By: Mohit Singhal
23rd June however can be termed as a specific day but it takes on two contrasting results and emotions for the Indian Cricket team and their fans. 9 years ago in England, they clinched the Champions Trophy under the captaincy of MS Dhoni beating the host by 5 runs in the rain-hit finale.
Exactly after 8 years of that feat, they dreamt of conquering the world in the purest format of the game.
They had their arch-rivals New Zealand against them at Southampton and guess what, they were handed a cruel 8-wicket defeat after a heart-breaking loss against the same opponent in World Cup 2019 semi-final.
As this day brings two different emotions, let us recap some of the beautiful and harsh memories so far we have witnessed today.
In a tense final at Edgbaston, the 50-over match was reduced to 20-over owing to rain. English skipper had invited the World Champions to bat on a pace-friendly surface.
India had a disastrous start, losing their in-form opener Rohit for just 9. Shikhar Dhawan, the player of the tournament stitched a good partnership with Virat Kohli who top-scored with 43 runs.
Besides them, only Ravindra Jadeja was able to cross the double-figure mark smashing an unbeaten 33 including 2 fours and sixes a piece. With their efforts, India managed to reach 129/7 which was enough for MSD led side.
Chasing moderate 130, Cook and company managed just 124 runs in 20 overs, thanks to an unbelievable effort by the bowlers with Jadeja, Ashwin, and Ishant Sharma taking 2 wickets each.
The game-changing spell was bowled by Ishant Sharma, who in the 18th over removed well-set Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara.
They managed a partnership of 64 for the fifth wicket before Sharma scalped both in the consecutive deliveries.
The match set the tone and India clinched their 3rd major trophy under the reign of Dhoni after the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup triumph.
After the Champions Trophy 2013 win, India hadn’t touched the ICC title for 7 years in between giving many heartbreaks to the blue army all over the world. Greatest Indian test captain Virat Kohli in the search of a major trophy under his helm met Kane Williamson in the final of the inaugural World test championship.
In another rain-hit match, India was asked to bat first. Batting first it wasn’t a great display by the biggies. Rohit and Gill had a good opening partnership of 62 runs.
Rohit scored 34 runs while Gill made 28 runs. Other than duo, only Kohli with 44 and Ajinkya Rahane (49) managed to stand tall against spirited Kiwi bowling.
Indian team put on 217 runs in the first innings with Kyle Jamieson opening his fifer.
Riding on Devon Conway’s 54, skipper Williamson’s 49, and a superb cameo by Southee at the end; Blackcaps take on a 32-runs lead. Mohammed Shami took 4 while Ishant Sharma scalped 3 wickets.
In the 3rd innings, India succumbed to kiwi bowlers’ high-profile bowling display putting just 170 runs on the scoreboard and giving just 139 runs for Williamson’s men.
Chasing their maiden title and 139 runs in 53 overs, Kiwis raced to the target with ease with the skipper playing a knock of 52* while Ross Taylor remained unbeaten at 47.
This loss ensured one more heartbreak for Indian fans all around and the wait for a major trophy was sustained.
A day can be friendly and cruel for someone at the same time, this quote best suits here.
