Champions Trophy: Mohammad Amir rises to redemption in England

NEW DELHI: A blossoming career was nipped in the bud when Mohammad Amir was found guilty of spot-fixing during a 2010 Test at Lord's. His career nearly ended by a ban and jail sentence that followed in London. But Amir was lucky enough to get a second chance and luckier that he hadn't lost his skill. The skill that makes left-arm seamers priceless gems in a game that is tilted so heavily in the favour of batsmen.
Having missed the Champions Trophy semi-final due to a back spasm, Amir changed the final on its head by ripping apart the Indian top order that had been in fabulous form throughout the tournament. Pakistan had set India the highest target ever in the final of an ICC tournament and India had only chased three higher targets in their cricket history. The best India had done against Pakistan was when they had chased down 330 in 2012. The 339-target was always going to be tough for India but Amir made it impossible with the quick scalps of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli followed by the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan.
Bowling the first over, Amir made two deliveries move away from Rohit and brought the third one in to trap him plumb in front. The scorching delivery was too quick for Rohit's lazy elegance and Pakistan had drawn first blood with India yet to open their account. Amir had troubled Rohit in their tournament opener with a maiden but defending 338 and taking the first wicket without conceding anything, the Pakistan pace spearhead set the tempo.
In walked Indian skipper Kohli, the chase master, the big match player, the world's leading batsman, the difference between victory and defeat for both teams and the most important wicket for Pakistan. Bowling with pace and intent, Amir beat Kohli with a 90-mph delivery first up. But the inevitable happened for India in the third over. Rather, Amir made it happen.
The third delivery was bowled back of a length, moving away and suddenly the ghosts of Kohli's weakness outside the off stump in England came back to haunt him. The edge was induced, the ball flew to Azhar Ali at first slip and he dropped perhaps the simplest of catches. Had Pakistan dropped the Champions Trophy? No. Not when Amir had found his deadly rhythm.
The next delivery was again back of a length, but instead of going away, it was brought in. Kohli, learning from his last ball mistake, moved slightly across to whip it through midwicket - a shot that has given him great success. But Kohli was flummoxed by the angle, the angle of a left-arm seamer who made him play a fraction a second early due to which the ball flew to Shadab Khan at backward point off the leading edge.
India shocked. Pakistan delirious. Kohli back in the hut. Amir mobbed by his team-mates. The outnumbered green shirt fans had silenced the stunned sea of blue. Pakistan had one arm around the Champions Trophy already.
Dhawan tried his best to keep India in the hunt, but Amir undid him with a cross-seam delivery that bounced enough to trouble the Indian opener in the corridor of uncertainty outside the off stump. Dhawan's dismissal was the last nail in the coffin for India. They were wounded by a man possessed, a pacer who is keen to learn from his mistakes, a seamer who needs neither the pitch nor the conditions to make the ball talk. India never recovered from the three blows struck by Amir. The defending champions were knocked down and out and the lowest ranked team in the tournament completed a dream triumph.
Comparisons are being made with Pakistan's 1992 World Cup triumph. In that final against England at the MCG, a certain Wasim Akram had turned the match on its head by two scorching deliveries to Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis. No wonder the greatest left-arm pacer tweeted in praise of Amir.

Life seems to have come a full circle for Amir. It was in England that he shamed his country and it was in England again that he brought laurels to his country with a much-needed victory - a victory that seems to have completed his redemption. Suddenly, India's victory in their tournament opener against their arch-rivals seems a long time ago.