Matt Henry, the fast bowler from New Zealand, stunned India with a remarkable five-wicket haul in their final Group A match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This was no ordinary performance; it marked the first time a bowler in the 27-year-long history of the tournament had taken a five-wicket haul against India. Henry’s brilliance with the ball left India reeling as they could only manage a total of 249/9 in their 50 overs.
Matt Henry’s Historic Performance in the Champions Trophy 2025
Matt Henry’s five-wicket haul on March 2, 2025, was a remarkable achievement that added another feather to his cap. He became the first-ever bowler to take a five-wicket haul against India in the Champions Trophy. With figures of 5/42 in 8 overs, Henry dismantled India’s formidable batting lineup, restricting them to a challenging total.
Henry’s five-wicket haul wasn’t just a game-changing performance; it was also historic. No bowler in Champions Trophy history had managed to take five wickets against India before. The previous best against India in this tournament was a four-wicket haul, shared by players like Naveed-ul-Hasan, Shoaib Akhtar, and Douglas Hondo.
India’s Struggles Against Henry and New Zealand’s Pace Attack
The conditions in Dubai favored the pacers, and Henry, along with his fellow bowlers, made excellent use of the sluggish pitch. India, which is often dominant against spin, faltered in the face of the pace attack. Matt Henry was at the forefront, delivering crucial blows that saw India lose seven wickets for just 112 runs.
Henry’s spell began with a crucial wicket: Shubman Gill, India’s vice-captain, who was looking to get off to a strong start. Henry’s early strike set the tone for the innings, and his key dismissal of Virat Kohli, India’s star batsman, was a huge moment. Kohli, playing in his 300th ODI, was dismissed thanks to a sensational catch from Glenn Phillips, leaving India’s top order shaken.
As the innings progressed, Henry returned to bowl in the death overs and picked up important wickets, including those of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. These wickets ensured that India couldn’t accelerate in the final overs, leaving them with a subpar total.
The Reaction from Cricket Fans and Experts
After the match, Matt Henry received widespread praise for his outstanding performance. Cricket fans across the world, particularly in New Zealand, hailed him as one of the best but most underrated bowlers in contemporary ODI cricket. The way he troubled the Indian batsmen, especially in challenging conditions, was a joy to watch for Kiwi cricket fans.
Fifer for Matt Henry against India.
Blud is a different beast in ICC tournaments against India. pic.twitter.com/UFa4P6OMKT
— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) March 2, 2025
Matt Henry's ODI performances are massively underrated.
He has just taken his 15th four-wicket haul in only 90 ODIs; that's a four-wicket haul every six matches!
It's an absurdly good record.
I won't go into details, but compare this ratio with any ODI bowler you consider… pic.twitter.com/HpAo4C2JgF
— Abhishek AB (@ABsay_ek) March 2, 2025
Matt Henry#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/LZwSno2ESX
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) March 2, 2025
Matt Henry tops the list of Underrated Bowlers of this Generation.#INDvNZ #MattHenry pic.twitter.com/625mmE9AJU
— Devanshu Maheshwari (@beingdevanshu19) March 2, 2025
Matt Henry – The best new-ball bowler in the world today.
Wobble-seam king and some swing. Assisted by some class fielding.
— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) March 2, 2025
Henry Overtakes Richard Hadlee in ODI Wickets
With his five-wicket haul in the Champions Trophy 2025, Henry reached a significant milestone in his career. He overtook the legendary Richard Hadlee in the list of bowlers with the most ODI wickets for New Zealand. Henry now has 163 wickets to his name, surpassing Hadlee’s 158 wickets in 115 matches. Daniel Vettori still holds the record for the most ODI wickets for New Zealand, with 297 wickets in 291 matches.
Best Bowling Figures Against India in Champions Trophy
Matt Henry’s 5/42 stands as the best bowling figures against India in Champions Trophy history. Below are some notable performances by bowlers against India in previous Champions Trophy matches:
Matt Henry (New Zealand): 5/42 in 8 overs (March 2, 2025, Dubai)
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (Pakistan): 4/25 in 9 overs (September 19, 2004, Birmingham)
Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan): 4/36 in 9.5 overs (September 19, 2004, Birmingham)
Douglas Hondo (Zimbabwe): 4/62 in 9 overs (September 14, 2002, Colombo)
Mohammad Amir (Pakistan): 3/16 in 6 overs (June 18, 2017, The Oval)
Hasan Ali (Pakistan): 3/19 in 6.3 overs (June 18, 2017, The Oval)
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