England set 130 to win Champions Trophy

Ravi Bopara, right, was the pick of England's bowlers
23 June 2013

England need 130 to secure a first global one-day trophy, after a fine bowling performance against India in a rain-reduced Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston.

All-rounder Ravi Bopara was the unlikely hero as the hosts kept India to 129 for seven, taking three for 20 in four overs, including the tournament's top-scorer Shikhar Dhawan (31) and Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (nought).

At 66 for five, a dreadful score seemed possible but Virat Kohli's 43, and Ravindra Jadeja's 33no made things competitive.

England entrusted the powerplay overs to James Anderson and Stuart Broad and will have been pleased with a return of 19 for one. Then, Broad jagged one in off the seam to Rohit Sharma, taking advantage of a generous gap between bat and pad to clatter middle and off.

Dhawan's willingness to take on hasty singles helped add nine more before the rain returned at 28 for one. Dhawan seemed refreshed by the brief break, upper-cutting the first ball back from Broad for six. James Tredwell shipped back-to-back fours to Dhawan. The arrival of Bopara did for him, Dhawan mis-hitting a slower delivery directly to Tredwell at short extra-cover.

At the halfway point of the innings, India were 59 for two - Kohli having just hit Tredwell for the fourth boundary of the day. Dinesh Karthik could not add to that, making six runs before a botched sweep off Tredwell sailed high in the air and safely into Eoin Morgan's hands.

The Kent captain conceded just two runs from his next five deliveries as the pressure mounted early on new man Suresh Raina. He broke quickly, aiming an ugly swipe at Bopara and only finding the grateful Alastair Cook at mid-on.

Remarkably, the all-rounder turned that into a double-wicket maiden, bowling three dots to Dhoni and then tempting him with a short ball outside off stump. Dhoni climbed into it but did not get over the ball and fed a simple catch to Tredwell at third man.

A tight Anderson over meant just three runs had been scored from the last 18 balls but Kohli made up some ground by taking two fours off Bopara's last over. Kohli ticked the total up towards 100 but was dropped in the 18th over on 36 when Trott failed to gather a high chance at short third man.

Jadeja cleared the ropes from the first ball of the following over but Kohli fell attempting another big strike, Bopara holding on and Anderson claiming the scalp. The final over from Bresnan yielded 12 runs and a wicket, Jadeja striking a second maximum and Ian Bell running out Ravichandran Ashwin.

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