Date: June 23, 2013
Location: Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
Event: ICC Champions Trophy – Final: India vs. England
The morning of the ICC Champions Trophy Final brought nothing but frustration. The skies over Birmingham were a heavy, unbroken slate of grey, and a persistent, soaking rain had completely covered the Edgbaston outfield since dawn.
For six agonizing hours, the massive crowd waited in the concourses. The covers were dragged on and off by the ground staff in a relentless, exhausting cycle. The threat of a shared trophy loomed heavily over the stadium.
Finally, at 4:00 PM, the rain stopped. The super-soppers went to work, clearing the standing water from the outfield.
Up in the broadcasting box, looking down at the damp stadium, the commentary panel was ready to set the stage.
"A very warm welcome, finally, to Edgbaston for the final of the ICC Champions Trophy," Nasser Hussain's voice echoed across the global feed. "We have had a tremendously long rain delay, but we have some fantastic news for cricket fans worldwide. The umpires have conducted their final inspection, and we are going to have a match. However, due to the immense loss of time, this final has been drastically reduced. It will be a 20-over-per-side shootout."
"That changes the entire dynamic of this final, Nasser," Sourav Ganguly agreed, analyzing the match conditions. "Because this was scheduled as a 50-over final, the ICC has confirmed it will officially retain its One Day International statistical status. However, due to the rain reduction to 20 overs, proportional ODI mechanics apply. A four-over mandatory Powerplay, and a maximum of four overs per bowler. The team batting first has to attack from the very beginning."
Down on the pitch, Ravi Shastri stood with the two captains, MS Dhoni and Alastair Cook.
"Welcome to the toss for the Final," Shastri boomed over the stadium speakers. "Alastair Cook has the coin. MS Dhoni to call."
Cook spun the coin high into the gloomy sky.
"Heads," Dhoni called.
The match referee checked the turf. "It is tails. England wins the toss."
"Alastair, you've won a crucial toss in a reduced game. What is the decision?" Shastri asked.
"We are going to bowl first, Ravi," Cook stated firmly. "With the rain around and the overcast conditions, there's a lot of moisture in the pitch. Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad will look to exploit that early swing. Plus, in a 20-over game, we prefer to know exactly what we are chasing."
"A logical choice. Any changes to the English side today?"
"We are going with the same side," Cook confirmed. "We've backed our boys all tournament, and we are confident they can deliver today."
"Thanks, Alastair. MS, batting first in a 20-over shootout. Does the reduced format change your game plan?"
"It definitely makes it more aggressive, Ravi," Dhoni smiled his signature, calm smile. "We don't have the luxury of taking ten overs to settle in. We have to maximize the Powerplay. Our openers are in great form, so we back them to set a strong platform."
"And the Indian playing eleven?"
"Unchanged," Dhoni said.
"Thank you, captains. Let the Final begin."
---
The umpires walked out holding the brand-new white Duke ball. The English fielding unit, led by Alastair Cook, jogged onto the field to a massive roar from the home crowd.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma walked down the pavilion steps, tasked with launching an immediate assault against the most dangerous opening spell in world cricket.
James Anderson took the first new ball. From the very first delivery, the ball hooped in the air, finding immediate swing off the damp surface.
Knowing they only had 120 legal deliveries, the Indian openers took calculated risks. Dhawan danced down the track in the second over, slicing Stuart Broad over point for a boundary. Rohit Sharma followed up by pulling Anderson to the square-leg fence.
The pair navigated the dangerous swinging period intelligently. By the end of the four-over mandatory Powerplay, India had reached a solid 42 for no loss.
But the aggressive approach continued even as the field spread. In the seventh over, Stuart Broad bowled a sharp, rising delivery. Dhawan attempted to pull it aggressively but was late on the shot. The ball took the top edge and ballooned to Ravi Bopara at mid-wicket.
"Caught! Broad strikes just after the Powerplay!" David Lloyd announced. "Dhawan has to go. He tried to force the pace, but the ball hurried onto him. A brilliant tournament for Shikhar, but he falls for 35 today."
Shikhar Dhawan: c Bopara b Broad 35 (20)
Virat Kohli walked in at number three. He and Rohit immediately focused on aggressive strike rotation, ensuring the run rate never dipped. The English change bowlers, Tim Bresnan and James Tredwell, tried to pull the scoring back, but Rohit used his impeccable timing to find the boundaries.
The scoreboard steadily ticked over. 70. 85. 90.
The Indian innings crossed the halfway mark. At exactly 10 overs, India was 92 for 1.
In the 11th over, Tim Bresnan bowled a well-disguised slower off-cutter. Rohit Sharma, attempting to hit over the infield to accelerate the run rate, completely missed the lack of pace. The ball dipped under his swinging bat and crashed into his middle stump.
"Bowled him! Bresnan with a beauty!" Harsha Bhogle called out on the broadcast. "He completely deceived Rohit with the change of pace. India is two down for 94 in 10.2 overs. They have an excellent platform, but they need someone to capitalize in these final nine overs."
Rohit Sharma: b Bresnan 42 (32)
The stadium erupted into a deafening roar of anticipation. Siddanth Deva, walking out at two down, strode down the pavilion steps.
"And here comes the Devil," Ian Bishop noted. "Siddanth Deva at number four. The stage is set flawlessly for him."
Siddanth took his guard against Tim Bresnan. He tapped the pitch, his mind completely focused. He didn't plan on taking a sighter. The platform was built; it was time to execute.
Kohli tapped gloves with him. "Pitch is slightly spongy, Sid. Slower balls are gripping."
"Understood," Siddanth nodded calmly. "I'll use the depth of the crease."
Bresnan steamed in for the fourth ball of the 11th over. He bowled a standard length delivery on off-stump.
Siddanth stepped back, cleared his front leg, and launched the ball with a flawless, high-elbow bat swing. The ball soared cleanly over the bowler's head, crashing into the sight-screen for a massive six.
"SHOT! He does not wait to settle!" Nasser Hussain exclaimed. "First ball he faces, and he deposits Bresnan into the stands!"
Bresnan, surprised by the sudden assault, attempted a wide yorker for his next delivery. Siddanth anticipated the line perfectly, opened the face of his bat, and sliced it beautifully past backward point for a boundary.
He took a quick double on the final ball of the over. He was on 12 from 3 balls.
Alastair Cook threw the ball to Stuart Broad for the 12th over, hoping raw pace would unsettle Deva.
Ball 1: Broad banged it in short. Siddanth rocked onto his back foot and unleashed a violent, cracking pull shot that sent the ball soaring into the deep mid-wicket crowd. SIX.
Ball 2: Broad, overcompensating, bowled a full half-volley. Siddanth leaned into a pristine cover drive that pierced the infield with laser-like precision. FOUR.
Ball 3: Broad aimed for the ribs. Siddanth pulled it gracefully in front of square for another boundary. FOUR.
Ball 4: Broad tried a slower delivery. Siddanth waited an eternity, held his shape, and lofted it effortlessly over long-off. SIX.
Ball 5: Broad went for the blockhole. Siddanth squeezed it past short third man and ran hard for two.
Ball 6: Broad bowled wide. Siddanth stepped across his stumps and scooped it outrageously over short fine leg. SIX.
"Carnage at Edgbaston!" Ravi Shastri roared from the commentary box. "He is taking Stuart Broad completely apart! 28 runs off the over! This is batting of the highest, most destructive caliber!"
"Oh dear, Stuart Broad is having absolute flashbacks to Durban 2007 right now!" Sourav Ganguly chimed in, laughing in disbelief. "Yuvraj Singh did it to him six years ago, and now Siddanth Deva is giving him the exact same nightmare! He just does not know where to bowl!"
Siddanth casually tapped the pitch at the non-striker's end, his heart rate steady.
Kohli, recognizing the historic onslaught unfolding before him, walked down the pitch, casually leaning on his bat. He looked at Siddanth and laughed in sheer disbelief.
"Sid, I'm just going to stand at the other end and enjoy the VIP view," Kohli grinned, shaking his head. "Just try not to hit the ball straight at my head, okay?"
Siddanth smirked, tapping his gloves.
Kohli took a quick single off the first ball of the 13th over, bowled by James Tredwell, putting Siddanth back on strike.
Siddanth was on 40 from 9 balls.
Tredwell tossed the ball up, hoping the sticky pitch would generate some turn.
Ball 2: Siddanth danced down the track, got to the pitch of the ball, and launched it into the second tier over long-on. SIX.
Ball 3: Tredwell bowled flatter and wider. Siddanth took a massive stride forward, driving the ball inside-out over extra cover. The timing was absolutely exquisite. The ball hit the boundary rope on the first bounce. FOUR.
Siddanth calmly tapped the pitch, untouched by the adrenaline, as the giant stadium screens updated his score.
Up in the commentary box, Harsha Bhogle was staring at the statistics monitor, his eyes wide in absolute disbelief.
"Hold the phone, ladies and gentlemen," Harsha shouted, his voice echoing over the roaring crowd. "He has hit a boundary! And look at that scoreboard! Siddanth Deva has reached his half-century in exactly 11 deliveries!"
"This is unprecedented in the history of the sport!" Ian Bishop yelled, matching Harsha's excitement. "Siddanth Deva already holds the world record for the fastest fifty in T20 Internationals, which he scored in 11 balls, and he did it twice. And now, in a rain-reduced final that retains its official ODI status, he breaks the all-time ODI record! An ODI fifty in 11 balls! He has completely shattered Sanath Jayasuriya's 17-ball record from 1996!"
The Indian dressing room was on its feet, applauding furiously. MS Dhoni was shaking his head, a massive grin on his face. Virat Kohli jogged down the pitch, laughing in sheer disbelief as he high-fived him.
Siddanth didn't stop to celebrate. The fifty was just a milestone; the objective was the trophy.
For the next six overs, Siddanth and Kohli systematically dismantled the English bowling attack. Kohli played a brilliant, aggressive anchor role, ensuring he fed the strike to Deva at every opportunity.
Siddanth, completely locked in, scored boundaries at will. He treated the English spinners with absolute disdain and manipulated the field placements against the fast bowlers with mechanical perfection. He hit James Anderson for three consecutive boundaries and launched Ravi Bopara over the mid-wicket boundary twice.
In the 18th over, facing Tim Bresnan, Siddanth stepped out of his crease and lofted a full delivery elegantly over extra cover for a boundary.
He took off his helmet, raising both his bat and his helmet to the roaring crowd, sweat dripping from his face.
"A CENTURY FOR SIDDANTH DEVA!" Ravi Shastri boomed over the broadcast. "And what a century it is! 100 runs off just 34 deliveries! He officially breaks Shahid Afridi's 37-ball ODI record from 1996! He is playing a video game out there! The English bowlers have absolutely nowhere to hide!"
"The statisticians are going to pull their hair out tomorrow!" Harsha Bhogle interjected, highly amused by the technicality of the record. "Siddanth Deva has just broken the all-time ODI century record in a match that is effectively a T20! He breaks Afridi's 1996 record, and he does it in a grand final! What an incredible statistical irony!"
Siddanth batted until the final ball of the 19th over, completely exhausting the English fielders before finally mistiming a slower bouncer from James Anderson to be caught at long-on. He walked off to a standing ovation from all four corners of the stadium, having scored a breathtaking 112 off 38 balls.
Siddanth Deva: c Morgan b Anderson 112 (38)
MS Dhoni walked out for the final over and, alongside Kohli, capitalized on the massive platform, adding 15 runs in the last six balls to provide a clinical, brutal finish.
INDIA: 236/3 (20 Overs)
Virat Kohli: 30 Not Out (20 balls)
"An absolute mountain of runs," Sourav Ganguly summarized at the innings break. "236 in 20 overs. Siddanth Deva's 34-ball century was a display of pure, unadulterated genius. England has a world-class batting lineup, but chasing 237 against this disciplined Indian bowling attack in a final is going to be a monumental task."
---
Inside the Indian dressing room, MS Dhoni gathered his men.
"We have the runs, but the pitch has flattened out," Dhoni instructed firmly. "Do not get complacent. It's a 20-over game; they are going to come out swinging from ball one. We need early wickets. Bhuvi, Umesh, hit the hard lengths."
Alastair Cook and Ian Bell walked out to open the chase for England.
Knowing the required run rate was hovering near 12 runs an over, the English openers played with excellent intent. Cook played his trademark cut shots, while Bell drove elegantly through the covers. They took 24 runs off the first two overs bowled by Bhuvneshwar and Umesh.
Dhoni, sensing the need to immediately break the opening stand before they gained irreversible momentum, tossed the ball to Siddanth Deva for the third over.
Siddanth marked his run-up. He knew Alastair Cook was a brilliant player of pace, but he often struggled with deliveries angled sharply into his body early in his innings.
Siddanth ran in and bowled a rapid, 145 kmph delivery, angling it sharply into the English captain's pads from around the wicket. Cook, attempting to whip it over square leg, was rushed by the sheer pace. He missed the line entirely.
The ball crashed violently into his front pad.
"HOWZAT!" Siddanth roared, a massive appeal echoing around the stadium.
The umpire raised his finger immediately.
"Plumb in front! Deva strikes in his first over!" Ian Bishop cheered. "He completely beat Cook for pace there. A massive early wicket for India!"
Alastair Cook: lbw b Deva 16 (10)
Jonathan Trott walked in at number three. He and Ian Bell attempted to stabilize the innings, but the asking rate was a relentless monster. Bell brought up a quickfire 35 before being brilliantly stumped by MS Dhoni off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja.
When Joe Root joined Trott, England was 78 for 2 in the 8th over.
Siddanth returned for his second over in the middle phase of the innings. He focused entirely on targeting Jonathan Trott's leg-stump. He bowled two tight dot balls, building the pressure. On the third delivery, Siddanth altered his wrist position, bowling a 138 kmph off-cutter.
Trott, expecting raw pace, completed his bat swing too early. The ball gripped the surface, caught the leading edge, and popped up softly for a simple return catch to Siddanth.
"Caught and bowled! Deva gets his second!" Harsha Bhogle called out. "A beautifully disguised cutter! Trott is completely outfoxed, and India has their third wicket!"
Jonathan Trott: c & b Deva 24 (18)
Despite the regular fall of wickets, the English middle order refused to yield.
Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara came together at the crease. With the required run rate climbing above 13 an over, the two batsmen launched a brilliant, highly calculated counter-attack.
Morgan used his unorthodox sweeps and reverse-sweeps to disrupt the lengths of Ashwin and Jadeja completely. Bopara played conventional, powerful strokes down the ground against the fast bowlers. They hit Ishant Sharma for 18 runs in the 15th over, bringing the home crowd to its feet.
The duo put on a massive, rapid 85-run partnership. They silenced the Indian fans and suddenly made the impossible target look entirely achievable.
By the end of the 18th over, the equation was razor-tight.
ENGLAND: 198/3
Equation: 39 runs required from 12 balls.
Inside the stadium, the tension was suffocating.
Siddanth Deva walked up to MS Dhoni. "Give me the 19th over, Mahi bhai. I'll break this."
Dhoni nodded, handing him the ball. "Keep it out of Morgan's arc. He's reverse-sweeping everything."
Siddanth took the ball for the crucial 19th over. Eoin Morgan was on strike, batting on a flawless 62.
"This is the over that will decide the Champions Trophy," Ian Bishop announced, his voice tense. "Siddanth Deva to bowl his final over. He has 2 for 18 so far. 39 runs needed. Morgan on strike."
Siddanth blocked out the noise. He analyzed the field.
Ball 1: Siddanth bowled a searing, 146 kmph yorker aimed at the toes. Morgan dug it out straight back to the bowler. Dot ball.
Ball 2: Siddanth changed his pace entirely, rolling his fingers over the seam. A 120 kmph slower ball. Morgan swung early, missing it completely. Dot ball.
"Brilliant bowling! Consecutive dots under immense pressure!" Ganguly praised.
Ball 3: Sensing Morgan's desperation to score, Siddanth went back to raw pace. He aimed for the base of the off-stump at 155 kmph. Morgan backed away, trying to carve it through the covers, but the sheer velocity beat his bat swing.
The ball crashed into the off-stump, sending the bail flying into the air.
"BOWLED HIM! SIDDANTH DEVA STRIKES!" Shastri roared as the Indian players swarmed their Vice-Captain. "He has broken the partnership! Morgan has to go, and the pressure is entirely on England now! That is his third wicket of the night!"
Eoin Morgan: b Deva 62 (35)
Jos Buttler walked in at number six. Siddanth bowled the remaining three deliveries of the over with flawless accuracy, executing two wide yorkers and a sharp bouncer. Buttler and Bopara could only manage 6 runs off the final three balls.
He finished his brilliant, match-defining 4-over spell with figures of 3 for 24.
Equation: 33 runs required from the final 6 balls.
Batsmen: Ravi Bopara (44) and Jos Buttler (4)
Bowler: Ishant Sharma
MS Dhoni handed the ball to the tall fast bowler. 33 runs off the final over meant England needed six boundaries to win. It was an astronomical task, but in modern cricket, nothing was impossible until the final ball was bowled.
"33 needed off the last over," Nasser Hussain said, the tension palpable in his voice. "Ishant Sharma has the responsibility. Bopara on strike. Can England pull off a miracle?"
Ball 1: Ishant steamed in. He missed his length slightly, bowling a half-volley on the pads. Bopara flicked it brilliantly over deep square leg for a massive six.
The stadium erupted in a deafening roar.
"SIX! Bopara starts with a maximum! 27 needed off 5 balls!" Siddanth sprinted from the boundary rope, jogging up to Ishant. "Don't panic, Ishu," Siddanth said calmly, patting the bowler on the back. "He was waiting for the pad-line. Bowl it wide outside off. Make him reach for it."
Ishant took a deep breath and nodded.
Ball 2: Ishant bowled wide outside off-stump. Bopara threw his hands at it, slicing it over point for a boundary.
(23 needed off 4)
Ball 3: Ishant executed a perfect wide yorker. Bopara squeezed it to point for a single. Buttler on strike.
(22 needed off 3)
Ball 4: Ishant went for the slower ball. Buttler picked it early. He stepped out and launched it high into the night sky toward mid-wicket.
But he didn't get the distance. Ravindra Jadeja, stationed perfectly in the deep, settled under it and took a safe, two-handed catch.
"CAUGHT IN THE DEEP! BUTTLER IS GONE!" Shastri shouted as the Indian players celebrated wildly. "Ishant Sharma holds his nerve!"
Jos Buttler: c Jadeja b Ishant 5 (4)
Equation: 22 runs required off 2 balls.
The match was mathematically sealed. Because the batsmen had not crossed before the catch was taken, the new man, Stuart Broad, walked to the crease and took strike. He could only manage a single off the fifth delivery.
Bopara, needing 21 off the final ball, swung wildly at a full delivery from Ishant and missed completely.
The Indian players threw their arms in the air, sprinting toward the center of the pitch. Siddanth let out a massive yell, tackling Virat Kohli to the ground in pure, unadulterated elation.
ENGLAND: 215/5 (20 Overs)
India had won the match by 21 runs. They had successfully defended the total in an absolute, heart-stopping final.
---
The post-match presentation was set up on the outfield under the bright stadium floodlights. The Indian contingent in the crowd was roaring, waving the tricolor furiously.
Ravi Shastri stood at the podium with a massive grin.
"What an unbelievable game of cricket!" Shastri addressed the crowd. "We have witnessed history today. A rain-reduced 20-over final that delivered absolute drama. Before we hand out the main trophy, let's recognize the individual brilliance of this tournament."
He looked at his cue card. "For scoring 363 runs across the tournament, providing India with magnificent starts in every single game, the winner of the Golden Bat and the Man of the Tournament is... Shikhar Dhawan!"
Dhawan walked up, twirling his mustache with a massive, joyful grin. He accepted the Golden Bat, raising it to the cheering crowd.
"And now," Shastri continued, his voice rising in volume. "For scoring a world-record 34-ball century, an 11-ball fifty, and picking up three crucial wickets for just 24 runs under immense pressure in the second innings... the Man of the Match is Siddanth Deva!"
Siddanth jogged up to the podium in his sweat-stained blue jersey, accepting the award and shaking Shastri's hand.
"Siddanth, you simply do not know how to play a quiet game, do you?" Shastri laughed. "Let's talk about that century. A fifty in 11 balls. A hundred in 34 balls. You came in after the tenth over and completely dismantled the English attack in a 20-over shootout. Did you walk out with the specific intention to break the record today?"
"Not at all, Ravi Bhai," Siddanth smiled calmly into the microphone. "Shikhar and Rohit set a brilliant platform for us. Because I came in so late in the innings, we didn't have the luxury of taking time to settle. I knew I had to maximize the remaining nine overs. The ball was just hitting the middle of the bat today. The records are nice, but they don't matter unless you win the final."
"And win it you did, but it was a close finish," Shastri noted. "Morgan and Bopara put on a massive partnership. When you took the ball in the 19th over, the game was getting incredibly tight. What was the plan?"
"We just had to hold our nerve," Siddanth explained. "Eoin and Ravi batted brilliantly. I knew Morgan was looking to target the boundaries, so I just focused on executing my variations and yorkers. Fortunately, the one that got him was right on the mark. Ishant bowled a phenomenal final over to seal it."
"A spectacular all-round performance. Congratulations, Siddanth!"
Finally, the moment arrived.
MS Dhoni was called up to the podium. The Indian captain accepted the silver ICC Champions Trophy. He walked back to his team, who were gathered on a specially erected champions' stage.
Dhoni handed the trophy directly to the youngest players in the squad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja.
As the players lifted the trophy high into the Birmingham night sky, golden confetti exploded from cannons around the stage. Siddanth stood next to Virat and Dhawan, a massive, triumphant smile on his face, clapping his hands.
The Indian Cricket Team had done it. They were the 3-time T20 World Champions, the 2-time ODI World Champions, and now, the 3-time Champions Trophy winners.