Pakistan beat India by 180 runs to clinch their first Champions Trophy title
ALL-ROUND EFFORT HELPS PAKISTAN INFLICT 180-RUN DEFEAT ON DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
London, June 18: Mohammad Amir removed all of India’s top three as Pakistan routed their arch-rivals by 180 runs in an astonishing Champions Trophy final at The Oval on Sunday. Title-holders India, set 339 to win, collapsed to 33/3 and 54/5 against a Pakistan side they had thrashed by 124 runs in their tournament
opener at Edgbaston on June 4.
They were eventually dismissed for 158 in reply to Pakistan’s 338/4, which featured Fakhar Zaman’s 114, the lefthanded opener’s maiden one-day international hundred coming in just his fourth match at this level.
Amir, who missed Pakistan’s eight-wicket semi-final win over England with a back spasm, finished with 3/16 in six overs.
But it was fellow paceman Hasan Ali, the player of the tournament having kick-started Pakistan’s revival in their groupwin over South Africa, who ended the match with more than 19 overs to spare when he had tailender Jasprit Bumrah caught by gleeful captain and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.
Left-arm fast bowler Amir, whose career was almost ended on the other side of London’s River Thames by a ban and jail term he received for his part in a spot-fixing scam during a 2010 Test against England at Lord’s, was superb.
He dismissed three of the world’s top ODI batsmen in Rohit Sharma (0), India captain Virat Kohli (5) and Shikhar Dhawan (21) in a stunning new-ball spell.
Amir struck just three balls into India’s reply when, after bowling two outswingers to Sharma, he had him lbw with a superb inswinger.
Then one ball after Kohli, the world’s leading ODI batsman, was dropped at slip off Amir, the bowler had him caught at point by Shadab Khan.
The collapse continued when left-handed opener Dhawan was caught behind off Amir by Sarfraz.
India then lost two wickets for no runs in four balls to be 54/5 inside 14 overs.
Leg-spinner Shadab took a wicket with his sixth ball when Yuvraj Singh (22) was lbw, although it needed a Pakistan review of an original not out decision.
Former captain M.S. Dhoni had rescued India from many a dire position in his long career.
But he could not stop Sunday’s slide as he holed out off
Hasan, with Imad Wasim taking a low catch in the deep.
Pakistan were now on the brink of a sensational win.
Hardik Pandya gave the stunned India fans in a capacity crowd something to cheer as he hit three sixes off successive balls to bring up a dashing fifty. But he only looked to be delaying the inevitable and a huge mixup with Jadeja saw the allrounder run out for 76.