ICC Champions Trophy 2013 Final: England vs India – Flops of the Day

England threw away the best opportunity to win their first global ODI title in an extraordinary climax at Edgbaston, more in Indian Premier League style than Champions Trophy final.

This was fifth time in a row when England have lost a major final in the longer form of the limited overs game.

In theory, what should have been a 50 over final was turned into a Twenty20 game by the awful weather at Birmingham, which really should have brought England that elusive piece of ICC silverware in its cabinet, even though shared.

Instead, from a winning position where England needed just 20 runs from their last 16 balls with Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara looking unstoppable, they somehow handed India the last edition of ‘mini World Cup’.

Here are the Flops of the day:

Eoin Morgan (33 runs off 30 balls – 3 fours and 1 six)

Eoin Morgan had an opportunity to become the hero but turned a villain for English fans as from a position of winning, he and his team-mates who were to follow, somehow conspired to lose the match. Morgan was batting beautifully and had Ishant Sharma on the ropes but for once, when it mattered the most, failed to live up to his tag of finisher. In his 30-ball knock, he gathered 33 runs courtesy three fours and a solitary six. Call it a brain freeze or whatever but Morgan should have finished that game off for England with ease.

Ishant Sharma (2/36 in 4 overs)

Though it was his over which tilted the match in favour of India, you still keep wondering how it worked. On this pitch, Ishant leaked more runs than any other bowler from either side. After giving away 27 runs in his previous three overs you would ask yourself why he would be given another go at the batsmen. However, with three overs left, Dhoni had options in form of Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Ashwin, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar - Dhoni preferred Ishant Sharma – who reminds us of mediocrity of Indian bowlers from ’90s.

There was hardly any logic one could see and the only possible explanation Dhoni could come up with was England might take an unnecessary risk and throw their wickets and the English duly obliged, as Morgan and Bopara went for the strokes which led to the demise of England team in this match. As for Ishant Sharma, he would have felt like the luckiest man alive.

Tim Bresnan (2 runs off 4 balls and 0/34 in 4 overs)

Tim Bresnan, who replaced England’s most potent bowler- Steve Finn, didn’t justify his place in the side as an all-rounder when his team needed his services. He came in to bat at the fall of Bopara’s wicket in the 18th over and it was precisely the situation he was brought into the team for – to use the long handle. But nerves got better of him as he was needlessly run-out leaving his team stranded and the chase all but over. As for his bowling, in a T20 match it was one of those days where opposition batsman went after him and to some extent that drop catch of kohli off his bowling didn’t help the matter as well.

Bruce Oxenford

Many would wonder why he features in the flops of the day. Well, the answer is simple, his decision had as much impact as that of any player in this match. It was in the 9th over of the 2nd innings and Jadeja was bowling. Bell played his trademark inside-out shot, but missed it and Dhoni removed the bails in flash and the third umpire’s intervention was sought.

What followed to the surprise of one and all, from commentators to fans, despite the lack of conclusive evidence, he gave Bell out. It seems it was time to remind him of an old saying in cricket: benefit of the doubt goes to the batsman, instead of his version: benefit of the doubt goes to Jadeja. Later in the game, there was a similar decision when Broad was batting in the last over and was given not out, despite it looking a much better case for a dismissal. You see Mr. Oxenford – two wrongs don’t make one right. To sum up, Oxenford in one sentence: You were poor, sir.