Amazing win for Pakistan

REVELATION and redemption helped Pakistan turn world cricket’s order upside down as Fakhar Zaman’s maiden one-day international century and Mohammad Amir’s brilliant spell underpinned a landslide 180run win over India in the Champions Trophy final.

Fakhar rode his luck for a spellbinding 114, caught behind from a no-ball on three and escaping a runout chance with just a single to his name in Pakistan’s total of 338 for four at The Oval.

Amir, three wickets for 16 runs, still winning his sport over again after his criminal role in the 2010 spot-fixing saga enacted seven years ago and just a handful of miles away at Lord’s, then reduced India to 33-3, a perilous situation from which the overwhelming favourites were unable to recover, despite some astounding hitting from No 7 Hardik Pandya (76).

Pandya raced to his half-century in 32 balls, with the third of three successive sixes in one over from Shadab Khan.

However, after pressing on to a new career-best, with four fours and six maximums, he was run out i n a hapless mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja which encapsulated India’s miserable day.

Their defence of the title they won in England in 2013 foundered against the team who began the campaign ranked below all other competing nations at eighth and lived up to that billing in an opening group match in which they lost to their rivals by 124 runs.

What a difference two weeks have made, though, Fakhar delivering at every attempt after being brought in for his debut and Amir’s pace proving too good for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan, who could add only 26 runs between them to the 895 they had made over the previous four matches.

Amir produced an irresistible spell in which he pinned Rohit lbw for a duck, had Kohli dropped at second slip then gone to a catch next ball.

When Shadab then struck in his first over, hitting Yuvraj Singh pad before bat, and MS Dhoni pulled Hasan Ali (3-19) for a catch, India were washed up at 54-5 — and there was no way back.

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