(Image source from: Champions India celebrates victory in Champions Trophy 2013!})
England known to have undergone distress of a cricketing suffocation of larger-than-life proportions to fall back yet in another global final of ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Not even a step-down to a Twenty20 defeat thoroughly instead of a full 50-over match thanks to rain could prevent a fifth final defeat as England threw away a winning position to fall short by five runs. Having 20 needed from 16 balls as well as with six wickets in hand, blind sightless nervousness took over as Eoin Morgan and then Ravi Bopara sparked a badly thought out crumbling down to hand the trophy to India.
Indian seam bowler Ishant Sharma had just been pulled for six at the same time was struggling to hit the cut strip in the 18th over, on the contrary in some manner he sparked a glorious turnaround for the game’s world - champions. Morgan countered him to mid-wicket as well as Bopara pulled him to square leg, leaving two new batsmen to deal with the spinning Ravi’s, Jadeja and Ashwin. It was all too much as they in a swaying motion missed, or ran themselves out in two overs of supremely naïve cricket as India turned the screw tighter at the same time tighter until the suffocation was concluded. Birmingham befitted in appearance as Bombay for the day as home advantage happen to be a tour of punishment in front of a supporting Indian crowd who shouted with encouragement at their team to victory on a pitch custom-made for their spinners.
A Champions Trophy final declined to a Twenty20 defeat thoroughly due to the seemingly never ending rain in the Midlands was decided by 11 overs of spin that England could not manage to strive with. The rain had almost ended the contest preceding to its beginning as successive showers remained the groundsmen busy, at the same time in fact when play commenced at 4.20pm it was soon in stoppage once again due to another drenching rain arrived after six overs. It might have been in succession had the ICC not made a rare common sense decision to further the playing hours by 60 minutes along with providing just enough extra time for the final rain cloud to pass. The crowd remained and they were rewarded for their patience even though the man they expressed disgrace throughout almost ruined their day. It was an Englishman of Indian heritage, Bopara, who set them on their way with three huge wickets, yet really it was his runs they needed. He and Morgan had turned the game clearly in England’s favour subsequent to the top order came unstuck with a partnership of 64 from 55 balls, but then they entrapped it.
India played much the smarter cricket and were brilliantly led by MS Dhoni who marshalled his field and his bowlers like an all-knowing general who just needed the completely fulfilled crack to break England down. There was a lucky wicket when Ian Bell was given out stumped even though replays appeared to show his foot to be down as the bails came off, yet that apart India simply held their nerve better than England. They initially struggled with the bat as Jimmy Anderson along with Stuart Broad set the tone sooner than Bopara vigorously stuffed out of India’s innings while getting rid of Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina as well as dangerman Dhoni. At 66-5 India were in all sorts of bother as well appeared miles away from even setting a competitive total let alone a winning one. In actuality they did arose from their captain in waiting Virat Kohli who’s 43 from 34 balls gave his team some belief and something to play for. Man-of-the-match Jadeja's violent outpouring 33 not out at the death to lift the total to 129-7, on the contrary even then England were still firm favourites to lift the trophy. Chasing 130 in 20 overs should be simple enough, yet when the pitch is as dry as well spinner friendly as Edgbaston is then nothing is easy.
Congratulations to the men in blue for such outstanding victory!
(AW:Samrat Biswas)
