New Zealand thumps Bangladesh and carries India into the Champions Trophy semifinals

New Zealand sealed a semifinal spot in the Champions Trophy after cruising past Bangladesh by five wickets on the back of Rachin Ravindra’s century in Rawalpindi on Monday.

The victory with nearly four overs to spare also advanced India to the semifinals and eliminated tournament host and defending champion Pakistan and Bangladesh from contention.

Ravindra took a blow on the forehead in a game 16 days ago and missed the last three one-day internationals, but recovered to strike 112 off 105 balls and carry New Zealand to 240-5 in 46.1 overs in reply to Bangladesh's 236-9.

Bangladesh’s middle order capitulated against the off-spin of Michael Bracewell, who took 4-26 in 10 overs. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led with 77. The 25 extras were the fourth highest tally in the innings.

“Feels nice to qualify,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said.

“The way we pulled things back with the ball was amazing. (It’s) hard to take middle-overs wickets in ODIs and Bracewell was amazing. He’s a quality bowler now, (and) the way he can change his pace on these wickets is outstanding.”

Fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana jolted New Zealand to 15-2 when Will Young, who made a century against Pakistan, went for a duck and Kane Williamson fell for rare consecutive single-digit scores in ODIs, 5 after 1.

Taskin clean-bowled Young with a nip-backer into the right-hander and Williamson edged the tall Rana, whom New Zealand batters were facing for the first time in an international.

But Ravindra combined with Devon Conway to revive the chase. They shared 57 in 12 overs before Pakistan's third pace bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, got Conway to chop on on 30.

Tom Latham (55) then joined Ravindra and they shared a match-winning 129-run stand.

The left-handers thwarted the pace of Nahid and were equally good against the spin of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain.

Ravindra, who batted at No. 4 in place of Daryl Mitchell, got a lucky escape on 93 when Miraz couldn’t hold onto a sharp low catch at point. He completed his fourth ODI century off 95 balls with 11 fours and a six.

Ravindra was dropped again after his century by Mahmudullah at mid-on, and the batter finally holed out in the deep to give Rishad his only wicket.

Latham was run out for 55, his third consecutive half-century, when New Zealand was just 23 runs shy of the target.

Bracewell finished off the game with a cover-driven boundary off Rishad, with Glenn Phillips unbeaten on 21.

“I was hoping not to get the pad on to bat," Bracewell said, "but it’s always nice to go out there and finish the game."

Bracewell squeezed Bangladesh after its promising start in his unchanged 10-over spell. The off-spinner bowled 43 dot balls and conceded just one six and a boundary.

Shanto struggled to up the ante in his 110-ball knock, especially against Bracewell.

When Santner introduced him inside the powerplay, Bracewell struck off his second ball. Tanzid Hasan tried to play across the line on 24 in a 45-run opening stand with Shanto, and Williamson made a diving catch.

Bracewell dried up the runs and strangled the middle order with his deceptive pace, dismissing Towhid Hridoy (7), Mushfiqur Rahim (2) and Mahmudullah (4). Hridoy, who scored a century against India in the first match, was brilliantly snapped up by Williamson over his shoulder when he ran backwards from cover.

“Awesome to contribute to a win," Bracewell said. “The breeze across was like the conditions at home. … I’m geared up to bowl 10 overs in every game, even at Eden Park, but sometimes you don’t.”

Shanto was caught by Bracewell after he top-edged O’Rourke.

Jaker Ali (45) and Rishad Hossain (26) counterattacked against the pace, but New Zealand allowed them only 64 runs in the last 10 overs.

“I thought we started well with the bat,” Shanto said. “It’s a pretty good wicket, we just needed two big partnerships, but it was a disappointing (total) after 10 overs.”

On Tuesday, South Africa and Australia, which won their opening Group B games, face each other at the same venue.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Security officials chase a supporters of a religious group 'Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan' holds picture of his leaver Saad Rizvi as he invades the field during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

New Zealand's Matt Henry, left, and teammates celebrate after the dismissal of Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Nahid Rana, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Kane Williamson during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

New Zealand's Michael Bracewell, right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

New Zealand's Michael Bracewell celebrates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh's Mahmudullah during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

New Zealand's Tom Latham celebrates after scoring fifty during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra, left, celebrates with teammate Tom Latham after scoring century during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra celebrates after scoring century during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Monday, Feb. 24, 2025,. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A view of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium where workers give final touches of arrangements in in preparation for upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain prepares to bowl his next delivery during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and Bangladesh at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

New Zealand's Mitchel Santner waits for coin toss before the start the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakistan Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

WADI AD-DAWASIR, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saood Variawa snatched stage eight from South African compatriot Henk Lategan by three seconds after an impressive comeback drive in the Dakar Rally on Monday.

Variawa, only 20 and driving in his third Dakar, started 26th and was in sixth place with 100 kilometers to go in the 483-kilometer loop outside Wadi ad-Dawasir. Then he was third after 414 and second after 448.

For the second straight day Lategan had a stage win ripped from his grasp. On Sunday his Toyota's rear damper broke 30 kilometers from the finish.

Meanwhile, Luciano Benavides became the overall motorbike leader for the first time in his ninth Dakar after winning a second straight stage and gobbling up all 7 1/2 minutes in bonus time for faultlessly opening the way.

Benavides won the stage by 4:50 over KTM teammate and defending champion Daniel Sanders and replaced Sanders atop the overall by 10 seconds going into the two-day marathon stage.

Monday's stage, the longest of the race, had a cocktail of dunes, valleys and rocks but navigation was easier than expected and it turned into a fast, wind-whipped special.

The top five cars — featuring main title contenders Lategan, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mattias Ekström — were less than a minute apart for the first 400 kilometers until Al-Attiyah's navigation error suddenly dropped him two minutes behind.

Thanks to starting nearly an hour after the opener, Ekström, Variawa sneaked through for his second career stage win. The first last year at 19 made him the youngest stage winner in Dakar history.

Variawa, following his father Shameer as a Dakar racer, suffered tire, navigation and mechanical problems on Sunday but got his Toyota back up to 13th overall with the aim of a maiden top-10 finish.

Al-Attiyah's Dacia got about 45 seconds back in the closing section to finish fifth and limit his time losses to remain the overall leader by four minutes over Ekström, whose Ford was third on the stage, and six minutes over Lategan.

Nani Roma fell from third to fourth, 9 1/2 minutes back, and Ford teammate Carlos Sainz was another minute behind. It's the closest top five after eight stages in 26 years.

The motorbikes of Sanders and Ricky Brabec were quicker in real time but the seven-plus minutes in time bonuses for opening the dusty track helped Benavides win by the same margin he did on Sunday, nearly five minutes.

“These last two stages were a little bit more fast and in these conditions I can read the roadbook super, super good and make good decisions,” Benavides said.

He has eight career motorbike stage wins, three behind his brother Kevin, the champion in 2021 and 2023.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Rider Tosha Schareina competes during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally with a start and finish at Wadi Ad Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Jan.12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Rider Ricky Brabec competes during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally with a start and finish at Wadi Ad Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Jan.12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Carlos Sainz and co-driver Lucas Cruz compete with riders David Brock, bottom right, and Fernando Dominguez, top left, during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally with a start and finish at Wadi Ad Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Jan.12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Romain Dumas and co-driver Alex Winocq compete with riders David Brock, right, and Fernando Dominguez, in the background, during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally with a start and finish at Wadi Ad Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Jan.12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Saood Variawa and co-driver Francois Cazalet compete during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally with a start and finish at Wadi Ad Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Jan.12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)