India Defeat England in Rain Affected Final to Claim the ICC Champions Trophy

India claimed the ICC Champions Trophy after defeating England by five runs in a rain affected final that was reduced to twenty overs for both sides.

England had looked as though they would be able to chase down the 130 they required for victory especially when Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan combined to get Alastair Cook's side within 20 runs of victory.

However, Ishant Sharma would claim the wicket of both men in consecutive balls and the momentum changed as James Tredwell was left requiring a six from the final ball.

He couldn't connect with the delivery from Ravichandra Ashwin and India would claim a memorable victory thanks in large to the superb performance of their spinners.

It had looked as though we would not get a game with weather causing massive disruptions as play did not get underway until after four in the afternoon,.

Having been reduced to a 20 over game England won the toss and decided to field and got off to a quick start as Stuart Broad clean bowled Rohit Sharma for just nine.

Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan managed to advance the score to 50-1 as both players struggled to find their rhythm after rain once again interrupted proceedings.

Ravi Bopara was then introduced and made a huge impact The Essex all rounder has performed well throughout the tournament and claimed the wicket of Dhawan who sliced the ball straight to Tredwell.

The spinner then picked up the wicket of Dinesh Karthik who took a huge swipe but could only find the safe hands of Morgan. In the very next over there was another wicket for Bopara who got Suresh Raina for just 1.

It would then become two in the same over for Bopara who got the dangerous captain Dhoni for a duck as the wicket keeper slashed a shot to third man which was well taken by Tredwell.

India were now 66-5 and looked in trouble but a good partnership between Kohli and Jadeja saw them move to 113 in the 18<sup>th over. Jimmy Anderson would break the partnership as Bopara was once again in the action to take the catch and claim Kohli for 43.

Ravichandra Ashwin was then run out for 1 in the last over as India managed to post a competitive score of 129.

India got off to the perfect when Umesh Yadav claimed the wicket of Alastair Cook for just two as he cut the ball to first slip where Ashwin claimed a superb catch.

The India spinners would then make the difference as Ashwin and Jadeja combined to takes the wickets of Ian Bell, Joe Root and Jonathan Trott to leave England 46-4.

This brought Morgan and Bopara together and both men played superbly to get England to within 20 runs of victory.

However, Morgan would fall for 33 and the very next ball Bopara would fall for 30 as both men fell to fast bowler Sharma.

Jos Butler would then be dismissed first ball by Jadeja, before Tim Bresnan was run out leaving England needing 15 from just six balls.

Stuart Broad and Tredwell would get England close by eventually they fell short as they required a maximum from the final ball.