BIRMIMGHAM (TIP): With the latest Champions Trophy win India has the rare distinction of a hat trick of all ICC World cups- T20, 50-Over and the Champions Trophy. India defeated England by five runs in the Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston June 23.
After a mid-order collapse that featured cheap dismissals of Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina and Dhoni, the team could still rely on Jadeja at number seven to pile on runs at the end and lift the total to 129.
Tournament hosts England, still to win a major one-day title, held India to 7-129 in a match reduced by rain to 20 overs per side.
But, chasing 130, they collapsed to 4-46, before a partnership of 64 between Eoin Morgan (33) and Ravi Bopara (30), who’d earlier taken 3-20 with his medium-pacers, swung the match back their way.
However, Indian seamer Ishant Sharma turned the match on its head by removing Morgan and Bopara off successive deliveries to leave England 6-110 in the 18th over and needing 19 off 12 balls.
That eventually became six off one ball and proved too much for tail ender James Tredwell as he failed to make contact against fellow off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ravindra Jadeja was named man of the match after making 33 not out and then taking 2-24 with his left-arm spin. Shikhar Dhawan was named Man of the Series.
India deserved the win. Dhoni’s gamble with Sharma looked wild, but it paid off. India never gave up, even when England looked a certain bet for the win. Although the match was shortened, the last Champions Trophy final in history was a thriller.