India held their collective nerve in the final overs of a pulsating contest to win the T20 World Cup final against South Africa by seven-runs at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.
Having posted a highly competitive total of 176-7 the Indians were placed under seemingly intolerable pressure by Heinrich Klaasen who smashed 52 from just 27 balls to leave South Africa requiring just 24 runs from the final 24 balls before fighting their way back in sensational style with seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh conceding just four runs apiece in two match-changing overs.
Klaasen appeared to have changed the match emphatically in his team’s favour with a brutal 24 runs off the 15th over from Axar Patel with a pair of fours and sixes after David Miller had taken 14 runs from the previous over from Kuldeep Yadav to radically transform a position in which India had taken control.
The drought is over for India 🇮🇳🏆
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 29, 2024
Rohit Sharma's men are the first team to go unbeaten in a #T20WorldCup tournament 👏#OutOfThisWorld pic.twitter.com/YkU4ztUyfb
With a run-a-ball required from the final four overs, the game was South Africa’s to lose. But instead, India won it and South Africa closed on 169-8.
Klaasen chased a wide ball from Hardik Pandya and edged to ‘keeper Rishabh Pant exposing the vulnerable tail, always likely to be SA’s Achilles’ heel at some point. Miller did his best to keep the strike and required 16 from the final over from Hardik. The first ball, a full toss, was despatched to long on, destined for six, but Suryakumar Yadav effected an extraordinary, step-over boundary catch to effectively end the contest.
Quinton de Kock’s 39 from 31 balls had an air of calm and control, his penultimate delivery heaved over long leg for six. But Rohit Sharma adjusted the field for the next delivery, Arshdeep Singh bowled the same delivery and de Kock played the same shot – into the hands of the fielder, Kuldeep Yadav.
Tristan Stubbs played an equally fine hand with 31 from 21 balls (3x4, 1x6) and may wonder long in the future about his dismissal when he moved so far outside off-stump to sweep Axar that he was bowled behind his legs.
THE WAIT IS OVER, INDIA!
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 29, 2024
T20 WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS FOR THE SECOND TIME! 🇮🇳🏆 pic.twitter.com/E20ZPi5rqw
Earlier Virat Kohli’s anchoring half century and a brilliant cameo of 47 from 31 balls from Axar helped India recover from 34-3 inside the Power Play to reach 176-7 after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.
Marco Jansen conceded 15 runs from the first over but Keshav Maharaj (3-0-23-2) claimed two wickets in the second over of the innings in a dramatic change of direction with captain Rohit Sharma (9) sweeping straight to Klaasen at square leg and Rishabh Pant (0) top edging another sweep into the gloves of de Kock.
When Suryakumar Yadav (3) flicked a Kagiso Rabada delivery to Klaasen on the square leg boundary India reacted to the early pressure by promoting Axar who responded with slog-swept sixes against all three spinners, Maharaj, Aiden Markram (2-0-16-0) and Tabraiz Shamsi whose three overs cost 26.
The fourth-wicket partnership of 72 was broken by an inspirational piece of fielding by de Kock who whipped his right glove off to run out Axar with a direct hit at the non-striker’s end from fully 35 metres. Axar struck a single four and four sixes.
Kohli’s smart, experienced and patient innings finally burst into life with a straight six against Rabada (4-0-36-1) but Rabada had the final word with a catch on the long on boundary in the 19th over as Jansen (4-0-49-1) claimed a consolation wicket. Kohli’s brilliant 76 from 59 balls (6x4, 2x6) was pivotal.
India finally get over the line! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Dir48G3Hzk
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 29, 2024
Shivam Dube’s brisk and incisive 27 from 16 balls (3x4, 1x6) could also prove to be crucial despite Anrich Nortje (2-26) collecting two wickets in the final over. India’s total is the highest in all T20 WC finals to date.
Reeza Hendricks (4) may have received the ‘ball of the tournament’ from Jasprit Bumrah whose away-swinger clipped the top of off-stump and when Markram (4) edged a wide drive against Arshdeep Singh into Pant’s gloves South Africa were 12-2 after 15 balls.
But a winning position was firmly established thereafter, before being expertly and emphatically snatched away by Rohit and Jasprit Bumrah.
SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wkt), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.
INDIA: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wkt), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.