Inspired Pakistan Crush India by 180 Runs to Win the Champions Trophy Final 2017

Pakistan, at their most magnificent, swarmed all over India to win the Champions Trophy by 180 runs. It was the same template as when they won their previous global one-day tournament, the 1992 World Cup, in that Pakistan were hopeless at the outset of this tournament, which they entered as the eighth-ranked ODI team, to be demolished by India in their opening qualifier. Yet, England in the semi-final and India in the final could not live with them.

Having failed to reach 250 hitherto in this tournament, Pakistan posted 338 for four on the back of a dashing century by Fakhar Zaman, who slammed 114 off 106 balls, then bowled out India in only 30.3 overs on the back of Mohammad Amir’s opening spell. Again the importance of the opening partnership was illustrated to England, for whom it was the Achilles heel: 

Pakistan had slumped to eighth partly because they had gone 35 ODIs without a century opening stand, but once the left-handed Fakhar was paired with the steady Test opener Azhar Ali, they launched Pakistan with 118 against England, and 128 off only 23 overs against India.

“I’ve had five semi-finals with South Africa and never got to a final,” Pakistan’s coach Mickey Arthur said. “I got to one final with Pakistan and eventually got a medal, so that’s fantastic, but the credit goes to the players.” 

India’s captain Virat Kohli generously admitted: “They [Pakistan] made us make those mistakes because of the way they were bowling and the way they applied the pressure in the field as well, and we have no hesitations or shame to admit that we could not play our best game today.”

Pakistan’s cricket is often hailed as mysterious and inexplicable instead of being the product of its environment, which it naturally is. Their aspiring cricketers pick up a bat and grip it as they like, without coaches telling them to use their leading elbow, and bowlers cannot extract bounce out of grassless pitches, like concrete, so they move it sideways instead: hence batsmen like Fakhar with his strong bottom hand. As for inconsistency, or “unpredictability”, it stems from an infrastructure, which is not well-resourced by comparison with India’s, England’s and Australia’s: hence Pakistan could field like drains against India in the qualifier, and like a dream in the final.

The century by Fakhar, whose name means “pride”, was not the best innings played in a global one-day final because there was so much playing and missing and top-edging if the ball was short. It was, however, the most audacious and he had much of which to be proud. Fakhar, 27, dared to reach for the stars – never having played a one-day international before last month – and in his four innings in this Champions Trophy, he scored 30, 51, 57 against England, and his 114 made him man of the match.

Mo Amir removes Virat Kohli for five to start the rout CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

The critical moment of Pakistan’s innings, and the match, was the half-second before Fakhar was caught behind off Jasprit Bumrah for only three. The bowler’s front foot was an inch over the popping crease: what a Bumrah mistake. Pakistan would have been eight for one wicket in the fourth over, and struggling to get the ball off the square. Instead, at the end of that over, they were up and running at 19 without loss and sensing it would be their day.

Having been tied down on legstump, Fakhar was favoured with plenty of width after this let-off and he cashed in, especially against India’s spinners, scoring 78 off 56 balls from Ravis, Ashwin and Jadeja, either running down the pitch to swipe, drive and flay, or else rocking back and using the full depth of his crease.

What was India’s strength – and would have been again if this had been a used pitch, like Cardiff in the semis – was turned into a weakness by Pakistan, who hit 164 runs off 21 overs of spin. Fakhar used to be in Pakistan’s navy but he would have been more at home in the army’s cavalry leading a charge.

Pakistan celebrate after beating India by 180 runs to win the Champions Trophy CREDIT: AP

Just as Amir was Pakistan’s chief bowler, so was Bhuvneshwar Kumar for India, but his impact was limited by the fact he was not used mid-innings to break one of Pakistan’s stands. Altogether Pakistan’s bowlers – far from the stereotype of wild and profligate – were far more disciplined than India’s, especially when it came to conceding extras. Bumrah, so intent on not giving Fakhar width, donated four legside wides in his first three overs.

Amir’s opening spell of six overs clinched the cup for Pakistan: it contained three wickets, two maidens and a dropped slip catch. His third ball was the ideal inswinger, pinning Rohit Sharma half-forward. Kohli then played for swing – and edged a straightforward chance to Azhar Ali at first slip, who fumbled – before slicing a catch to point. Amir had taken out all of India’s top three when his cross-seamer bounced and had Shikar Dhawan caught behind.

Shadab Khan, a brilliant allrounder in the making, and already Pakistan’s best fielder, overturned Yuvraj Singh and Richard Kettleborough’s original not-out decision. Shadab was driven for three consecutive sixes by Hardik Pandya, who smote 76 off 43 before being run out to his fury, yet still Sarfraz kept Shadab on for another over, whereas prudence would have withdrawn him from the firing line. But Pakistan at their best do not do doubt, and prudence has never won a global trophy. 

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2017/06/18/pakistan-vs-india-champions-trophy-final-live-score-updates/