Told boys to prove we were world champions ,Sensational triumph for Dhoni's men
A better player is one who responds to situations: Dhoni
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni looks into how players respond to a particular situation, which he feels is more important than technique.
“A lot of people talk about technique but what is important for me a better player is one who responds to the situation. Credit to Rohit and Shikhar as they have batted well at the top. As far as our fielding is concerned, there has been a cultural change,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“I am the oldest in this team and during our younger days we used to roll over while the youngsters now dive, slide due to lush green outfields.”
For someone, who has won all the ICC events, when Nasser Hussain asked that what else is left to achieve, he could only offer a smile that defined containment but there wasn’t any exaggeration of emotion which is typically Dhoni.
“What matters is the next game. We are going to West Indies now. Winning is important for the team. I am happy my players are playing well when it matters.”
About the new bunch that has adapted so well in international cricket, Dhoni said that playing in front of big crowds in the IPL has certainly helped.
“Some of our players are experienced in international cricket. New players have played IPL matches in front of thousands.”
Dhoni gave credit to his batsmen for scoring 130 on a sluggish pitch where batting looked difficult due to rain interruptions.
Shikhar Dhawan, who had a fantastic tournament said that the pace and bounce of the wicket did suit his style of play.
“I love bouncy tracks as it suits my game. I practice hard in the nets and I am loving every moment of it. It’s doubly special as I was out for two years. I always knew I had the talent but I wasn’t scoring that many runs.”
Special feeling: Kohli
Virat Kohli, the top-scorer of the final said that “winning seven out seven matches (including practice games) was a special feeling. Our boys showed a lot of character.”
Kohli enthralled the crowd with his own version of “Gangnam style” and a few push-ups that reminded one and all of his RCB colleague Chris Gayle’s manner of celebration after winning World T20 in Sri Lanka.
I was very positive: Jadeja
Man of the final Ravindra Jadeja said, “I did well throughout the tournament and I was very positive. It was quite difficult to rotate the strike, so myself and Virat just tried to build a good partnership. I was enjoying the bowling on this wicket. The skipper always backs me when I bowl.”
Devastated: Cook
A dejected England captain Alastair Cook said, “It’s tough to take at the moment. I think both sides found the pitch quite hard to bat on. You are always going to think of different reasons. I’m proud of the way the players have performed in this tournament.
“With 20-odd needed off 16 balls it was in our hands. There have been a lot of good performances, but at the moment we are a bit devastated.”
With just 129 runs to play within the rain-curtailed final of the ICC Champions Trophy against England here, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni spurred his teammates by telling them to play like world champions and defend a sub-par score.
“Before going in I said, let’s first of all get rid of the feeling that it’s a 50-over game. It’s a 20-over game, and we have seen in IPL and in T20 formats, 130 runs can be a difficult target to achieve,” Dhoni said.
“I told them not to look at the sky or the opposition. I told them that God helps those who help themselves. I said God is not coming to save us. If you want to win this trophy, we’ll have to fight it out,” he said while addressing the media in the post-match press conference in Birmingham on Sunday night.
“We are the number-one ranked ODI side, so let’s make sure that they have to fight for these 130-odd runs. Don’t look for any outside help.”
India defended a modest score of 129 to outwit England by five runs in a thrilling final of the ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston in a rain-hit match that was ultimately decided by a T20 game.
“It is unfair to call it the final of the Champions Trophy. When the final of a 50-over game is decided by a T20 game, then some shine is lost but this win means a lot. We played against the best teams in the world and to beat England in England is always good,” Dhoni said.
Dhoni singled out Man-of-the-Match Ravindra Jadeja for praise and the highest scorer of the tournament, Shikhar Dhawan.
“Jadeja is someone who keeps it very simple. He bowls a good line and lets the ball do the talking. The good part was he contributed with the bat, which I feel is very important because he’s someone who will have to bat at number seven,” the Indian captain said.
On Dhawan, Dhoni said: “He has taken forward his form in the Test series against Australia — Dhawan scored a century on debut — and after an injury, did well in the IPL. I am happy that he has contributed as an opener and that’s another good sign for us.
“He’ll gain a lot of confidence out of the innings that he has played, especially over here. And that will really help the team more often than not get off to a good start.”
Dhoni refused to criticise Rohit Sharma for failing to convert good starts into bigger scores.
“Rohit is talented and has proved himself. He’s proven he’s batted really well in difficult conditions,” said Dhoni.
On the personal front, Dhoni said he was lucky that India won the T20 World Cup, the 50-over World Cup and the Champions Trophy under his captaincy.
“I don’t turn up in the ground to achieve anything special as a captain. For me, winning the game is very important, and that is of utmost importance for us as a team,” he said.
The skipper also refused to think about defending the title in the 2015 World Cup to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
“Well, it’s very difficult to answer as of now. People, especially players, get injured very often. Most of these players, they end up going into the 2015 World Cup, but it’s too far ahead. We’ll have plenty of tournaments before that and plenty of important series, ICC event, Asia Cup and all of those series. So I don’t think we’re looking too much ahead,” Dhoni said.
“We’ve got a series against West Indies where we’re going from here, and then Zimbabwe and after that we have some fair time off also to get going, recharge ourselves so we can avoid injuries,” he added.
India won the ICC Champions Trophy in sensational fashion on Sunday, defeating England by five runs in a humdinger at Edgbaston. Chasing 130, the home side — although this was not apparent from the feeble support it had at the venue — needed 15 runs off R. Ashwin in the last over, and six off the last delivery, but James Tredwell failed to get bat on ball.
Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan had added 64 runs for the fifth wicket to take England to the brink of victory but Ishant Sharma excised both batsman in the space of two balls to turn things on their head.
Lusty hitting
Infuriatingly persistent rain had reduced the game, somewhat farcically for the final of a global ODI tournament, to a 20-over contest. India, put in, had the lusty hitting of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja to thank for its score after Bopara had broken the spine of the batting with three for 20.
In pursuit, England opened sluggishly. The top three are not exactly cut out for Twenty20, and when captain Alastair Cook edged behind for two, it portended hardship for the side.
Trott raced away early rather uncharacteristically but was stumped down the leg-side off Ashwin.
Joe Root was then removed by Ashwin, and Ian Bell was given out stumped rather controversially, as England struggled against India’s spinners.
The host lost 22 for three between the fifth and tenth over as the match seemed in India’s control.
Bopara and Morgan, however, set about knocking the runs off. They batted with caution at first but with 59 needed off the last six, they accelerated.
Clean sixes were struck off Ishant and Jadeja as the equation eased down to 20 from 16 balls. It was then that Ishant did his bit, removing Morgan and Bopara off successive deliveries.
England lost five wickets for three runs in eight balls in that period as India secured a remarkable triumph.
After much inspection, sopping and draining, the game eventually got underway at 4:20 p.m. local time, some six hours behind schedule.
India lost Rohit Sharma early, bowled by Stuart Broad before a downpour forced the players inside in the seventh over, for close to an hour.
At the other end, Shikhar Dhawan had begun encouragingly, swiping James Tredwell to the deep-midwicket boundary.
First ball upon resumption, he cut Broad over third man for six, allaying fears that the break had disrupted concentration.
But at this stage, England introduced Bopara and he struck at once. Dhawan drove his second delivery, a fine slower ball, straight to the fielder at extra cover.
From 50 for one, India sank to 66 for five in under five overs. Dinesh Karthik wildly swept James Tredwell and was caught. Bopara then removed Suresh Raina and Dhoni in the space of five balls.
Kohli and Jadeja, however, assumed responsibility, adding 47 vital runs for the sixth wicket. Kohli was forceful as ever, a lightning-drive through the covers off Bopara and a six over fine leg-off Broad veritable highlights. India looked in trouble after Kohli’s dismissal for 43 but Jadeja was on hand.
The Saurashtra all-rounder smashed his way around to a 25-ball-33, as India, on a pitch that offered turn, ultimately felt in possession of a reasonable score.
Scoreboard:
India: Rohit b Broad 9 (14b, 1x4), S. Dhawan c Tredwell b Bopara 31 (24b, 2x4, 1x6), V. Kohli c Bopara b Anderson 43 (34b, 4x4, 1x6), D. Karthik c Morgan b Tredwell 6 (11b), S. Raina c Cook b Bopara 1 (6b), M.S. Dhoni c Tredwell b Bopara 0 (4b), R. Jadeja (not out) 33 (25b, 2x4, 2x6), R. Ashwin run out 1 (1b), Bhuvneshwar (not out) 1 (1b); Extras (w-4): 4; Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs): 129.
Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Rohit), 2-50 (Dhawan), 3-64 (Karthik), 4-66 (Raina), 5-66 (Dhoni), 6-113 (Kohli), 7-119 (Ashwin).
England bowling: Anderson 4-0-24-1, Broad 4-0-26-1, Bresnan 4-0-34-0, Tredwell 4-0-25-1, Bopara 4-1-20-3.
England: A. Cook c Ashwin b Umesh 2 (9b), I. Bell st Dhoni b Jadeja 13 (16b, 1x4), J. Trott st Dhoni b Ashwin 20 (17b, 2x4), J. Root c Ishant b Ashwin 7 (9b), E. Morgan c Ashwin b Ishant 33 (30b, 3x4, 1x6), R. Bopara c Ashwin b Ishant 30 (25b, 2x6), J. Buttler b Jadeja 0 (1b), T. Bresnan run out 2 (4b), S. Broad (not out ) 7 (5b, 1x4), J. Tredwell (not out) 5 (4b); Extras (lb-1, w-4): 5; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs) 124.
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Cook), 2-28 (Trott), 3-40 (Root), 4-46 (Bell), 5-110 (Morgan), 6-110 (Bopara), 7-112 (Buttler), 8-113 (Bresnan).
India bowling: Bhuvneshwar 3-0-19-0, Umesh 2-0-10-1, Jadeja 4-0-24-2, Ashwin 4-1-15-2, Ishant 4-0-36-2, Raina 3-0-19-0.
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