2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Team India’s All-Round Show Floors Pakistan In Style

Nov 2, 2023 at 3:48 PM

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2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Team India’s All-Round Show Floors Pakistan In Style

As much as fans have put in at the stake for the Sunday’s epic clash, it was the rain which literally peeped in, to check the pulse rates of the die-hard fans at the stadium.

When the two Asian-rivals are playing each other, such things grab headlines in the nutshell, before a remarkable allround effort from Team India thrashed Pakistan by 124 runs, in their opener of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

While coming to chase down the target of 320, Pakistan started off with a cautiously — to see openers; Ahmed Shehzad and Azhar Ali give a stand of 47 in seven overs, which further saw Pakistan posting 164 for nine in 33.4 overs, as Wahab Riaz didn’t come out to bat after twisting his ankle during bowling.

Umesh Yadav was the pick of the bowler, who claimed three wickets as Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja claimed two wickets each and Bhuvneshwar Kumar settled with one wicket of Ahmed Shehzad

Interestingly, as many as 24,156 spectators turned to the ground — to witness the match that was another one-sided affair which is seen as the record number turned out at the Edgbaston, as ground fielding seemed only way for India to improve upon before wrestling against other opponents.

India draw the first blood when they claimed the wicket of struggling Ahmed Shehzad, who scored 12 off 22 balls. He was trapped in front of the wickets by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In 13th over, it was promising prospect Babar Azam, who slashed the ball to find Umesh Yadav completing a brilliant catch in the thirty-yard circle.

Azhar Ali (50 off 65 balls), who looked only hope for Pakistan scored a fifty before perishing on the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja as the catch was completed by Hardik Pandya. Jadeja, the man of the moment pulled a remarkable run out of Shoaib Malik (15 off 9 balls).

Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed returned to the pavilion after scoring 15 off 16 balls, as he nicked a ball of Hardik Pandya straight into the hands of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Imran Wasim, nought, returned on the very first ball of his innings too.

Umesh Yadav claimed the wickets of Mohammad Amir (9 off 16 balls) and Hasan Ali (0 0ff 2). Earlier, after rain interrupted the game for the third time, the target was revised to 289 in 41 overs, when players walked out of the ground to see Pakistan 22 for no loss in 4.5 overs

It was top order’s show from the defending champions, who further had made the mockery of the Pakistan’s bowling line-up and the first innings further saw the Men in Green putting down at least two easiest of the chances which not only took the momentum away from them, but the bowlers were taken to the cleaners.

Considering the fact and feeding the numbers to you, Pakistan bowlers conceded 72 runs in last four overs when India went past 300-mark, in style with Virat Kohli leading from the front which saw him dispatching three into stands. It was the 28-year-old skipper Virat Kohli himself, who set the tune while flaying the Pakistani bowlers after settling at the trusting Edgbaston surface.

The batting mainstay remained unbeaten on 81 off 68 balls which further saw him smashing three sixes and six whizzed past the padded-up fences. He also collected 33 singles followed by three doubles. On the other side, Hardik Pandya scored six-ball 20 which saw India going past 300 runs and setting a target of 319 in the first instance in 48 overs.

However, Pakistan bowlers looked dismal except left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir and rookie leg-spinner Shadab Khan. Moreover, Wahab Riaz went for plenty of runs, as he conceded 87 off 8.4 overs followed by 70 from Hasan Ali in his quota of 10 overs.

The go-to-spin bowler, Imad Wasim conceded 66 off 9.1 overs. Looking at how India build-up their innings, it shows how well they have kept working around the dial even after going into a shell for some time. Consistent in format, India collected 118 singles followed by 12 doubles and a single double.

While settling with the unit who gave their best, Indian top-order registered 27 boundaries and ten sixes. Being sent before experienced campaigner Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya smoked three consecutive sixes off left-arm orthodox spinner Imad Wasim – to entertain the crowd which further saw Kohli at the non-striker’s end in awe for the promising prospect.

Yuvraj Singh, a brute force with the bat started off slowly to get into his rhythm before blasting 32-ball 53 which included eight boundaries and a six. However, the left-handed swashbuckling batsman was given out on a review when Hasan Ali trapped him in front of the wickets.

Being a great force to reckon with, Indian openers have been the highlight of the day after knitting on 136 runs in 24.3 overs. Ever reliant Rohit Sharma was the top scorer with sublime 91 off 119 balls, as his innings was laced with seven boundaries and two sixes before Babar Azam’s quick pickup saw Sarfraz Ahmed whipping off the zing bails in flash.

The left-handed batsman Shikhar Dhawan scored 68 off 66 balls which saw him hitting six boundaries and two sixes. When India was going stronger, the rain interrupted the play for the second time in the game which saw India posting 173 for one in 33.1 overs and game being reduced to 48 overs each.

Rohit Sharma was batting on 77 off 108 balls, as skipper Virat Kohli was unbeaten on 24 off 27 balls. After a slow start, Indian openers accelerated the innings, as rain interrupted the play when Virat Kohli-led side was 46 for no loss in 9.5 overs.

The right-handed batsman Rohit Sharma was batting on 25 off 34 balls as left-handed batsman Shikhar Dhawan was not out on 20 off 25 balls when covers came into the play. Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first in the epic encounter of match fourth of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, in the Group B fixture at The Edgbaston against defending champions India-led by Virat Kohli.

Adding to the stat, it has been the fourth time, in the history of ICC Champions trophy when two Asian giants faced off each other which further marked the head-to-head record two-all in an eight-team tournament.

However, India won the previous rain-truncated encounter by eight-wickets in 2013. Virat Kohli, who is leading the team for the first time in the mega event, has left out ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and fast bowler Mohammad Shami, as they preferred to go with a spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

On the other side, eighth-ranked side preferred to go with rookie leg-spinner by leaving out promising bowling all-rounder Fahim Ashraf whereas; Junaid Khan’s omission has been seen as big surprise.
https://www.facebook.com/SportzWiki/videos/815152595316461/

The video shown above was captured by Sportzwiki’s senior editor, Mr Nishit Nakar, who is currently in England to cover the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Not to everyone’s surprise, the sponsors of CT, OPPO has taken care of the complete trip and thanks to their newest sensation OPPO F3, the video was captured with utter clearness.

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