Team India, the defending champions won the toss in the eventual final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and took a no brainer decision to bowl first, on a flat wicket where runs are expected to flow down. As expected, the Indian team went unchanged, which meant there was no place for Umesh Yadav.

On the other side, as Mickey Arthur had confirmed in the pre-match presser, Mohammed Amir made his back in the team replacing Ruman Raees.

No one could have asked for a better and bigger final than this and the jamboree for the fans have already started. India look the favourite in the game and with toss going the way of defending champions, one can expect that India will be able to make most out of it and win their first ICC tournament under a new captain Virat Kohli.

The good news is that bright sunshine is expected to be there all round the day and rain scare will be away from the game all throughout.

Captains talk –

Sarfraz Ahmed: We would have wanted to bowl but the toss is not in our hands. Looks like a good batting pith. I am very proud of my boys. When we arrived here we were number eight. We had nothing to lose. Today as well we have nothing to lose. He (Mohammad Amir) is back and is now playing today.

Virat Kohli: We will bowl first. Looks like a decent hard wicket, should stay true. I think it will stay true, whatever there is something for the bowlers we would like to utilize. We are a side who like chasing. We have played some cricket here. No matter what the conditions are, you have to come out and play good cricket. One more effort to go. If you make the final it means you have played some great cricket to come here. We don’t take any team for granted, we have not taken any team so far. No matter what the opposition brings, we believe in our abilities. It’s same, it is unchanged (the team).

Playing XI –

Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w/c), Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni(w), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah