Despite being unbeaten in the tournament, India won't take hosts lightly in the Champions Trophy final tomorrow
India may be entering the Champions Trophy final on the back of the only unbeaten run in the tournament but captain MS Dhoni insisted he was taking nothing for granted ahead of the World Champions’ clash with hosts England at Edgbaston tomorrow.
Indian captain MS Dhoni
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India thrashed Asian rivals Sri Lanka, the team they beat to win the 2011 World Cup final on home soil in Mumbai, by eight wickets in Cardiff on Thursday.
After Dhoni won an important toss in overcast conditions, excellent seam bowling from man-of-the-match Ishant Sharma (three for 30), Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (one for 18) and Umesh Yadav put a brake on Sri Lanka’s scoring from the start, with the islanders struggling to 181 for eight off 50 overs, with only captain Angelo Mathews (51) and Mahela Jayawardene (38) making notable scores.
India then cruised to their victory target of 182 with 15 overs to spare thanks to 68 from opener Shikhar Dhawan, who extended his record as the tournament’s leading scorer to 332 runs, at an average of more than 110, and Virat Kohli’s 58 not out.
England, bidding for a first major one-day international title, looked in fine form in defeating South Africa by seven wickets at The Oval in Wednesday’s first semi-final.
“I think they are a very good side, like each and every side when it comes to the Champions Trophy, which means all of them are strong enough to beat anyone on that particular day and win the trophy,” Dhoni said.u00a0“England are a very good side. We have played (against them) quite often in the last couple of years so we know the same amount about them and they know the same about us,” added Dhoni, whose side have won eight of their last 10 one-dayers against England, albeit all those matches were in India.
But Sharma, on being asked if an England top order including captain Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, known collectively for solid rather than spectacular run-making, was the most dangerous India had faced in this competition, replied: “I don’t think so.u00a0“If you are bowling in a good area no batsmen will enjoy playing you, that is what we have been doing in the last five games and we will do the same thing in the final.u00a0‘We’ll change nothing’
“We have played good cricket until now, we don’t need to change anything. We will stick to the patterns and our strengths and we will keep doing the same thing in the final.”
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