The Cairns' Carnage: A look back at India's last encounter with New Zealand in a Champions Trophy final

India and New Zealand have rarely met in the ICC Champions Trophy, making Sunday's final only the third time these two teams have faced off since the tournament began. The last time they met was less than a week ago, and the first time was back in the early 2000s when the tournament was known as the ICC KnockOut. That match was also a high-stakes final, adding to the excitement of this rare showdown between the two cricketing powerhouses.

After making their way through the group stages and the knockouts in Kenya in 2000, India and the Kiwis faced off in Nairobi, in only the second edition of the tournament. India had beaten Kenya, Australia, and South Africa in consecutive knockout games to reach the final. Future greats such as Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh made their debuts in this tournament, which came fresh off the fixing scandal that had rocked Indian cricket in the year prior.

Meanwhile New Zealand only had to get past Zimbabwe and then Pakistan in the semifinals, but did so in dramatic fashion, thanks in large part to a young Scott Styris stepping in for the injured Chris Cairns (and you will hear that name again in this story.)

New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming won the toss at the Gymkhana Club Ground in Nairobi, and put India in to bat first. Sourav Ganguly, already having a fine tournament, was the star for India’s batting effort. The Indian captain top scored with 117, putting on a 141-run opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar.

However, despite that strong foundation, India weren’t able to capitalise. Scott Styris affected the run-outs of Tendulkar as well as Rahul Dravid, and when Ganguly was dismissed by Nathan Astle with 8 overs left, the Indian batting flatlined. Set for 300+ at one stage, the Kiwis had restricted India to 264/6.

Chris Cairns' historic rescue act

In response, it was actually India who started off with the early momentum. Craig Spearman was dismissed in the second over, and Stephen Fleming soon after, Venkatesh Prasad doing the damage. While Astle counterattacked to get some runs on the board, his dismissal could have been a turning point — and it was, but in New Zealand’s favour.

Chris Cairns, still nursing a knee injury that had kept him out of the semifinal, arrived at number five, with the Kiwis still needing 180+ to win. Cairns wasn't fully fit, but would need to knuckle down in he wanted to help his team compete and try getting over the finish line.

They were restricted to 132-5, but Cairns had his eye in, and found an able partner in Chris Harris. It was the Cairns show from that point: the New Zealand batter batted beautifully, taking his time initially but keeping up with the required rate by hitting eight boundaries and a couple of sixes, taking the chase deep and staying at the crease throughout.

Cairns only reached his century in the penultimate over of the chase, and while it went to the final over, the Kiwi ensured he had the chase in control throughout. He struck the winning single in Nairobi, and that remains to this day as New Zealand’s only trophy in a limited-overs ICC event.

New Zealand will hope there is someone in their team in 2025 who can pick up that responsibility, and bring a second home with them on Sunday.

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