Pakistan win Champions Trophy after Fakhar Zaman century stuns India

Pakistan stunned holders India to win the Champions Trophy after claiming their biggest victory over their sub-continent rivals at The Oval. Fakhar Zaman [114] struck his maiden one-day century as the underdogs set a record 339 to win before Mohammad Amir terrorised the defending champions' top order with three for 16 to secure victory by a massive 180 runs.

Fakhar had survived being given out off a Jasprit Bumrah no ball on just three, and that error turned out to be the defining moment of the final. During a no-fear, enterprising innings he struck 12 fours and three sixes to pull apart a sub-standard India bowling attack.

India needed the biggest score to win a Champions Trophy match but they were dethroned by their closest rivals during a devastating spell of bowling. Amir trapped Rohit Sharma lbw from the third ball, before captain Virat Kohli [5] was dropped and then dismissed in successive balls. And when the tournament's top scorer Shikhar Dhawan [21] followed India looked cooked.

Hardik Pandya did score the fastest half century in a major ICC global final but his innings of 76 from 43 balls was ended in a calamitous run-out to hand Pakistan - ranked number eight in the world rankings - victory, their first major tournament win for eight years. Hasan Ali cleared up the tail with three wickets to bowl India out for just 153 as their reign was ended in emphatic fashion.

Following a tournament beset by rain, one-sided matches and the anticlimactic exit of the host nation, the eighth Champions Trophy needed a finale to justify its existence within the chaotic international cricket calendar. A high-profile and colourful occasion was at least assured by India and Pakistan's presence in the final as another chapter in cricket's fiercest rivalry was set to be written.

Having won nine of their last 12 matches chasing, the initiative was initially with reigning champions India - who had already beaten Pakistan by 124 runs earlier in the tournament - as they won the toss and chose to bowl first on what was otherwise a hot morning on a flat Oval pitch. But Pakistan supposed weakest suit shone bright as they built the platform for a formidable total.

India should have had a breakthrough in the fourth over when Fakhar edged behind on just three, but Bumrah overstepped to give the Pakistan opener a second life. He and partner Azhar took full advantage of the reprieve with some punishing blows, with some shaky India fielding helping them along the way.

Ravi Ashwin's introduction made little difference to Pakistan's progress and Azhar and Fakhar put on a century for the first wicket without having to take any risks on a baking hot day. Both players went to their half centuries in the 20th over, yet their stand was ended prematurely by a comedy run-out.

Azhar [59] went for a routine run to mid-off but when Fakhar didn't respond both men were down the non-strikers end as the partnership of 128 was finally broken. But Fakhar remained and continued to make India pay with two sixes and three fours in the space of seven balls to take Pakistan beyond 150.

Faker continued to live a charmed life with streaky edges through third man and over the top of MS Dhoni before a superb sweep to the boundary took him to his maiden one-day century. The 27-year-old's plucky innings was ended on 114 as a mistimed swipe was caught well by Ravi Jadeja.

Shoaib Malik went for just 12 but Babar Azam began to accelerate as Pakistan targeted their biggest total on British shores. Kedar Jadhav's slingy deliveries finally brought some joy as Azam [46] was caught in the deep but the onslaught continued as Imad Wasim struck two sixes down the ground.

Hafeez took Pakistan past 300 by pulling into the crowd for another maximum but India improved in the twilight of the inning as their death bowlers Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar came to the fore. Pakistan stumbled to their highest one-day score for three years, with Hafeez not out on 57 from 37 balls, as India needed the biggest total to win a major ICC final.

The momentum created by that innings was taken into Pakistan's performance with the ball amid a dramatic start to the India response. Sharma was dismissed for a duck by Amir, who should have had a second when Azhar shelled a chance to get Kohli at first slip.

But India's talisman was unable to take advantage and he was caught at backward point from the very next delivery, as Amir led the Pakistan celebrations. The left-armer's association with London had always related to the spot fixing scandal of 2010 but now he was the toast of Pakistani cricket as a third wicket followed courtesy of an edge from Dhawan [21] to captain Sarfraz Ahmed.

Vuvraj and MS Dhoni rallied but the former, a veteran of over 300 ODIs, was dismissed after Pakistan successfully reviewed after a straight one from Shadab Khan careered into his pads, to leave India 54 for 4. Dhoni [4] followed in the next over, pulling Hasan Ali straight to Imad Wasim.

Jadhav made just nine before looping the ball up in the air for Sarfraz to catch to leave Pakistan on the brink. Pandya did produce a fine counterattack with a flurry of sixes - including three in a row off Shadab Khan - to go to his half century in just 32 balls, the fastest in an ICC global final. But when he was run out by his partner Jadeja any Indian hope evaporated in the 30 degree heat in south London.

The dismissal triggered a rapid collapse with Jadeja [15], Ashwin [1] and Bumrah [1] all falling as India were bowled out for 158 to confirm victory for Pakistan with over 19 overs remaining to underline their transformation from the laughing stock of the tournament to champions.