England were denied a first global 50-over title as India prevailed by five runs in a dramatic, rain-hit Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston.
After a series of downpours had reduced the game to a Twenty20 contest, the host nation looked set to triumph courtesy of a substantial stand between Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara, who had earlier claimed 3-20.
Back-to-back wides from Ishant Sharma in the 18th over of England’s chase took the fifth-wicket partnership to 64 and left just 20 needed from 16 balls.
However, Ishant then had Morgan and Bopara caught on the leg side, for 33 and 30 respectively, from successive slower balls and England lost further wickets in a hurry to finish on 124 for eight in pursuit of 130.
India, the only unbeaten team in the tournament, therefore add a second major one-day crown to the World Cup they claimed in 2011.
Prior to Ishant’s dramatic intervention, their bowling effort had been led by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who exploited a pitch offering sharp turn to return 2-15 from a full, four-over allocation.
Fellow slow bowler Ravindra Jadeja also impressed with 2-24 and gained the match award having contributed 33 not out to India’s 129 for seven, which featured 31 from tournament top-scorer Shikhar Dhawan and 43 for Virat Kohli. In addition, Jadeja’s wickets also saw him leapfrog Mitchell McClenaghan to finish as the event's most prolific bowler.
England, who won the toss more than six hours before play eventually began at 4:20pm, would surely have been satisfied with their bowling display, which was highlighted by Bopara’s incisive spell.
Hampered by two further rain delays - the second would have resulted in an abandonment had the International Cricket Council not opted to push the cut-off time for the fixture back to 8:30pm – India struggled to get going for much of their innings.
England managed one wicket prior to the stoppage, Stuart Broad bowling Rohit Sharma with one that nipped back off a length.
Yet it was upon the resumption that India started to hit the buffers, thanks largely to Bopara.
The all-rounder picked up the key wicket of Dhawan, who was caught at extra-cover by James Tredwell to finish with 363 runs from five innings in the event.
After Dinesh Karthik had fallen cheaply to a top-edged sweep off Tredwell, Bopara then sent England supporters into raptures by ousting Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a double-wicket-maiden that left India 66 for five.
Kohli and Jadeja ensured Dhoni’s men had something to defend, the former benefiting from a Jonathan Trott drop at short third man on 36, but falling to James Anderson soon after.
Ashwin was subsequently run-out for one, but Jadeja batted through to the end and struck the penultimate ball of the innings, from Tim Bresnan, over long-on for six.
England lost Alastair Cook early in reply when the skipper edged Umesh Yadav to slip.
Trott batted fluently for 20 but, when he was stumped off a leg-side wide from Ashwin that spun sharply, India seized the initiative.
Ashwin struck again in his next set of six, having Joe Root caught off a mis-cued pull, and the score read 46 for four when Ian Bell was given out stumped off Jadeja. Replays suggested the decision was marginal at best and Cook later referred it as “poor” in his post-match press conference.
The required run-rate initially rose as Morgan and Bopara looked to rebuild, but both started to find the boundary with regularity heading into the closing overs.
Bopara pulled Ishant and slog-swept Jadeja into the Eric Hollies Stand, while Morgan also hooked the former for six at the start of the 18th over.
When Ishant followed up with successive wides outside off stump, England’s target looked more straightforward than ever before, yet there was to be a painful twist in the tail.
After Morgan and Bopara had each picked out fielders, Jos Buttler fell for a golden duck aiming a wild mow at Jadeja.
The departure of Bresnan - run out in chaotic fashion in the aftermath of a rejected lbw appeal - made it four wickets for three runs and left Broad and Tredwell with too much to do.
Fifteen were needed at the start of the final over - and six from the last ball - but Ashwin held his nerve to get India over the line.
Live Text Commentary
England Innings
8:33pm - END OF MATCH - ENG 124/8 - INDIA WIN BY FIVE RUNS AND CLAIM THE 2013 CHAMPIONS TROPHY - Alas, there will be no late miracle. England were in position to win this game at 110 for four in the 18th over, requiring 20 from 16 balls. However, a late flurry of wickets proved pivotal and it is India who are now celebrating wildly on the Edgbaston outfield.
8:32pm - Make that six from one ball...
8:31pm - Eight from two is now the equation, with James Tredwell on strike...
8:29pm - Broad survives a tight stumping chance and then slog-sweeps for four. Eleven needed off four balls.
8:25pm - England need an unlikely 15 off the final over, which will be bowled by Ashwin.
8:22pm - WICKET! Bresnan run out 2; Eng 113/8 - Ouch! Bresnan is struck on the pad and takes a few steps down the wicket in search of a single as India appeal for lbw. Before you can blink, the ball is relayed back to the stumps and Bresnan, having been sent back by Stuart Broad, is run out. India are now big favourites and England have lost four for three.
8:19pm - WICKET! Buttler b Jadeja 0; Eng 112/7 - England are up against it now. Buttler aims a big mow at Jadeja and is cleaned up for a golden duck.
8:17pm - This is going right down to the wire. England require 19 from the last two overs, which will represent the batting powerplay. Tim Bresnan is now with Buttler and Jadeja is back on.
8:14pm - WICKET! Bopara c Ashwin b Ishant 30; Eng 110/6 - Oh no! Bopara is also caught on the pull, at square-leg. Ishant is on a hat-trick!
8:13pm - WICKET! Morgan c Ashwin b Ishant 33; Eng 110/5 - But Morgan then heaves a slower ball straight to midwicket. Jos Buttler joins Bopara with 20 needed from 15 balls.
8:12pm - And now another maximum as Morgan pulls Ishant behind square! Consecutive off-side wides follow.
8:06pm - Ravi plants another into the Hollies Stand, this time off Jadeja, to bring up the fifty partnership! Bopara then demonstrates outstanding placement to collect successive twos. England need 28 from 18.
8:04pm - The boundaries are coming just when England need them. This time Morgan reverse-sweeps Raina to the rope. Four overs to come and 40 runs needed. How are your nerves?!
8pm - That will make England feel better! With 54 needed from 31, Bopara heaves Ishant into the Eric Hollies Stand for a superb maximum. So now we are looking at 48 required from five overs. Raina continues...
7:55pm - Goodness me! Now there is sharp turn for Raina, who beats Morgan. The required rate is rising...
7:48pm - Dhoni turns to Suresh Raina's part-time offies. Another off-side boundary from Morgan helps England take eight from the over. They now require 67 from 48 balls.
7:44pm - Morgan breaks the shackles by flaying Ishant through cover for four prior to picking up successive twos. You feel England have to score freely off the seamers now, with so much turn in evidence.
7:40pm - India's spinners are turning the screw. A maiden from Ashwin, who now has 2-6 from three, piles the pressure on. England need 84 from 60 balls.
7:35pm - WICKET! Bell st Dhoni b Jadeja 13; Eng 46/4 - Bold stuff from Bell, who responds to Mahendra Singh Dhoni bringing in a second catcher by reverse-sweeping Jadeja over the newly vacant gully area. There is a stumping appeal next ball and, after a number of replays, Bell is given out. That looked incredibly tight. Ravi Bopara, England's hero with the ball, joins Eoin Morgan.
7:28pm - WICKET! Root c Ishant b Ashwin 7; Eng 40/3 - Things are pretty evenly poised now. Root mis-cues a pull off Ashwin and is caught by Ishant at deep backward square-leg.
7:26pm - New batsman Joe Root and Bell, who has seen barely any strike, take the score to 38 from seven overs, the latest set of six having been sent down by Ishant Sharma.
7:18pm - WICKET! Trott st Dhoni b Ashwin 20; Eng 28/2 - We have spin from both ends as Ravichandran Ashwin comes on. His first ball prompts an lbw appeal and from the next Trott is stumped off a leg-side wide. That one turned sharply to fox the batsman.
7:15pm - Ravindra Jadeja, one of the players of the tournament, is introduced to bowl the fifth over and finds appreciable turn to beat Trott. The spinner's first over yields three singles.
7:09pm - This is sublime from Trott, who is scoring fluently through orthodox strokeplay. England end the third over on 17 for one.
7:05pm - Trott starts fluently, clipping the first ball he faces through square-leg for three. A push for two follows before Bhuvneshwar is pushed to the midwicket fence for an effortless boundary.
7:01pm - WICKET! Cook c Ashwin b Yadav 2; Eng 3/1 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar keeps things tight in the opening over and Cook is then caught at first slip after facing four dot-balls from Umesh Yadav. Jonathan Trott joins Warwickshire team-mate Bell on home soil.
6:55pm - England's reply is under way. Can Alastair Cook and Ian Bell put the hosts in position to make history?
India Innings
6:44pm - END OF INNINGS - INDIA 129/7; Jadeja 33* - Jadeja helps himself to a maximum over long-on from the penultimate ball of the innings. England will require 130 to win the Champions Trophy.
6:40pm - WICKET! Ashwin run out (Bell) 1; Ind 119/7 - Ravichandran Ashwin is run out at the non-striker's end, by Ian Bell's throw from long-off, as Jadeja makes sure he keeps the strike.
6:38pm - Jadeja is going well, but India have only 117 ahead of the final over, which will be bowled by Bresnan.
6:34pm - WICKET! Kohli c Bopara b Anderson 43; Ind 113/6 - You can't keep Bopara out of the game. After Jadeja clubs Anderson over long-off, Kohli is caught attempting a similar stroke.
6:30pm - MISSED CHANCE - Kohli cuts Broad to short third man, but a leaping Jonathan Trott is unable to hang on. India's number three capitalises by pulling the final ball of the over high over deep backward-square for six.
6:26pm - Ravindra Jadeja pummels Tredwell wide of long-on for his first four, but England’s spinner can be happy with his analysis of 4-0-25-1. Kohli, adopting a more agricultural style than usual, is undoubtedly the key man now and unbeaten on 36 from 31 as India end the 17th over on 97 for five.
6:16pm - Kohli gets things moving again, thumping Bopara to the cover rope before slog-sweeping for another four. India could do with a few more of those if they are to set a decent target. Bopara finishes with 1-20 from four overs, despite conceding 12 in his last set of six.
6:12pm - India have ground to a halt. The last three overs have brought just three runs! Bopara will complete his allocation now.
6:08pm - WICKET! Dhoni c Tredwell b Bopara 0; Ind 66/5 - Ravi is on fire!! The Essex all-rounder completes a sensational double-wicket-maiden by having Dhoni caught at third man!
6:05pm - WICKET! Raina c Cook b Bopara 1; Ind 66/4 - And another one bites the dust! Raina picks out Cook at mid-on to become Bopara's second victim. India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni comes in to rapturous applause.
6pm - WICKET! Karthik c Morgan b Tredwell 6; Ind 64/3 - England strike again! Karthik attempts to slog-sweep Tredwell but succeeds only in popping up a simple catch to Morgan. Tredwell then bowls three dot-balls to new man Suresh Raina, heaping further pressure on India.
5:58pm - There are a few spots of light rain as Bopara completes another fine over. He has 1-8 from two.
5:54pm - Kohli collects his first four when clipping Tredwell over the infield at midwicket. England will be happy at the halfway stage of this innings. India have just 59 on the board.
5:48pm - WICKET! Dhawan c Tredwell b Bopara 31; Ind 50/2 - The introduction of Ravi Bopara brings a breakthrough as Dhawan slaps a slower ball to cover. That's the opener's lowest score of the tournament. Dinesh Karthik joins Kohli.
5:45pm - Dhawan sweeps James Tredwell’s fourth ball for four and then collects another boundary with a reverse-paddle. India are 49 for one from eight overs.
5:41pm - Here we go again. Bresnan completes his second over, which featured a beauty that beat Virat Kohli’s defensive push.
5:28pm - Apologies - turns out the restart time is 5:40pm, providing there is no more rain before then.
5:25pm - Our umpteenth clean-up operation (God bless the Edgbaston groundstaff) has almost been completed, but there is a dirty black cloud looming.
5:15pm - Start-time update 4,357: Play will recommence at 5:30pm.
5:03pm - It looks much clearer (again) away to our left, but this latest downpour has been a rather heavy one. Hopefully, things can be cleared up swiftly.
4:53pm - RAIN STOPS PLAY - Oh dear. Off we come again as the rain returns.
4:50pm - Wowzers! From the first ball after that brief interruption, Dhawan uppercuts Broad high over third man for six! India are 35 for one after six overs.
4:47pm - It does swiftly pass ... and we are hearing that play can now continue up until 8:30pm, which gives us a bit more time should there be another shower or two.
4:45pm - RAIN STOPS PLAY - Bresnan takes over from Anderson and gives up six in his first over. We then have yet more rain, although it looks as though it may swiftly pass.
4:37pm - WICKET! Rohit b Broad 9; Ind 19/1 - England's good start gets better as Broad cleans up Rohit with one that nipped back off a length. It wasn't the best shot from the right-hander. India subsequently end the four-over powerplay on 19 for one.
4:33pm - The first four of the match is a streaky one as Rohit Sharma edges Anderson wide of first slip. India then benefit from four overthrows as Tim Bresnan's return from deep midwicket deflects off the glove of Jos Buttler and evades Eoin Morgan.
4:28pm - India continue to deal exclusively in singles and Dhawan is fortunate to see another nick, off Stuart Broad, drop short of Alastair Cook at slip. A good start for England and some of the more threatening clouds look to have passed.
4:23pm - Anderson's first over goes for just two. Shikhar Dhawan got off the mark in unconvincing fashion with a thick edge past second slip.
4:20pm - We are finally under way in Birmingham and James Anderson is bowling from the Pavilion End.
Pre-Play News
4:17pm - Here come the players - prompting huge cheers from the crowd!
4:15pm - Given how long ago the toss took place, ecb.co.uk feels compelled to remind you India will bat first. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma's ability to continue their fine form could prove key to the outcome.
That said, more big, black clouds have appeared...
4:04pm - We have blue skies and, all of a sudden, it seems this fine competition may be settled with an actual game.
3:50pm - We have another start time of 4:20pm. That allows us to complete a 20-over game, providing there are no further interruptions. Any more rain now will mean this match is abandoned.
3:44pm - The latest bout of rain has passed. Is there still time for a T20 fixture?
3:21pm - It is now raining again. This could spell the end of the game.
3:17pm - I hate to say it, but the skies are looking a little gloomy again. We really cannot afford to see much more rain if the match is to be completed today. Hopefully, it stays dry.
Pietersen, meanwhile, has dashed to three figures from 106 balls at Headingley.
3:13pm - There is still hope. We have a new start time of 3:45pm, which means a 24-overs-a-side game - exactly what England faced against New Zealand in Cardiff last Sunday.
3pm - And now we have the umpires. England limited-overs head coach Ashley Giles, another Warwickshire man, and skipper Alastair Cook are also on the field.
2:55pm - Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, two men with vast experience of playing cricket at this venue, have come out to assess conditions, followed by India duo Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. There is still quite a bit of water on the main cover.
2:47pm - In news away from Edgbaston, Kevin Pietersen is making the most of his first innings of the summer. The England batsman has passed 50 for Surrey at Headingley.
2:40pm - The person in charge of the PA system certainly has a sense of humour. 'Here Comes The Sun' is now being played!
2:33pm - The India supporters are making a fantastic racket as the groundstaff remove some of the covers. There is sure to be a tremendous atmosphere if we do manage to get a game in.
2:27pm - If there is no further rain, a full inspection will take place at 3pm. The sun has popped out, to the delight of the spectators that have remained in the stands.
2:23pm - The umpires have emerged to take a look at the situation out in the middle - and there is even a sliver of blue sky to greet them! We will let you know what emerges from their inspection.
1:49pm - Play has to start by 4:28pm at the latest if we are to avoid a washout. Just when it looked to be getting brighter, we are now witnessing another heavy downpour.
1:39pm - The optimists among you can take heart from the fact the skies have cleared up. It is nowhere near as grey and miserable as it was an hour ago, but we need it to stay dry for a prolonged period.
1:23pm - Lunch has been and gone, but the rain continues to fall at Edgbaston. The chances of a washout - and the trophy being shared - are sadly increasing.
12:04pm - Lunch will be taken at 12:30pm and an inspection will follow when conditions permit. At the moment, it is hammering down once again.
11:45am - Unfortunately, the rain has returned. This is a real shame for all the supporters who have turned out in the second city.
11:38am - If there are no further showers, an inspection will take place at noon.
11:26am - And now the rain has stopped, although it will take a bit of time to clear away the water that has fallen in the last hour.
11:15am - The rain has eased ... and the skies look a little clearer away to my left where the weather is coming from.
11am - It's all gone a bit monsoon now. Oh dear.
10:54am - Here we go again. The heaviest rain yet forces the groundstaff to bring the full covers out for the umpteenth time. There are countless umbrellas up in the stands.
10:48am - The cover hokey-cokey continues, with the larger sheets being brought in once more. A rope is being dragged around the outfield and we could be starting soon.
10:40am - Woe. Here come the full covers once again. It looks like being one of those days!
10:36am - The bigger covers have been removed, although the square remains protected for the time being.
10:33am - The best news ecb.co.uk can bring you at present is that the current precipitation is not particularly severe. However, the skies are very grey.
10:27am - ...or maybe not! To everyone's disappointment, rain started to fall while the anthems were taking place, forcing the groundstaff to bring on the covers.
10:24am - A huge roar goes up, together with fireworks, as the players take to the field. The Champions Trophy final is moments away!
10:20am - Off comes the main cover. You would imagine James Anderson, who boasts 10 wickets in the tournament to date, is relishing the chance to bowl under the overcast Birmingham skies.
10:15am - I think that brief bout of rain has passed. The trophy is now on the field and the players will re-emerge shortly for the national anthems.
10:06am - Light drizzle has started to fall. Hopefully it passes through and does not delay the start.
Here are the teams in full:
England: Alastair Cook (captain), Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, James Tredwell, James Anderson.
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
10:03am - ENGLAND WIN TOSS AND FIELD - An early boost for England as Cook wins the toss and predictably inserts India. Chasing certainly seems the way to go today; there is likely to be early assistance for the seamers and the possibility of inclement weather could also make it tough to judge a good score batting first.
England recall Tim Bresnan, who missed the semi-final triumph over South Africa to attend the birth of his first child, at the expense of Steven Finn, while James Tredwell continues as the frontline spinner. India are unchanged.
9:50am - England skipper Cook and his opposite number Mahendra Singh Dhoni both spoke to the media yesterday. You can read Cook's thoughts here and the comments of India's captain here.
9:43am - Not long now until the toss, when we will find out the all-important team news.
The stands are filling up at Edgbaston and there is plenty of excitement as the start draws near.
9:33am - Both teams are now out in the middle for their pre-match warm-up drills.
India are the only unbeaten side in the competition and have looked highly impressive in recording comfortable victories over South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The latter are the only team to have beaten England so far, although Alastair Cook's men bounced back from that reverse by beating New Zealand and thrashing semi-final opponents South Africa.
9:15am - As many of you will already know, today's weather forecast is not particularly encouraging. However, there is a fair chance we will start on time at 10:30am as it is not currently raining.
In the unfortunate event of a no-result, there is no reserve day, so England and India will share the trophy.
9am - Good morning and welcome to ecb.co.uk's live coverage of the Champions Trophy final between England and India.
The host nation are one game away from securing a global 50-over title for the first time. Will history be made at Edgbaston today?