The scene was set right from the first 2 convincing wins in the warm-up matches over Sri-lanka and the Aussies.
The same winning momentum was carried throughout in the entire tournament and it remained unbroken for the Indian Team by winning all their 7 matches (2 Warm-up + 5 ICC CT's matches)!!!
Coming into the ICC Champions Trophy with the backdrop of IPL's notorious match fixing issue...though a strong team, Indians were never the favourite team to win the ICC Champions Trophy given the overseas conditions and mitigating the swing bowling.
Only people with high patience would have witnessed the actual victory of the Indians in this rain-curtailed 20 Over final.
Memorable features of this wonderful thriller would be:
1) The toss was made at 2.15 p.m.and the actual match started at 8.45 p.m. with 24 Overs each. Multiple rain interruptions finally converted the match into a T-20 match (with rules of 50 Overs applicable).
2) The Indian batting fire power couldn't fire as per the expectations and 1st time in 5 innings Shikhar Dhawan...with a magical come-back in the side was dismissed below 50 runs (on 31 runs). His inning included an eye-catching 'Upper cut' Sixer over 3rd man where he was mid-air when his bat met the ball.
He earned the 'Golden Bat Award' of the tournament for scoring a mammoth of 363 runs in just 5 innings at an average of 90.75 runs with a mind blowing strike-rate of 101. His last four innings included 2 centuries and 2 half centuries and what a comeback he has made..
3) At one point it looked that as if the shutters would be down for Indians below 100 runs when their half side was bundled for merely 70+ runs. Their middle order was not tested so far in their previous matches and that's what affected the downfall of quick wickets in the middle.
However it was our new 'Mr.Dependable' Virat Kohli's 43 which steadied the ship towards a respectable total...he was well supported by latest Sir/Rockstar Ravinder Jadeja who remain unbeaten on 33 runs.
He deservingly earned the 'Player Of The Tournament Award' as well as the 'Golden Ball Award' for taking highest wickets in the series (12 wickets). His trade mark punching of left fist after taking a wicket was again seen when he took 2 crucial wickets in this match.
4) England after a shaky start was well on course for a comfortable victory...especially with a good partnership of 64 runs between Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan who brought the score to 110/4...its then came a mixed bag over from Ishant. I bet hell lot of bad words must have been flown from our mouth when he offered a loose delivery to Eoin Morgan who scored a 6 on that..then 2 wides followed by Eoin's wicket...and that was the turning point of the match.
5) With 15 to score in the last over, R.Ashwin ensured that we encarve our name for the 1st time on ICC Champions Trophy and add this only missing feather by winning all the major tournaments of ICC.
6) The entire Indian team looked totally different throughout their outing in this tournament. They played like overseas player with a proper technique which seemed to be missing for so many years...and nobody ever imagined that Indian team might play so well consistently in an entire tournament overseas....The fielding standards equally supported the good bowling. On the other hand, the major overseas team played like Asian teams :)
7) The celebration of Indian Players in the White Jacket was amazing...especially Virat's 'Worm Dance' and 'Gangnam Style'.
8) Not to forget the coolest Captain of Indian Team ever.....his quick stumpings and run-outs were marvellous. His super-cool attitude in critical situation itself fetches us many victories.
9) People will hardly believe that rain did allow a match to happen that concluded at 1.10 a.m. and including the presentation, it all ended around 1.45 a.m.
10) The 2 'Moustachmen' really need to be invested as their dream run of Cricket and all power and secrets of Cricket lies in those curly 'Moustache' is what it seems :-)
We might see the rest 8 Indian Players in their respective 'Cultivated versions' in the upcoming West Indies Series showcasing their 'M.P' (Moustache Power) !!!
Cheers To Team India and their 5 run victory in the ICC Champions Trophy !!!
The same winning momentum was carried throughout in the entire tournament and it remained unbroken for the Indian Team by winning all their 7 matches (2 Warm-up + 5 ICC CT's matches)!!!
Coming into the ICC Champions Trophy with the backdrop of IPL's notorious match fixing issue...though a strong team, Indians were never the favourite team to win the ICC Champions Trophy given the overseas conditions and mitigating the swing bowling.
Only people with high patience would have witnessed the actual victory of the Indians in this rain-curtailed 20 Over final.
Memorable features of this wonderful thriller would be:
1) The toss was made at 2.15 p.m.and the actual match started at 8.45 p.m. with 24 Overs each. Multiple rain interruptions finally converted the match into a T-20 match (with rules of 50 Overs applicable).
2) The Indian batting fire power couldn't fire as per the expectations and 1st time in 5 innings Shikhar Dhawan...with a magical come-back in the side was dismissed below 50 runs (on 31 runs). His inning included an eye-catching 'Upper cut' Sixer over 3rd man where he was mid-air when his bat met the ball.
He earned the 'Golden Bat Award' of the tournament for scoring a mammoth of 363 runs in just 5 innings at an average of 90.75 runs with a mind blowing strike-rate of 101. His last four innings included 2 centuries and 2 half centuries and what a comeback he has made..
3) At one point it looked that as if the shutters would be down for Indians below 100 runs when their half side was bundled for merely 70+ runs. Their middle order was not tested so far in their previous matches and that's what affected the downfall of quick wickets in the middle.
However it was our new 'Mr.Dependable' Virat Kohli's 43 which steadied the ship towards a respectable total...he was well supported by latest Sir/Rockstar Ravinder Jadeja who remain unbeaten on 33 runs.
He deservingly earned the 'Player Of The Tournament Award' as well as the 'Golden Ball Award' for taking highest wickets in the series (12 wickets). His trade mark punching of left fist after taking a wicket was again seen when he took 2 crucial wickets in this match.
4) England after a shaky start was well on course for a comfortable victory...especially with a good partnership of 64 runs between Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan who brought the score to 110/4...its then came a mixed bag over from Ishant. I bet hell lot of bad words must have been flown from our mouth when he offered a loose delivery to Eoin Morgan who scored a 6 on that..then 2 wides followed by Eoin's wicket...and that was the turning point of the match.
5) With 15 to score in the last over, R.Ashwin ensured that we encarve our name for the 1st time on ICC Champions Trophy and add this only missing feather by winning all the major tournaments of ICC.
6) The entire Indian team looked totally different throughout their outing in this tournament. They played like overseas player with a proper technique which seemed to be missing for so many years...and nobody ever imagined that Indian team might play so well consistently in an entire tournament overseas....The fielding standards equally supported the good bowling. On the other hand, the major overseas team played like Asian teams :)
7) The celebration of Indian Players in the White Jacket was amazing...especially Virat's 'Worm Dance' and 'Gangnam Style'.
8) Not to forget the coolest Captain of Indian Team ever.....his quick stumpings and run-outs were marvellous. His super-cool attitude in critical situation itself fetches us many victories.
9) People will hardly believe that rain did allow a match to happen that concluded at 1.10 a.m. and including the presentation, it all ended around 1.45 a.m.
10) The 2 'Moustachmen' really need to be invested as their dream run of Cricket and all power and secrets of Cricket lies in those curly 'Moustache' is what it seems :-)
We might see the rest 8 Indian Players in their respective 'Cultivated versions' in the upcoming West Indies Series showcasing their 'M.P' (Moustache Power) !!!
Cheers To Team India and their 5 run victory in the ICC Champions Trophy !!!
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