Red Bull Campus Cricket crowns India as winners

Monday, 8 April 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Any India versus Pakistan cricket game usually produces its share of fireworks on the field and Saturday’s game started with plenty of tension in a match which eventually the boys from Chandigarh outplayed the Karachi natives.

In the much anticipated clash between the traditional arch-rivals, Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. The final was the third meeting of the tournament between D.A.V. College, Chandigarh and Karachi University.

Meer Hamza and Nabeel Khalid bowled a fast and accurate opening spell that subdued India completely. Hamza dismissed leading run scorer in the tournament, for just one run and Gaurav Tandon for a duck.

Khalid dismissed Deepak Sharma for no score, leaving India on 2/3 in the fourth over. India lost another wicket inside the first 10 overs, when Simranpreet Singh was stumped for 16 off the bowling of Shahzaib Khan.

Turning things around for this team, India Captain Kunal Mahajan hit seven sixes and three fours in a 73-run innings that laid the foundation for India to reach an imposing 170/8. Khalid, Hamza and Mirza Jamil all took two wickets apiece in a strong fielding performance that saw some scintillating catches taken.

Needing to maintain a run rate of more than eight per over, Pakistan got off to a slow start with openers Faraz Ali and Ammar Hasan only able to make 16 in four overs before Ali was dismissed by Rattan Singh for just five.

This opened the floodgates as none of the Pakistani batsmen, with the exception of Hasan, who scored 58 off 49 with one six and seven fours, were able to fend off the spirited Indian bowling attack. Gurinder Singh took 4/20 and Rattan Singh claimed 3/16 to contain Pakistan to just 121 all out, giving them a 49-run victory.

Pakistan’s early bowling was good, but India’s was better. It was a game that could have swung either way but India’s bowling attack was simply too good for Pakistan. And so, India, represented by D.A.V. College, Chandigarh won the inaugural Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals in a near flawless tournament its Captain Kunal Mahajan, winning the ‘Man of the Match’ for his knock of 73.

The man of the tournament was deservedly, Gurinder Singh for an all around performance where he took 16 wickets and scored 246 runs including the only century of the tournament.

The Indian team, apart from the title, earns the right to play a Red Bull Campus Cricket All Stars comprising players from Australia, Bangladesh, Great Britain, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The All Stars team will take on the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals champions in India.

Earlier, in the day, the tone for a high flying final was set up by the Flying Bulls skydiving team leapt out of a helicopter 3,600 feet above the R. Premadasa Stadium and parachuted in to hand the match ball over to the Pakistani captain.