PAKISTANI cricketers have proved once again that they are the most unpredictable team in the world. It has won the ICC Champions Trophy by stunning everyone when they were considered underdogs before the final. But they outplayed their arch rival India in a one-sided final and won it by a huge margin of 180 runs.
Pakistan's record-breaking 180-run win over title-holders India in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval on Sunday completed a remarkable turnaround for Sarfraz Ahmed's side in the space of just a few weeks.
The lowest-ranked team in the eight-nation one-day international tournament, their group campaign started with a 124-run thrashing by India at Edgbaston on June 4. But it was wins all the way from then on, culminating in Sunday's stunning success at The Oval - the scene of Pakistan's first Test match victory in 1954. Mohammed Amir smashed prowess of Indian batting when he took three wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shekhar Dhawan! Pandya put up some fight but it was too late and too little. It was all a far cry from the Asian giants' opening group match at Edgbaston on June 4 where Pakistan were slumped to 164 all out in a thumping 124-run defeat by India.
Pakistan has won the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time. Full credit goes to the young team. It recorded the biggest victory margin in ICC final. Pakistani opening batsmen set the stage for their bowlers. Fakhar Zaman scored a sparkling century and helped pile up 338 against much-vaunted Indian bowling attack. Although it was disappointing to see a one-sided final, at the end the best team won the ICC Champions Trophy.
Mohammed Fahim
Moghbazar, Dhaka
