India beat Pakistan to win Asian Champions Trophy title

Goals from Rupinder Pal Singh (18th minute), Yousuf Affan (23rd) and Nikkin Thimmaiah (51st) helped India surmount the challenge from Pakistan, who rallied from two goals behind through strikes by Muhammad Aleem Bilal (26th) and Ali Shaan (38th) in the title clash of the fourth edition of tournament.

This was the first time the teams were meeting in the final of a continental tournament since India dethroned Pakistan as the Asian Games champions in Incheon, South Korea in 2014.
India had won the inaugural edition of the Asian Champions Trophy by defeating Pakistan in the final in 2011.

Pakistan reversed the result in the title contest the next year and went on to retain it in 2013 by defeating Japan in the final.

World No. 6 India were the favourites going into the tournament, but were without several seasoned players who had been rested to recuperate from injuries.

India went into the title contest at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium without ace custodian PR Sreejesh, who was rested due to pulled hamstring and Akash Chikte took the position under the bar.

India earned their first penalty corner in the seventh minute, but failed to make it count. Ace flicker Rupinder was on the spot, but Jasjit Singh Kular was allowed to take the shot in a tactical move. Jasjit's shot went wide of the left and posed no threat.

Pakistan had a chance to take the lead in the 12th minute when Muhammad Rizwan Jr picked up a long ball inside the Indian circle and had only the goalkeeper to beat from close range. Goalkeeper Chikte stepped up to tackle him from close and Rizwan Jr shot wide to muff the opportunity.

A cross from the right sailed across the Pakistan goal in the 11th minute without the Indian strikers being able to connect, while at the other end Muhammad Arslan Qadir's shy from a narrow angle was padded away by the Indian goalkeeper as the first quarter came to an end.

India broke the deadlock to score the first goal in the 18th minute on their second penalty corner as Rupinder sent a rasping drag-flick into the left side of the net. This was the 11 penalty corner conversion in the tournament by Rupinder, the highest goal-scorer in the tournament by a big margin.
Three minutes later, Nikkin Thimmaiah releyed a ball from Sardar Singh to Talwinder Singh on the left. Talwinder could not control his reverse drive and the ball went soaring over the cross-bar.

Seasoned Indian midfielder Sardar Singh was again in the picture as India increased the lead in the 23rd minute as he worked up on the right flank and put Ramandeep Singh in possession on top of the circle.

Ramandeep's cross was deflected in by Yousuf Affan into the boards to put India 2-0 up.
Under pressure, Pakistan responded by forcing their first penalty corner, which was converted by Muhammad Aleem Bilal in the 26th minute. Bilal sounded the boards with a low drag-flick that beat the goalkeeper.

Pakistan defence had no trouble in warding away India's attempts to send long diagonal balls into the circle and capitalised on a lapse by the Indian defence to draw 2-2 parity in the 38th minute. Ali Shan wasted no time in slapping the ball that had got deflected to him inside the scoring zone.

India had a goal disallowed on review in the 40th minute when the video umpire ruled that Kothajit Singh's shot from outside the circle went into the goal without a touch.

India wrested the lead back in the 51st minute when Sardar again shaped the goal-bearing move by working his way up on the left flank and gave a through pass to Thimmaiah, who beat Pakistan custodian Fareed Ahmed with a diagonal flick that ended inside the right goal-post.

Pakistan forced their second penalty corner in the 53rd minute, but the opportunity went abegging as the push could not be stopped.

In the final two minutes of play, all Indian players fell back into their territory to keep the last-gasp Pakistan attacks at bay.

All-round Ashwin stars in India's biggest win in West Indies

India enjoyed a near perfect start under Anil Kumble as they walloped a hapless West Indies team by and innings and 92 runs in under four days at Antigua, on Sunday (July 24).

If their batsmen sparkled in the first innings of the Test, amassing 566 for 8 before declaring, and the fast bowlers came to the party in the second, it were the spinners that shone in the third and final innings of the game.

R Ashwin had gone wicket-less in the first innings as well as on the morning of the fourth day, but during the second session he was near unplayable - picking up his first ever five-wicket haul outside Asia. He ended with 7 for 83.

During the morning session, Marlon Samuels and Rajendra Chandrika shared a vital fifty-run stand as West Indies fought hard to stay alive in the first of the four-Test series. But the best stand of the innings came with the hosts eight down and staring at defeat. Carlos Brathwiate took the attack to the Indian spinners, and with Devendra Bishoo for company, stalled the Indians for 24.1 overs. The pair added 95 runs for the 9th wicket, but it only delayed the inevitable.

Day 4 at Antigua began with India striking early, Darren Bravo, facing Umesh Yadav, played away from the body and the edge was smartly taken by Ajinkya Rahane at gully.

Samuels enjoyed some luck early on, with an inside edge through to the wicketkeeper being ruled not out by the third umpire. The decision had been referred to Gregory Brathwaite after Saha had claimed a low catch. TV replays turned out to be inconclusive with Samuels's bat obstructing the view just when the Indian took the catch. The third umpire finally ruled in the batsman's favour, and Samuels was handed a lucky reprieve on 16.

The right-hander was particularly attacking against Ashwin, hitting the off-spinner for three fours in one over.

Rain held up play for a bit, giving India coach Anil Kumble the chance to run his plans over with the team again, but before they could resume the game, Lunch was called.

After a fighting first session, West Indies capitulated to spin as Ashwin triggered a collapse with some superb off-spin. From a decent position at 88 for 2 in the 36h over, the home side lost six wickets for just 44 runs and left themselves facing a massive innings defeat and a series deficit.

India's breakthrough in the second session came with a slice of luck. Chandrika hopped down the track to meet an Ashwin delivery, but missed the clip to the leg side. The ball did not seem to have met the bat on its way to Saha's gloves, but umpire Aleem Dar thought otherwise.

With the opening they were looking for, India went for the kill. Jermaine Blackwood bagged a pair in the Test, flicking the ball to a diving Virat Kohli on the leg side, while Marlon Samuels was undone by a brilliant delivery.

Ashwin used the strong wind, blowing from East to West, to his advantage and bowled the straighter one. Samuels played a tad inside the line, anticipating for the ball to spin, but it managed to beat the bat and hit the stumps. Samuels had held one side up with a fine fifty, and it needed a special delivery to remove him.

Roston Chase departed soon after, with his forward prod taking the inside edge and going to forward short-leg, where substitute fielder KL Rahul took a good, low catch. It was Ashwin's fourth wicket of the innings.

Shane Dowrich, who hit a solid fifty in the first innings, was trapped leg before by Mishra soon after as West indies slipped towards a big defeat.

Jason Holder became Ashwin's fifth victim, being bowled by another superb delivery from the off-spinner for 16. The West Indies captain was lured into the drive with a floated delivery, but the ball spun in and disturbed the stumps.

Carlos Brathwaite and Bishoo put together a defiant 95-run stand. Both players were severe against the spinners, hitting over the top and collecting boundaries freely. Ashwin finally broke through in the 78th over by getting Bishoo caught at mid-wicket for 45.

Three balls later, Ashwin wrapped up the match by bowling out Shannon Gabriel for four.

The innings and 92-run victory is India's biggest outside Asia.

Virat Kohli double and Ashwin ton India on top in Antigua

Virat Kohli fell shortly after scoring his first ever double hundred as the Indian Test skipper was dismissed by Gabriel first ball after Lunch. Batting on 200, Kohli was bowled by the seamer. It was the skipper’s session as he, along with Ashwin, piled on the runs in the opening session of the day’s play. The duo swelled the total to 404/4 from the overnight total of 302/4.

West Indies looked a tired lot with the ball as they failed to create chances with the new ball in the morning session. The shoulders were dropping as the Indian pair continued to pile on the runs, at a very brisk pace in Antigua. While the focus remained on Kohli, Ashwin quietly went about doing business as he scored a crucial fifty, and then a hundred, in the process. He also shared a record 168-run fifth-wicket stand with the skipper at this venue. Celebrations were in plenty as one and all raised from their seats to applaud Kohli’s effort. Kumble was out with his camera while Viv Richards was all smiles from the stands. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar too was very pleased from the commentary box. After declaring at 566/8, India reduced hosts to 31/1 at stumps.

West Indies, in reply to India's 566/8 (decl), end the day's play at 31/1. Mohammed Shami picked the only hosts wicket to fall on the day.

Having fun can help ride tough times - MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni stressed on the need to "have fun" and "back each other" in his motivational speech to the Indian team on the penultimate day of their training camp.

"Most of us started cricket when we were five. I think this is the period where Indian cricket will move forward," he said. "Last two-three years, we were talking about the youngsters getting into the Test arena. Now, we have a set of batsmen and a pool of bowlers. That is why this coming phase will be very interesting."

Dhoni emphasised bringing back the fun element to their game. "Make sure you have a lot of fun, because in Indian cricket, it is something we don't do often. Cricket is too much for us. For a lot of us, if you take cricket out of our personal lives, there is not much left. But it is important to have fun."