Pakistan captain hopes Champions Trophy win jogs memories at home

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"The pitch was consistent throughout, we backed out strengths (to chase)", said Kohli after Pakistan outplayed India by 180 runs to win their maiden Champions Trophy.

"It's a great team effort".

Pakistan's Champions Trophy victory could encourage the world's top cricket nations to resume touring the country, captain Sarfraz Ahmed says. This is the fifth-highest margin in any final; the largest is 245, and India were at the receiving end there too, against Sri Lanka in the Coca Cola Champions Trophy in 2000.

"We dusted ourselves off after the defeat to India at Edgbaston and came back superbly", added the South African after Pakistan s first major global tournament success since they won the 2009 World Twenty20 in England.

The Times of India, for instance, chose to highlight India's 7-1 victory over Pakistan in a Hockey Word League game that was also being played in London on Sunday.

India, who entered the field as favorites after winning the previous match against Pakistan in the tournament, had a shaky start when fiery Pakistani left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir dismissed Indian opener Rohit Sharma for a duck. "I think this is something we wanted to do because the millions of people at home were waiting for this".

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"They [Pakistan] deserved to win". He applauded the 23-year-old for playing proper cricket in such testing and high-pressure circumstances.

Pakistan pacer Hassan Ali, who was named Player of the Tournament after finishing with 13 wickets including hauls of 3/19 in the final and 3/35 against England, has gained 12 positions to reach the No.7 position.

"Congratulations to Pakistan. The way they turned things around, it was wonderful", Kohli said.

But it was fellow paceman Hasan Ali, the player of the tournament having kick-started Pakistan's revival in their group-win over South Africa, who ended the match with more than 19 overs to spare when he had tailender Jasprit Bumrah caught by gleeful captain and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed. The Green Shirts had entered as the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, with nobody predicting they would go on to lift the trophy.

"They proved it again today, they can upset anyone on their day".

"They made us make those mistakes with the way they were bowling, creating that pressure", Kohli told reporters.

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