the talismanic Daniel Vettori as both are completely different despite similar styles. Santner has grabbed eight wickets in three matches so far and has played a key role in New Zealand's smooth unbeaten march into the semifinals. "He (Vettori) was a fantastic bowler in his own right. But I think they are completely different bowlers. Santner is being himself as much as he can at the moment and it's working really well for him. For us to have his voice when we need it is really nice," Santner told reporters on the eve of the team's match against Bangladesh in Kolkata. Decoding the secret of Santner's success, Sodhi said the left-arm spinner's ability to use his wrist well makes him a difficult proposition in the spin-friendly Indian conditions. "He's a finger spinner but he puts a lot of wrist like leg-spin bowling. He puts lot of wrists on the ball. You have to do that with our conditions as it's not very conducive to spin, so you have to get something out of the wicket. I think he's a product of that.
Spinner Maheesh Theekshana's hat-trick was in vain as New Zealand clinched the three-match One-Day International series against Sri Lanka with a game to spare after a 113-run victory in a rain-shortened second one-day international in Hamilton on Wednesday.
At the mega auction, Mumbai Indians made some strategic buys, in a bid to build a strong team around their solid Indian core consisting of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jaspreet Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma.
New Zealand stumper-batsman Tom Latham was ruled out of the one-day series against Pakistan with a hand leaving Michael Bracewell to continue as the side's captain.
'You've got to be quite smart against him. If he gets on a roll, he's pretty tough to stop. As we've seen, he has bowled extremely well'
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
Chennai Super Kings will lean on their formidable spin strength under favourable conditions at the Chepauk as well as recent record against Mumbai Indians sans Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, when the two sides face each other in their Indian Premier League campaign opener in Chennai on Sunday.
India's spinners were the key architects of the bowling performance. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) were the standout performers, while Jadeja (1/30) and Axar Patel (0/29 in 8 overs) kept the pressure on with their economical spells.
Simon Doull lambasted Indian batters for their poor batting performance against spinners Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips during the second Test
Mitchell Santner admitted it was 'shocking' to clean up Virat Kohli on a full toss, in Pune, on Friday.
Babar Azam's approach drew heavy criticism from fans
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead will no longer coach the One-Day International and T20 teams but may re-apply for the Test role, he said on Tuesday.
Thrown into the spotlight in just his second ODI, Varun Chakaravarthy made the opportunity count in spectacular fashion.
After his stellar performance, Chakaravarthy credited senior players for helping him settle his nerves during the game.
In a nervy finish, Australia snatched a last-ball win over New Zealand in the first T20 International in Wellington.
Images from the opening day of the first Test match between India and New Zealand in Kanpur, on Thursday.
Armed with a potent spin attack, taking on South Africa seems like competing against a "subcontinent team", Ten Doeschate said, admitting that they need to get better at negotiating the challenge posed by tweakers.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
New Zealand clinched the tri-nation title by beating hosts Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Karachi on Friday to give them a major boost ahead of next week's Champions Trophy.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday
New Zealand romped to victory by 423 runs after dismissing England for 234 on the fourth day of the third Test in Hamilton on Tuesday to claim a consolation victory and send Tim Southee out a winner in his final match.
K L Rahul on Saturday conceded that Indian batters' repeated struggles against spin, especially on home tracks, remain a concern.
The collapse, India's lowest failed chase at home, has left behind deeper fault lines than a dry Eden Gardens wicket can conceal.
While this may not secure qualification outright, it would certainly keep them in contention. New Zealand head coach Gary Stead drew inspiration from the inaugural WTC cycle in 2019-21, when New Zealand won six consecutive matches enroute to securing the title.
West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican stressed that seizing crucial moments will be the key to competing in the two-match series against India.
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson hit fifties as New Zealand thrashed Pakistan by 46 runs in the first T20 International.
Images from Day 3 of the second Test between India and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Saturday.
Former New Zealand player Ian Smith put down the Shubman Gill-led India's recent red ball struggles at home to their diminishing ability against spin.
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene on Friday said star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was still recuperating from a back injury and that the team was waiting for him to be cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
New Zealand on Monday named a strong squad, which includes five spin bowling options
With just a week to go until the start of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE, it sets up a tight race for the premier position for batters in 50-over cricket during the eight-team tournament.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji check out who could be the Most Valuable Player of IPL 2025 before the final.
Bangladesh had resumed on their overnight score of 38-2 but lost wickets cheaply in the morning as spinners Patel (6-57) and Santner (3-51) took advantage of the turn on offer to heap pressure on the batsmen.
