”Dark Horse ” Pakistani team crush India by 180 runs to win Champions Trophy final ;;;By;Asghar Ali Mubarak

”Dark Horse ” Pakistani team crush India by 180 runs to win Champions Trophy final
By;Asghar Ali Mubarak
Unpredictable Pakistani team proved ”Dark Horse ” team of the champion trophy,Pakistan thumped India by a whopping 180 runs to lift the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Riding on a scintillating hundred from rookie opener Fakhar Zaman and a sensational bowling spell from Mohammad Amir, Pakistan outplayed arch-rivals in all departments to lift their maiden Champions Trophy title. SCORECARD

This is Pakistan’s first ICC title triumph since their 2009 World Twenty20 win. With this win, Pakistan broke the age-old jinx of not performing against India in big ticket matches.For a team that can’t play international cricket at home due to security issues, the victory has far-reaching implications. It is the win the whole nation wanted. And, the timing of it couldn’t be any better with 50-over World Cup scheduled to be played in England in 2019.

If Zaman announced his arrival in international cricket with a match-defining knock, it was pacer Mohammad Amir who finally managed to sing a redemption song that he has been longing for.

It was a charged-up performance from Sarfraz Ahmed’s underdog team with left-handed opener Zaman, after a lucky reprieve, scoring a pulsating 114 in their imposing 338 for 4.

Amir (6-2-16-3) then tormented the Indian batsmen with a devastating first spell and eventually, the defending champions were bundled out for 158 in only 30.3 overs.

The match turned out to be one of the most nightmarish under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.

It was a match where everything went awry for the ‘Men in Blue’ from the time Kohli went out for the toss.

On a flat deck, Kohli surprised everyone opting to field, a decision prompted by the current team’s ability to chase any target.

It started on a wrong note when a beautiful delivery from Jasprit Bumrah was nicked by an edgy Zaman only to be called ‘no-ball’ due to overstepping. Zaman scored a ton.

The two spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (0/70 in 10 overs) and Ravindra Jadeja (0/67 in 8 overs) were then taken to the task with not a single wicket-taking delivery being bowled by the duo.

With no assistance from the pitch, their limitations were thoroughly exposed against batsmen, who were ready to use their feet.

The ‘Law of Averages’ were certainly going to catch up with India’s ‘Big Three’ after their brilliant run in the tournament. Worse, it happened in the final.

Rohit Sharma (0), Shikhar Dhawan (21) and Virat Kohli (5) were snuffed out by Amir in a devastating first spell with three brilliant deliveries. The fate of the match was sealed.

Hardik Pandya smashed 76 off 43 balls, hit half a dozen of sixes to provide some entertainment, before being run-out due to a horrible mix-up with Jadeja. Pandya was livid but he was only delaying the inevitable.

As the final wicket fell, Oval, immersed in a’Sea of Green’, was euphoric in its celebration along with those eleven on the field.

The victory was achieved by one of the most de-glamorous outfits under one of the most unassuming captains in the history of Pakistan cricket -Sarfraz and he deserved it more than anyone else for showing the composure one expects from model captains.

Earlier, playing his first ODI tournament, the 27-year- old left-hander got a “life” when he was batting on four as Bumrah overstepped while MS Dhoni took a simple catch behind the stumps.

Zaman made full use of the opportunity to punish the Indian attack on a day when it mattered most.

Along with senior pro Azhar Ali (58 off 71 balls), Zaman set the platform with a 128-run partnership for the opening wicket and consolidated it further with a whirlwind 72 off 63 balls with Babar Azam (46 off 52).

By the time Jadeja took a well-judged catch off Hardik Pandya to remove Zaman, the team’s total had reached 200.

The final flourish was provided by veteran Mohammed Hafeez (57 off 37) with help of four boundaries and three sixes. He added 71 for in 7.3 overs with Imad Wasim (25 no off 21).

To add insult to injury, India bowled 13 wides and three no-balls in what was a woeful day for all, save Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/44 in 10 overs).

Ashwin and Jadeja got a pounding from Zaman, who would clear his front leg and muscle the deliveries through on-side, occasionally hitting the inside out shot through extra cover.

He got a few streaky boundaries upfront but then settled in to give each Indian bowler, a mighty thwack.

There was no looking back after that and was liberal help from all the Indian bowlers, who erred in length, gave away needless extras to release the pressure completely.

In humid conditions and on flattest of decks, Kohli decided to field first but his bowlers did not do justice to the faith he had shown in them.

Especially both the spinners looked clueless with no help from the pitch. Zaman and Azhar were ready to use their feet and with no turn on offer whipped them on all parts of the ground with ease. In between the two lead spinners, they were hit for 12 boundaries and five sixes.

The second Powerplay (Overs 11-40) were fully utilised by Pakistan, who scored 191 runs and bulk of those came off the spinners.

Jadeja was guilty of not varying his pace. He bowled too quick and too flat which made strokeplay easier.

Zaman’s batting didn’t have the grace that one normally associates with left-handers but on a true pitch where hitting through the line was easy, it suited his style.

The best part about Zaman was his ability to find the boundary at ease during the second Powerplay.
Iron man Fakhar Zaman’s remarkable hundred and Mohammad Amir’s immense new-ball spell drove Pakistan to a stunning victory over India.A strom of opening bowling spell by Mohammed Amir followed by a near flawless performance in the field led to Pakistan taking the Champions Trophy with astonishing ease. Pakistan won by 180 runs against an India side widely tipped to prevail before the start.Even after Pakistan had chalked up 338, which owed much to a barnstorming century from the new boy, Fakhar Zaman, there was still the feeling that the target was well within India’s compass, especially given Virat Kohli’s incredible record of scoring runs when chasing. But Amir, who had to miss the semi-final win over England because of back spasms, soon banished these thoughts with bowling of such quality that it conjured up memories of Wasim Akram in his pomp.The classic in-swinger accounted for Rohit Sharma, who was lbw to Amir’s third ball. Out came Kohli. Soon the India captain pushed forward and edged to first slip where Azhar Ali juggled and dropped a straightforward catch. Azhar slapped the turf in exasperation and his team-mates were none too pleased either.In came Amir again and this time Kohli spied runs on the leg side to rub salt into the wound but the ball took the leading edge and flew to backward point where Shadab Khan make no mistake. Jubilation was mixed with relief amid the celebrations of the Pakistan team. Soon to follow was Shikhar Dhawan edging a snorter to the keeper.India were 33 for three but they had the vast experience of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni at the crease. Yet experience is not everything. Up stepped Shadab, an 18-year-old seeking to master cricket’s most difficult art: wrist-spin bowling.He propelled a leg-break which struck Yuvraj’s front pad but the appeal was rejected. Shadab, despite – or maybe as a consequence of – his youth insisted upon a review and Sarfraz Ahmed, the captain, had the good sense to consent. Yuvraj had to go grumpily. In the next over Dhoni hooked in the air and was caught on the leg-side boundary.At 54 for five it was all over barring a miracle but Hardik Pandya briefly threatened one. He hit three consecutive sixes off Shadab (but Sarfraz kept him on for another over anyway). There were two more off Fakhar, who had been pressed into service as an emergency left-arm spinner because of an injury to Imad Wasim.Fakhar Zaman wildly celebrates the century that set up Pakistan’s win.Fakhar Zaman wildly celebrates the century that set up Pakistan’s win. Pandya had sped to 76 from 43 balls with Ravindra Jadeja a silent partner. They had added 80 in less than 10 overs when India’s fate was sealed. There is nothing more morale-sapping than a daft run-out which sacrifices the only hope of victory. Now the two batsmen ended up at the same end but it was the explosive Pandya rather than Jadeja who had to go. In the circumstances Jadeja should have sacrificed himself but this did not appear to occur to him.So mighty India subsided against a team ranked No8 in the world, which they had crushed just over a fortnight ago. Pakistan had delivered a thrashing that no one had expected, which made it all the more mesmerising.There has been an endearing serendipity about Pakistan throughout this tournament. It does not feel as if they have been plotting their campaign for the past two years whereas there is the impression that Andrew Strauss and Eoin Morgan have been thinking of little else.
Fakhar Zaman’s remarkable hundred and Mohammad Amir’s immense new-ball spell drove Pakistan to a stunning victory over India
Out of nowhere they have plucked Fakhar to open the batting. He was omitted from Pakistan’s first game of the tournament – that defeat against India – and then made his debut in their second against South Africa. Since then he has yet to fail, although he appeared to do so on Sunday. On three Fakhar edged a wide delivery from Jasprit Bumrah into the safe gloves of Dhoni and set off dolefully to the dressing room. But in the 21st century there is always the outside chance of a reprieve. It transpired that Bumrah had overstepped.Initially there was no great expectation that Fakhar would make the Indians pay for this. Most of his early runs came from the edge of his bat; then there would be an eyebrow-raising boundary of great audacity. One moment Fakhar resembled a club cricketer caught up in a dreamlike sequence, which found him playing in a final watched by an enormous worldwide audience; the next he whipped the ball through the gaps like Brian Lara.
The opening pair added 128 and were separated only by a run out. Azhar Ali had progressed just as quickly as Fakhar, though with greater orthodoxy, when the two batsmen found themselves at the same end. Fakhar might have been distraught at this mix-up, which had culminated in the sacrifice of a senior player. Instead he seemed galvanised.Fakhar played the two Indian spinners brilliantly, often with whipped drives that suggested he must have been a great hockey player in his youth. Sometimes he found the gaps; sometimes he simply cleared the boundary. Ravi Ashwin and Jadeja would bowl 18 overs for no wickets conceding 137 runs and it was Fakhar, an unknown bystander three weeks ago, who set the tone.In his wake there were handy contributions from Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez whose 57 from 37 balls was suitably skittish especially for someone who is known as “The Professor”. The last 10 overs yielded 91 and Pakistan had set a target that had never been achieved in the final of an ICC tournament, a record that remained intact at the end of a very surprising afternoon.