'Ball ghoomega to stumping ho jayega' - Ravi Ashwin recalls how MS Dhoni plotted Jonathan Trott's dismissal in CT 2013 final

India entered the Champions Trophy in 2013 on the back of the spot-fixing controversy which preceded in the IPL. A lot of questions were being asked of the then skipper MS Dhoni and not many had thought then that the Men in Blue will be able to perform well due to what had happened before. However, the team performed exceptionally well and triumphed sensationally by defeating England in a truncated final which still many Indian fans remember fondly.

The rain was set to play the spoilsport in the title clash but it relented just in time and the game was reduced to 20 overs per side. After losing the toss, India managed to post only 130 runs and the odds were against them when the in-form Jonathan Trott was going great guns in the chase and batting on 20. However, it was in the sixth over when the tables turned as he got out courtesy MS Dhoni’s stumping off Ravi Ashwin.

Recalling the dismissal, the off-spinner, while chatting with Suresh Raina on Insta live earlier this week, narrated the way the veteran wicket-keeper plotted Trott’s dismissal. Ashwin recited that Dhoni walked up to him at the start of his spell and bowl at the batsman round the wicket as there will be a stumping chance down the leg-side if the ball turns.

“Trott got stumped off the first over that I bowled. I still remember Mahi bhai came up to me and said ‘Trott ko over the stump se mat daalna sirf round se daalna. Woh leg side mai khelne jaayega agar ball ghoomega to stumping ho jaayega’.

“Mujhe abhi bhi dimag mai nahi chal raha hai ki kaise bola waisa (Stay round the wicket for Trott. He will look to play on the leg-side and if the ball turns, he will get stumped. I am still not able to figure how he said that),” Ashwin said.

CT 2013 final pic.twitter.com/hoyTKQDk0e

— thala (@Nagarjuna_29) April 25, 2020

A thrilling win for India in the final

As far as the match is concerned, it went down the wire until the last over. England were in control of the game thanks to the partnership between Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara. But MS Dhoni’s ploy to give the ball to Ishant Sharma in the 18th over worked wonders as both the set batsmen got out and the tables turned towards India. England collapsed under pressure and India scripted a memorable five-run win to win their third ICC trophy under Dhoni.