Imagine it’s the final of an ICC tournament. Your team has only 130 runs to defend in 20 overs. England’s batting lineup is strong, and the pressure is immense. Then your captain says, “Don’t look up; God isn’t coming to save you”. Those words ignite a spark. Every player pushes themselves to the limit. This is how MS Dhoni inspired Team India during the 2013 Champions Trophy final. He stayed calm and led India to an unforgettable victory. Let’s look at how they managed to win against the odds in this incredible match.
This story was prepared by the editors of https://tcni.in/.
India vs England: The 2013 ICC Champions Trophy Final
On June 23, 2013, cricket fans filled Edgbaston, Birmingham, to watch the ICC Champions Trophy final between India and England. The rain was a concern from the start. It caused delays and turned the match into a T20 format. The wet pitch made batting even harder.
India had just beaten Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in the semi-finals, while England won comfortably against South Africa by 7 wickets. England won the toss and chose to field, to chase down a target.
India’s openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, took a cautious approach. They only scored 16 runs in the first three overs. Then, in the fourth over, Stuart Broad got rid of Rohit Sharma for 9 off 14 balls. India was 19/1. Virat Kohli joined Dhawan, and together they moved the score to 35/1 by the end of the powerplay. Just when they found some rhythm, the rain stopped for an hour.
As soon as play resumed, India came out with more focus. Shikhar Dhawan hit two elegant boundaries in the eighth over, which brought the score to 49/1. However, Ravi Bopara bowled a clever change of pace that deceived Dhawan. He was dismissed for 31 off 24 balls. India was now at 50/2.
As soon as the English bowlers found their rhythm, the pressure on India grew. In the 12th over, James Tredwell dismissed Dinesh Karthik for just 6 off 11 balls. In the 13th over, Bopara took another wicket, dismissing Suresh Raina for 1 off 6 balls and MS Dhoni for a duck. At 66/5, India’s hopes of a recovery seemed to be fading.
As soon as Ravindra Jadeja joined Virat Kohli, the two began to fight back under tremendous pressure. By the 18th over, India had reached 106/5. Kohli, in good form, continued his battle, but in the 19th over, James Anderson got him out for 43 off 34 balls. The 47-run partnership came to an end. In the final over, India pushed for every available run. Ravichandran Ashwin was run out in the confusion, but Jadeja’s unbeaten 33 off 25 balls helped India finish with 129/7.
England’s strong batting lineup faced a tough challenge as Umesh Yadav struck early. In the second over, he bowled Alastair Cook for just 2 runs, leaving England at 6/1. This early breakthrough lifted India’s spirits. However, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott took control and reached 27/1 after five overs. MS Dhoni’s sharp thinking changed the game. He brought R. Ashwin into the attack. Ashwin bowled a wide delivery that tempted Trott to step out. Dhoni quickly stumped Trott, dismissing him for 20 off 17 balls. This left England at 30/2. Dhoni decided to keep Ashwin on for another over. Ashwin struck again, getting Joe Root out for 7 runs off 9 balls. England was now 41/3 after 8 overs. Dhoni then brought Ravindra Jadeja into the attack. Jadeja’s sharp turn caused Ian Bell to be stumped by Dhoni for 13 runs off 16 balls. England’s score was 46/4 after 9 overs.
With the pressure rising, England’s hopes rested on Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara. The pair started cautiously, but once settled, they began to take on the Indian bowlers. By the 17th over, England reached 102/4. They needed 28 runs from the final 18 balls.
MS Dhoni’s Strategic Decision to Bring Ishant Sharma Back Into the Attack
India’s chances of winning the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy seemed slim as England needed 28 runs from 18 balls. In a bold decision, MS Dhoni handed the ball to Ishant Sharma for the critical 18th over, despite Ishant’s previous expensive spell, where he conceded 27 runs in three overs. The choice raised questions. Eoin Morgan hit a six off the second ball, and two wides followed. This brought the target down to 20 from 16 balls.
Realizing the urgency, Dhoni instructed Ishant to bowl a slower, wide yorker. Ishant followed the plan, and Morgan misjudged it. He hit a catch and was out for 33 runs from 30 balls. On the next delivery, Dhoni placed a fielder at square leg and called for a bouncer. The gamble worked again. Ravi Bopara mistimed the shot and sent it straight to the fielder. He was out for 30 runs off 25 balls. England stood at 111/6, and India gained renewed hope.
With 19 runs still needed in the last two overs and four wickets remaining, Dhoni turned to Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja made an immediate impact by dismissing Jos Buttler for a duck and running out Tim Bresnan for just 2 runs. This left R. Ashwin to defend 15 runs in the final over.
The tension reached its peak as England required 15 runs with two wickets in hand. James Tredwell and Stuart Broad were at the crease when Ashwin took the ball. He bowled a big turning delivery that beat Broad’s bat completely, almost leading to a stumping by Dhoni. The second ball was a low full toss, which Broad swept for a boundary, reducing the target. Broad then took a single on the next ball, rotating the strike. Tredwell kept the pressure up with two consecutive twos, one of which was saved by excellent fielding at mid-off.
With just five runs required for a Super Over, Ashwin bowled the final delivery. Tredwell missed the shot as the ball turned sharply. As soon as Tredwell missed, MS Dhoni jumped with joy, and his teammates rushed to him. India had won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy by five runs!
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