It’s Pakistan v India final after BD fall at Edgbaston

Not even the most ardent of Pakistan’s fans would have predicted it: A Pakistan v India final of the ICC Champions Trophy at The Oval after the outcome of the Pool B game between the two arch-rivals on June 4.

But to the delight of millions of cricket fans in South Asia and elsewhere in the world, the game’s biggest rivalry will be revived at The Oval after India joined Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final following their crushing nine-wicket victory against Bangladesh in a one-sided semi-final in Birmingham on Thursday.

On that particular wet Sunday (June 4), India brushed aside Pakistan with an enviable ease. After their 124-run defeat against the Indians, the Pakistanis were written off as a team that was low on both experience and confidence and many were convinced that it wasn’t good enough to even make it to the last-four.

But Pakistan have confounded their critics with successive wins against world number one South Africa, Sri Lanka and title favourites England. The Pakistanis are now eyeing India’s scalp in the final though they have never beaten their old foes in an ICC event.

While Pakistan’s march to the final has been nothing short of miraculous, India were always the favourites to get to the title clash all along.

On Thursday at Edgbaston, they once again showed why. On a surface that seemed to have a lot of runs, India restricted Bangladesh to 264-7 despite solid fifties from the in-form Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim.

In fact, when their senior duo was in full flow after having rescued Bangladesh from 31-2 to 154 in 27 odd overs, a total of 300 was very much on the cards.

But off-spinner Kedar Jadhav bowled a tight spell as he scalped Tamim for 70 (from 82 balls) and then got rid of Mushfiq (61 off 85 balls) to put Bangladesh on the back foot.

India’s performance with the bat was even more authoritative. They just lost opener Shikhar Dhawan (46 off 34 balls) as Rohit Sharma hit a sparkling century to lead India to a big victory. Skipper Virat Kohli was also at his brilliant best, hitting an effortless 96 not out that came off just 78 balls and included 13 fours. Sharma was at his best in a superb knock of 123 that came off 129 balls and was punctuated by 15 fours and a six.

Both Pakistan and India have looked exceptionally good in their pre-final outings, something that has certainly brightened up prospects of a cracker of a final at The Oval on Sunday.

Agencies add from Birmingham:

The unbroken partnership of 178 between Rohit and Kohli delighted the huge India contingent in a crowd of 24,340 — a record for a One-day International at Edgbaston.

Yet the real India hero of this match was Jadhav, who dismissed both of Bangladesh’s top-scorers in a spell of two for 22 in six overs.

The third-wicket duo shared a stand of 123, but Bangladesh’s innings faltered after their exits.

Sunday’s match at the Oval in London will be just the second time the Asian giants have met in the final of a major International Cricket Council tournament.

India beat Pakistan by a mere five runs in the 2007 World Twenty20 final in Johannesburg, a victory that led to the creation of the lucrative Indian Premier League.

India had a wicket as early as the first over Thursday after Kohli won the toss and fielded under grey skies.

Soumya Sarkar fall for a second-ball duck when he played on attempting a booming drive off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

At one for one, there were fears that Bangladesh, who collapsed to 84 all out in a 240-run warm-up thrashing by India last month, were poised for another top-order slump.

But Sabbir Rahman cover-drove his first ball, from Jasprit Bumrah, for four. Sabbir hit four boundaries in his 19 but just as he was getting into top gear he cut Kumar straight to Ravindra Jadeja at point.

From 46 for two, Tamim and Mushfiqur rebuilt the innings.

Tamim, bowled off a Hardik Pandya no-ball on 17, was in fine touch.

The left-handed opener whipped Pandya over mid-wicket for six and his reverse-sweep four off left-arm spinner Jadeja saw him to a 62-ball fifty.

Frontline off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s first seven overs cost 42 runs.

Tamim struck three fours in as many balls off Ashwin — a cut, a sweep and a nudge past fine leg.

This was Tamim’s fourth fifty in his last five innings, but he gave his wicket away when bowled trying to sweep Jadhav.

When Mushfiqur hit a Jadhav full toss to Kohli at mid-wicket, Bangladesh were 179 for five in the 36th over.

By this stage they had also lost Shakib Al Hasan (15), whose 114 and Bangladesh record stand of 224 with Mahmudullah (102 not out) had seen the Tigers recover from a top-order collapse to beat New Zealand last time out.

India’s reply began with a welter of boundaries, Rohit square-driving Mustafizur Rahman for an elegant four.

Left-hander Dhawan was in fine touch too, hoisting Taskin Ahmed over square leg for six.

Rohit completed his 11th ODI hundred in style when he hooked Mustafizur for his first six.

Kohli then finished the match in emphatic fashion, cover-driving Sabbir for four.

Score Board

India won toss

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal b Jadhav         70

Soumya Sarkar b Kumar     0

Sabbir Rahman c Jadeja b Kumar   19

†Mushfiqur Rahim c Kohli b Jadhav  61

Shakib Al Hasan c Dhoni b Jadeja    15

Mahmudullah b Bumrah       21

Mosaddek Hossain c & b Bumrah     15

*Mashrafe Mortaza not out  30

Taskin Ahmed not out         10

Extras (lb 9, w 7, nb 2, pen 5)       23

Total (7 wickets; 50 overs)  264

Did not bat: Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

Fall: 1-1, 2-31, 3-154, 4-177, 5-179, 6-218, 7-229

Bowling: Kumar 10-1-53-2 (1w); Bumrah 10-1-39-2; Ashwin 10-0-54-0 (3w); Pandya 4-0-34-0 (2nb, 2w); Jadeja 10-0-48-1; Jadhav 6-0-22-2 (1w)

India

R G Sharma not out  123

S Dhawan c Mosaddek b Mashrafe  46

*V Kohli not out        96

Extras 0

Total (1 wicket; 40.1 overs) 265

Did not bat: Yuvraj Singh, †M S Dhoni, K M Jadhav, H H Pandya, R A Jadeja, R Ashwin, B Kumar, J J Bumrah

Fall: 1-87

Bowling: Mashrafe 8-0-29-1; Mustafizur 6-0-53-0; Taskin 7-0-49-0; Rubel 6-0-46-0; Shakib 9-0-54-0; Mosaddek 2-0-13-0; Mahmudullah 1-0-10-0; Sabbir 1.1-0-11-0

Result: India won by 9 wickets

Series: India advance to Final

Man of the Match: R G Sharma (India)

Umpires: H D P K Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and R A Kettleborough. TV umpire: N J Llong. Match referee: B C Broad