Top 10 moments of Champions Trophy 2017

The 18-day tournament was one of the most unpredicted editions of the ICC Champions Trophy. There were a number of upsets during the tournament which spiced up the event. World Champions Australia and runners-up New Zealand were knocked off in the first round itself. Bangladesh played the semifinals for the first time in an ICC event. And in the end, it was Pakistan who emerged victorious by 180 runs in the final against arch-rivals India. Pakistan played out of their skins to beat higher ranked teams which culminated into a maiden Champions Trophy final. They were great, barring the first group game against India, and played some refreshing cricket. Sarfaraz Ahmed led his side with distinction, gave opportunities to youngsters like Fakhar Zaman, who went on to score a glorious maiden hundred in the finals. The No. 8 ranked ODI side punched above their weight and rose to the occasion. Defending champions India and England were tipped as the favourites to lift the championship. While England were shockingly knocked out by Pakistan in the semis, India did well to reach the finals but succumbed to a heavy loss at The Oval on Sunday. The eighth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will be remembered for the fierce competition and the unpredictability. Let us have a look at the top ten moments of the eight-nation tournament: 1. Williamson’s fall leads to a Kiwi collapse, thrice Kane Williamson of New Zealand. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Kiwi skipper Williamson went past 50 every time he batted in the tournament. He made 244 runs in 3 innings but he couldn’t get his side into the semi-finals. His team heavily relied on the 26-year old. Williamson laid the platform every single game but his dismissal triggered a collapse in all three league games. Against Australia, Williamson hit a magnificent century but got out in the 40th over. After his dismissal, New Zealand could manage to score just 37 runs and lost 6 wickets, getting bowled out for 291. In a must-win game against hosts England, Williamson crafted 87 pristine runs. The score was 158 for 3 when he exited the field and the team was skittled out for 223 all out in 44.3 overs. The theme continued against Bangladesh as well. Williamson helped himself to another half century and was dismissed shortly afterwards for 57. Kiwis were 152 for 3 when he got out and managed to get just 113 runs in the last 20 overs, losing 5 wickets in the process. It is fair to say that New Zealand hinged on Williamson a lot in the tournament. 2. Hazlewood produced the only five-wicket haul of the tournament Josh Hazlewood of Australia. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images) Playing in England is what every seam bowler dreams of but there wasn’t a single 5-wicket haul registered during the 18-day event apart from Hazlewood’s 6/52. In the group game against New Zealand, Australia were swatted to all corners of the ground by Williamson and Ronchi early on. After 39 overs, the Kiwis were in a strong position at 254 for 3. A target of anything near 325 looked almost certain. This is when Hazlewood came to the fore, his last spell figures read 3-0-15-5 which included a three-wicket over which got New Zealand all out in the 45th over. It was a lion-hearted effort considering the position Australia were in by the 26-year old New South Wales fast bowler. 3. South Africa run like a cat on a hot tin roof South Africa’s AB de Villiers leaves the field after being run out. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) South Africa are well recognised as a team who is capable of capitulating under pressure. In a must-win group game, which was turned into a virtual quarter-final, South Africa had to win against India to progress further in the tournament. They were in a good position till they decided to squander the start they had got. De Villiers, after registering his first ever golden duck in ODI cricket, started well and had raised to 16. Faf du Plessis was going smoothly about his business until he defended one which went straight to the hands of point. De Villiers had committed himself for a non-existent run and fell short by a fair distance. A dangerous De Villiers had to make the long walk back to the dressing room. Faf could have decided against the run, though it was De Villiers’ call. Miller walked out to join the incumbent No. 3 and 5 balls later, one of the funniest run outs of the recent past construed. Faf edged one to short third man and set off for a run. He stuttered and ran again but suddenly took a U-turn. Miller responded immediately but Faf never sighted him running. Both batsmen ended up stranded on the same end as Kohli took the bails off at the non-striker’s end. 4. Shakib and Mahmudullah send New Zealand home Bangladesh batsmen Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) In another virtual quarterfinal, New Zealand had Bangladesh on the mat when they reduced the Tigers to 33/4 in pursuit of a target of 266. It is unlikely for a team to win from that position and almost impossible for Bangladesh, who were playing in the tournament after an 11-year exile. Mahmudullah joined Shakib in the middle and counter-attacked the Kiwis with some outrageous shots. Slowly, Shakib too found his rhythm as both batted very fluently. The Kiwis had no answer to the onslaught and in a desperate bid to break the partnership, Williamson got himself on to bowl a few overs. Shakib and Mahmudullah didn’t want him to bowl cheap overs and attacked him. Both scripted a wonderful win for their side after stitching a rearguard partnership of 224, the highest ever for Bangladesh for any wicket in ODIs. In the process, Shakib and Mahmudullah made memorable centuries. The former was dismissed 9 runs away from the target but Mahmudullah made sure that he was there at the end of the chase. Bangladesh qualified for the semis on the back of one of the best games in their ODI history. 5. So near yet so far for Australia Australia. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) Australia, like India and England, were widely termed as favourites to win the Champions Trophy. After three group games, they didn’t even manage to win a single game and departed home early than expected. Their first game was a washout which, by Smith’s own admission was a lucky escape, Australia looked on course to overhaul the 183-run target set by Bangladesh in the second group game. At 83 for 1 after 16 overs, there was only one winner in the game until the rain gods intervened. Australia were way ahead of the D/L target except that they were four overs short of constituting it as a complete game. In the end, it was a washout and the points were divided which proved fatal for the World Champions as they lost the next game against England and were on the flight back home. 6. Stokes and Morgan’s counter-attacking stand knocks out Australia Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes of England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Chasing 278 against Australia, England stuttered to be reeling at 35 for 3 after 6 overs. They had maintained a good run-rate but had lost 3 top order wickets. Skipper Morgan was already in the middle and was joined by Ben Stokes. Both left-handers maintained a good tempo in the innings and played aggressively against the new ball. Both were in sublime form and added 159 runs in just 156 balls to put England on course to a win. Stokes was eventually run out due to a miscommunication between the duo but did his job making an entertaining 81-ball 87 which included 5 sixes. Stokes remained not out on 102 before the rain intervened for the third successive time in an Australia group game. England were awarded the winners of the game and Australia were heading back home. 7. Thisara Perera drops Sarfraz Ahmed Sarfraz Ahmed of Pakistan. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Pakistan known to destroy themselves were reeling in a chase of 237 against Sri Lanka, they were facing defeat after being reduced to 162 for 7. They were in a great position at 92 for 1 but lost wickets at regular intervals to squander a good start. Skipper Sarfraz was still out in the middle and found an ally in Mohammad Amir, who is a decent lower order batsman. Amir and Sarfraz took the chase forward by playing percentage cricket. With just 44 runs left to win, Mathews, in a desperate attempt to get a wicket got back Malinga into the attack. Off the second ball of the over, Sarfaraz failed to read a slower ball and chipped it straight towards the mid on fielder Thisara Perera, who grassed the simplest of catches one would ever witness on a cricket field. Malinga, who usually is very calm, was riled and animated. It could have been the game for Sri Lanka but it was not to be. Sarfraz then scripted one of Pakistan’s better wins of the recent past to get his side into the semifinals. 8. Pakistan emerge from the ashes to win maiden title Pakistan lift the trophy after winning the ICC Champions Trophy final. (Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images) Pakistan’s performances have always oscillated between the boon and the banal especially against big teams in ICC events. They were humiliated by India in their first group game and were never expected to go any further into the tournament. They beat South Africa in the next game and people thought that it was a flash in the pan. They somehow got across Sri Lanka which got them a berth in the semi-finals. Not many fancied Pakistan to overhaul England, but the Men in Green comprehensively defeated the hosts to romp into their first final of Champions Trophy. India were again expected to end Pakistan’s revival in the event but Sarfaraz’s men surprised everyone to maul India in the most lopsided manner. Pakistan eventually won by a colossal margin of 180 runs. The chief architects of the title win were Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and the skipper himself. 9. Bumrah oversteps, deprived India of an early wicket Umpire Marais Erasmus signals a wide and overturns the decision for the wicket of Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images) No-balls have been India’s biggest enemy in the last two ICC events. Playing in the semifinals of the World T20 2016, Ashwin had got Lendl Simmons early but the replays suggested that he had overstepped the line. Simmons then scripted an amazing win for the West Indies and India were knocked out. It was Bumrah’s turn to be unwillingly associated with something similar. Bowling his second over, Bumrah had Fakhar caught behind but the umpire asked the batsman to wait. The replays showed Bumrah overstepping a fair bit and Fakhar got another chance to bat. He ended up scoring 111 runs more after this event and was one of the reasons why Pakistan amassed 338. It was a sensational innings by a man who was playing in his only 4th ODI. He was lucky, yes, but you have to make the best use of the chance offered, which Fakhar did exceptionally well. 10. Mohammad Amir’s fiery spell douses hopes of an Indian win LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 18 : Mohammad Amir of Pakistan shouts as he dismisses Rohit Sharma of India during the ICC Champions Trophy final match between India and Pakistan at the Kia Oval cricket ground on June 18, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images) Even after getting 338 runs, the general consensus was that India can get the total due to the strong batting line-up that they possess. Amir doused every such hope by bowling one of the spells of the tournament. He swung the ball at pace and made batsmen play the ball as much as possible. His first wicket was of Rohit Sharma, in the first over itself, when he played an in-swinger across the line only to be thudded on the pads. The umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger. Kohli wanted to make a statement against Amir. In an attempted drive, all he could do was to edge it to Azhar Ali who grassed a dolly at first slip. This didn’t deter Kohli at all as he wanted to throw caution to the wind. On the very next delivery, Kohli shuffled across to play one of the on-side but got a leading edge that went straight to point. India lost their two best ODI batsmen inside three overs of the chase. Amir was very accurate and gave nothing away. Dhawan wanted to play a forcing shot off the backfoot in the 9th over but could only edge it to the keeper. Amir bowled it with a cross seam hence it got extra bounce which defeated Dhawan. His figures read 6-2-16-3. Watching a fast bowler bowl in that fashion was a delight for every cricket fan.

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Top 10 moments of Champions Trophy 2017

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