Pakistan rode on opener Fakhar Zaman's maiden ODI century and quickfire half-century from Mohammad Hafeez to set India a stiff target of 339 in the final of the Champions Trophy at The Oval. While Zaman made 114 off 106 balls, Hafeez belted four 4s and three 6s in the 37-ball 57. Imad Wasim chipped in with 25 to take Pakistan to 338/4.
Put in to bat, Zaman and Azhar Ali (59) put on their highest partnership of the tournament so far, putting on 128 runs for the first wicket. A horrible mix-up, however, resulted in Ali being run out in the 23rd over by Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ali flicked the ball off his pads and set off for a single but his partner Zaman, who was ball watching, failed to respond in time. Bumrah almost fumbled but recovered just in time to fire the throw to wicketkeeper M.S. Dhoni, who broke the stumps, with Ali stranded at the non-striker's end.
Zaman, however, carried on in the company of Babar Azam (46) and the duo put on a partnership of 72 runs for the second wicket. Zaman was dismissed for 114, while trying to go for a big shot. He reached his century in 92 balls. In fact, Zaman went from 50 to 100 in just 32 balls. He hit 12 boundaries and three sixes in the 106-ball knock.
The rampage ended when he was brilliantly caught by Ravindra Jadeja in the 34th over bowled by Hardik Pandya.
Veteran batsman Shoaib Malik, who was promoted up the order, was dismissed for 12. This brought Hafeez to the crease and he picked up from where he left against England in the semifinal, when he scored an unbeaten 31 in 21 balls.
The Indian bowlers, with the exception of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/44), cut a sorry figure. The spinners, in particular, went for plenty, with Ashwin, Jadeja and Kedar Jadhav conceding 164 runs between them with just one wicket to their credit. The pacers, too, leaked runs, with Bumrah giving away 68 in nine overs. To add insult to the injury, the Indians gave away 25 extras, too.
The rub of the green, too, seemed to be favour the Men in Green, with Bumrah getting Zaman to nick one to Dhoni off a no-ball in the fourth over of the match when he was on three. Bumrah, was once again at the receiving end when in the 49th over he hit Wasim's stumps, but the bails did not fall off.
Earlier, a couple of edges, too, went to the boundary while India missed run-out chances, too.
The Pakistan batsmen made full use of the reprieve, and went for their shots taking full advantage of the field restrictions.
India went in with the same side that beat Bangladesh in the semifinal by nine wickets. Pakistan brought back fit-again Mohammad Amir in place of Rumman Raees, who made his debut in the semifinal against England.
