Dubai: India sealed an unprecedented third Champions Trophy triumph with an unblemished record as Rohit Sharma combined his inherent freedom with steely resolve to inspire his side to a four-wicket win in a closely-fought final against New Zealand, here Sunday.
India won the trophy without losing a match, reflecting their dominance in the tournament which they won back in 2002 and 2013.
No other team has won the event thrice.
Well-timed fifties by Daryl Mitchell (63) and Michael Bracewell (53) steered the Kiwis to 251 for seven after Indian spinners led by Kuldeep Yadav applied the squeeze for a large part of their innings.
Indian batters needed to capitalise on that fine effort of the bowlers, and Rohit, who many believe was featuring in his last ODI match for India, led from the front, slipping into his turbocharged version almost immediately.
The chase of 252 grew tight in the business end while the Blackcaps spinners were operating on a sluggish pitch, but skipper Rohit’s ebullient 83-ball 76 had already given them the cushion to overhaul the target in 49 overs.
KL Rahul with his 34 not out, there was no dramatic twist to the tale, leading the side past the finish line after India lost well-settled batters.
Pacer Nathan Smith, who replaced injured Matt Henry in the line-up, felt the heat as the 37-year-old Rohit hammered him for two sixes and as many fours in the beginning of the chase.
At the other end Shubman Gill (31), who helped Rohit to raise 105 runs for the opening wicket, was more subdued and the lone spark in his innings was a maximum off spinner Rachin Ravindra.
But a stunning catch by Glenn Phillips off left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner ended his stay, and opened a creek for the Kiwis.
Virat Kohli came to the middle accompanied by loud cheers but his stay lasted just two balls, an effort to turn Michael Bracewell off his pads saw the master batter getting trapped plumb in front.
By now, Rohit had decided to knuckle down after racing 49 in the Power Play segment.
In the next 16 overs the Mumbai man added only 27 runs more to his score, as he tried to play a rather forgotten role of innings building.
His belief in his own defence too seemed to have come back as he smothered Santner and Bracewell quite effectively.
It ended when his charge against Ravindra resulted in a stumping by Tom Latham. India were 130 runs away from a win at that juncture.
India were 122 for three then and needed some consolidation, Shreyas Iyer (48) and Axar Patel (29) gave them precisely that during a 61 runs stand for the fourth wicket.
They carried India closer to the shore but Shreyas, who was dropped on 44 by Kyle Jamieson off Phillips, fell four runs later to Santner and Axar too perished to Bracewell.
But those dismissals only created artificial excitement as a focused KL Rahul (34 not out) helmed India’s march home.
But the Indian spinners also can rightfully claim a good chunk of credit for this victory.
Kuldeep (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) were excellent alongside Axar and Ravindra Jadeja as the quartet conceded only 144 runs in the 38 overs bowled between them.
However, the start made by New Zealand did not justify the total that they eventually managed.
They raced to 69 for 1 in 10 overs despite losing Will Young to Chakravarthy, who came in the sixth over. But the introduction of Kuldeep 11th over changed the complexion of the game.
With his first ball, Kuldeep consumed Ravindra, who failed to read a wonderfully concealed googly that disturbed his stumps.
It also ended a good 57-run opening stand, in which Ravindra, who punished Hardik Pandya for a six and two fours in row, was dropped on 28 by Mohammed Shami off his own bowling.
In the very next over, Kane Williamson’s forward prod off the left-arm wrist spinner eventuated in a return catch as the Kiwis slipped to 75 for three in 12.2 overs.
The four-pronged Indian spin attack assumed control of the proceedings from that point, and New Zealand could not find a boundary for the next 81 balls.
Kuldeep and Varun found an appreciable turn off the deck. Axar and Jadeja, however, relied more on quickness to cramp Kiwis batters for space, and both the methods were equally effective on the day.
Chakravarthy also mixed his endless ensemble of tricks and accounted for Phillips to end a promising 57-run alliance for the fifth wicket
However, Mitchell, who cleverly manipulated the field for singles and twos, brought up his fifty in 91 balls.
His twin boundaries off Shami in the 46th over indicated a late charge.
He also stitched a useful 46-run partnership with Bracewell, who played some hefty shots, for the sixth wicket before falling to Shami.
Bracewell’s enterprise meant that Kiwis would get 50 runs in the last five overs. But the effort was way too less on the night that firmly belonged to India.
PTI
