THE BEST OF MR ICC

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- Sophia Gardens, Cardiff [June 6, 2013].

The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 Edition took place in England. Interestingly when the Indian Team reached English Shores, no one gave them any chance. Afterall it was a young squad who had very less idea of the English Conditions. Furthermore the previous English Tour was so horrendous that no cricket fan will ever forget. Hence, India were certainly not the favorites to win the cup.

On the morning of 6th June, South African Captain AB de Villiers won the toss and elected to field first. To everyone's surprise Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan came out to open the Indian Innings. Prior to this match, Rohit Sharma used to play as a middle order batsman, whereas Shikhar Dhawan was nowhere in the ODI setup. Interestingly it was his aggressive knock against Australia in Mohali which made his selection possible in the ODI Squad. 

However, the duo was under extreme pressure. Afterall they were about to bat in a position which was earlier held by players like Sehwag, Gambhir, Ganguly and the Great Sachin Tendulkar. So, it was not going to be an easy task for them. However, the way in which they responded to this challenge was quite amazing. 

The Duo shared an opening partnership of 127 runs in just 21.2 overs. They started off slowly but with the passage of time they gained pace. Every South African Bowler went for runs as Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan scored all over the ground. It was a quite a treat to watch. Afterall our opening pair shared a 100 runs stand after such a long time and that too in overseas conditions.      

Rohit Sharma scored a solid 65 of 81, whereas the Star Performer of the Game, Shikhar Dhawan scored a quickfire 114 of just 94 deliveries. His innings comprised of 12 boundaries and 1 six. He literally blew the Proteas Bowling Attack. Due to his heroics India posted a strong total of 331 in 50 overs. 

In response the Proteas were bowled out for 305 thereby handing India their first win on English Soil after 4 years. It was a moment of joy for every Indian Fan to see their team perform well in English Conditions. This win gave us such a tremendous boost that we went on to win the Champions Trophy 3 weeks later. However, the same would not have been possible without the efforts of Mr. ICC - Shikhar Dhawan. The Man who led from the front in these prestigious tournaments.

To watch the Highlights of that Match, Click Here.