BIRMINGHAM, June 23: India added the Champions Trophy title to the World Cup they won two years ago after seeing off England by five runs in a dramatic Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Tournament hosts England, still to win a major one-day international title, appeared to have done the hard work in holding India to 129 for seven in a match reduced by rain to a 20 overs per side contest.
But, chasing 130, they collapsed to 46 for four, before a partnership of 64 between left-hander Eoin Morgan (33) and Ravi Bopara (30), who’d earlier taken three for 20 with his medium-pacers, swung the match back their way.
However, India seamer Ishant Sharma turned the match on its head by removing Morgan and Bopara off successive deliveries to leave England 110 for six in their 18th over and needing 19 off the last 12 balls.
That eventually became six off one ball and that proved too much for tail-ender James Tredwell as he failed to make contact against off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ravindra Jadeja was named man-of-the-match after making 33 not out and taking two for 24 with his left-arm spin.
India’s win left England still searching for their first major ODI trophy after defeats in three World Cup finals and a loss to the West Indies in the 2004 Champions Trophy final.—AFP
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