Glory at the Champions Trophy: India's thrilling victory led by Dhoni's strategy and Ashwin's standout performance in rain-affected final

One might have expected the captain of the defeated team to express this sentiment. Surprisingly, it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who shared this observation during the post-match press conference, just moments after India secured a thrilling five-run victory over England in the unpredictable final of the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Given that the match was played at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England were the host nation but no one was in any doubt about who enjoyed the majority support. A sea of blue swarmed the stands, the noise and the electricity infectious and creating a raucous atmosphere of the kind seldom seen at a cricket match in Old Blighty.

Going into the June 23 final, India were the only unbeaten side in the competition, having swept through Group B with three commanding victories and swatting Sri Lanka aside by eight wickets with 15 overs to spare in the semifinal. England had outclassed South Africa in the first semifinal and thus given themselves a great chance to pick up their maiden global 50-over silverware.

Birmingham rain forces T20 finale

For large periods on a frustrating Sunday, it appeared as if the teams would be crowned joint winners. In its infinite wisdom, the International Cricket Council didn’t deem it fit to have a reserve day – when has it ever rained in June in England, right? – and as it bucketed down, hopes of a game of any duration diminished though that didn’t dim the enthusiasm of a packed, pro-India gathering. Eventually, with 75 minutes added to the scheduled closing time to ensure a result, the match began at 4.20 pm as a 20-overs-a-side faceoff, hence Dhoni’s pithy post-match observation that cocked a snook at the (lack of) sagacity of the deciding authorities.

Alastair Cook had little hesitation in opting to field and India’s innings never really got going under overcast skies and a heavy outfield. Remarkably, the surface not only remained dry but actually started to assist spin as the game unfolded, a development that would have a decisive say in the end.

Despite Shikhar Dhawan’s industry, India hadn’t reached even 60 at the halfway stage of a 20-over game played under 50-over rules. There were no one bunch of six Powerplay overs, for instance, which didn’t help India’s cause any. There was no momentum and a serious influx of nervousness, and it took 43 from Virat Kohli and a breezy unbeaten 33 off 25 deliveries from Ravindra Jadeja for India to post 129 for seven amid rain stoppages. Ravi Bopara’s medium pace, strangely enough, did the star turn for England as he finished with three for 20.

When India came out to defend their modest total, Dhoni told his troops that they could expect no help from the elements. “We have to do it all ourselves,” he urged them, and Umesh Yadav took that to heart by dismissing Cook in the second over. India kept the pressure on through Jadeja and R Ashwin. When Jonathan Trott came out to bat, Dhoni told Ashwin to bowl a leg-stump line from round the stumps, believing that the right-hander would overbalance if the ball turned from that line. True to the captain’s prophecy, Trott missed an off-break that he tried to turn to leg and Dhoni was spectacular in pulling off a lightning stumping.

At 46 for four in the ninth over, England were on the mat but Eoin Morgan and Bopara counter-punched with abandon, taking a special liking to Ishant Sharma. With India running out of time, Dhoni brought Ishant back for one final throw of the dice. A whipped Morgan six and two successive wides took England to within sight of victory when Ishant ended the 64-run stand by having Morgan caught off a slower ball and Bopara snaffled at square-leg on the pull off the following delivery.

Suddenly, the momentum shifted and the crowd, which had gone completely quiet, rediscovered its voice. When Bopara fell, England needed 20 in 14 deliveries, with six wickets in hand. At the start of the 19th, the equation was down to 19 off 11; Jadeja dismissed Jos Buttler, Tim Bresnan ran himself out and England pressed the panic button as India attacked in the penultimate over with a slip, a gully and a silly point. What drama!

Dhoni went to his trusted hero, Ashwin, for the final over with 15 needed. The offie produced six excellent deliveries, conceding just nine as Stuart Broad and James Tredwell found it impossible to get him away. This was as much a victory of the spinners as it was of Dhoni, the master strategist, the man with the Midas touch.

Brief scores: India: 129/7 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 31, Virat Kohli 43, Ravindra Jadeja 33 n.o.; Ravi Bopara 3-20) beat England: 124/8 in 20 overs (Eoin Morgan 33, Ravi Bopara 30; Ravindra Jadeja 2-24, R Ashwin 2-15, Ishant Sharma 2-36) by five runs. PoM: Ravindra Jadeja.

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