Rohit hit 76 off 83 deliveries; Iyer , Rahul provided supporting hands
DUBAI: Rohit Sharma finally rose to the occasion after a series of promising starts while Shreyas Iyer once again came to the Men in Blue’s rescue by aptly handling the spin threat in the middle overs as India won the ICC Champions Trophy for third time with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final in Dubai on Sunday.
Rohit had led India’s charge during their chase of the 252-run target with a sparkling knock of 76 off 83 balls – collecting seven fours and three sixes along the way. The ‘Hitman’ crossed fifty for the first time in the ongoing tournament after failing to convert a series of starts, and gave the Men in Blue an ideal start by stitching together a solid 105-run opening partnership with Shubman Gill (31).
Glenn Phillips, however, brought the Kiwis back into the contest with a sensational one-handed grab to get rid of Gill off Mitchell Santner’s bowling. Virat Kohli would then be trapped LBW off Michael Bracewell’s bowling the very next over, departing for 1 and burning a review on his way back to the pavilion.
With Rohit getting stumped off Rachin Ravindra’s bowling after a few quiet overs, charging down the track and missing the full, wide delivery completely, the Men in Blue dressing room as well as the stadium had gone quiet.
Shreyas and Axar once again rescue India from a tight situation
Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel, however, once again came to the Men in Blue’s rescue with a 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket in which the middle-order pair handled the spin challenge superbly, rotating the strike with frequent singles and keeping the required rate under check with the timely boundary.
What further aided India’s cause was New Zealand dropping a couple of chances, with Daryl Mitchell and Kyle Jamieson dropping Gill and Iyer respectively.
New Zealand put up once last fight after getting rid of Iyer and Axar in quick succession, reducing India to 203/5 with the required rate still hovering around the six-an-over mark. India’s depth in their batting order, however, ensured the Men in Blue got over the line in the end.
KL Rahul finished another game for India with an unbeaten 34 off 33 balls, stitching a couple of handy partnerships with Hardik Pandya (18) and Ravindra Jadeja (9 not out). The stadium exploded with joy after Jadeja hit the winning boundary off William O’Rourke in the final delivery of the penultimate over.
With their triumph on Sunday, India went past Australia to become the most successful team in the Champions Trophy history with three titles. They had remained unbeaten in their previous triumphs as well – in 2002 and 2013.
Agencies