Cricket Classics - Part XXXIX : 2017 Champions Trophy Final | Pakistan vs India
Hello, fellow Sports Enthusiasts,
Cricket is not just a sport between two teams; it's a battle of skills, strategy, and capitalizing on clutch moments. Although the game has transformed over the decades, it has never failed to impress or leave us with unforgettable moments.
So, through this series, I will present some of the most iconic cricket matches that have made fans jump out of their seats. Let's remember those legendary games once a week. I am with another iconic match.
Well, the India-Pakistan match has always been a great rivalry in the Cricket world. Anyhow, unlike these recent times, there was not this much political hate between the two teams, at least on the ground. And it was always a great battle between the two teams. Currentl India is always bashing Pakistan easily. But in the 2017 Champions Trophy Final, Pakistan dominated a heavily favored India in a one-sided but historic final.
The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy was the eighth edition of the tournament, which was held in England and Wales from 1 to 18 June 2017 with 8 teams: England, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan. Pakistan defeated England by 8 wickets in the first semi-final, and India defeated Bangladesh by 9 wickets to reach the finals.
The final was set on 18 June 2017 at The Oval in London between the arch-rivalries. India entered the final as strong favorites. They had beaten Pakistan comfortably earlier in the tournament. The Indian had a strong squad, led by Virat Kohli with experienced players like Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni, Bumrah, Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashwin, etc. On the other hand, the Pakistan team was led by Sarfaraz Ahmed with Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Amir, etc.
India won the toss and elected to field. Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman got the perfect start against the quality ballers of India. These two added 128 runs in 22 overs for the first wicket, when Ali got run out for 59 runs. Then Fakar continued the inning with Babar. Zaman scored 114 runs in 106 balls with twelve 4s and three 6s.
With the amazing start, Haffeez and Imad gave the perfect finish, scoring 338/4 in 50 overs.
Chasing 339 in a high-pressure final was never going to be easy, but India had all the resources and ability to do that. Anyway, what came next was unexpected. Mohammad Amir made a cracking opening spell. He took Rohit Sharma in the third ball for a duck and Kohli in the third over, and also Dhawan a few overs later. India lost three wickets inside powerplay for 33 runs, and couldn't recover from there.
Other ballers were also on the spot and took the next wickets quickly. Infact, the score was 72/6 in 17 overs. Somehow, Hardik Pandya gave something to cheer, scoring 76 off 43 balls, but it wasn't enough. Eventually, India was bowled out for 158. Pakistan won by 180 runs, the largest in any ICC ODI tournament final in terms of runs.
Pakistan won the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time.
With the rivalry, the expectations, and the earlier group match result, the result of this match was unforgettable.
See you at the next episode!! You can always suggest a match to discuss in the next episode.
src - ESPNcricinfo
wikipedia
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