After an 11-year drought, the Men in Blue have finally ascended to ICC glory, defeating South Africa by 7 runs in a thrilling Men’s T20 World Cup final 2024 at Barbados' Kensington Oval on Saturday, 29 June.
Playing in their maiden World Cup final appearance, the Proteas could only manage to score 169/8 in a chase of 177 runs. The Aiden Markram-led side will have to endure a longer wait for their elusive silverware.
The South African chase faltered early when Jasprit Bumrah delivered a breathtaking out-swinger to rattle Reeza Hendricks’ off-stump in just the second over. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh then struck, removing skipper Aiden Markram with a sharp catch by Rishabh Pant in the 3rd over.
Right-handed batter Tristan Stubbs entered the fray, determined to rebuild the chase. He forged a robust 58-run partnership off 37 balls with Quinton de Kock. However, their alliance was disrupted by spinner Axar Patel, who struck to remove Stubbs in the 9th over. Stubbs departed after a valiant 31 runs off 21 balls.
Klaasen's Big Hits & Even Bigger Dismissal
Heinrich Klaasen strode onto the field and opened his account with a six off Hardik Pandya. The batter continued to pepper the big hits with fours and sixes, propelling South Africa to the 100-run mark in the 12th over, with another towering six off Kuldeep Yadav.
In the 13th over, Arshdeep Singh returned and dismissed the dangerous Quinton de Kock. Kuldeep Yadav completed the crucial catch, sending the wicketkeeper-batter packing after he had contributed 39 runs from 31 balls to South Africa's total. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav concluded his spell for the first time in the tournament without claiming a wicket.
As the Proteas' batters continued to unleash big hits, pressure mounted on India. In the midst of the onslaught, Klaasen notched his fifty off just 23 balls in the 16th over. With 26 runs required from 24 balls, Hardik Pandya broke through, dismissing Klaasen, with Rishabh Pant securing the catch to complete the dismissal.
Bumrah's Masterclass
With David Miller and Marco Jansen at the crease, SA faced a crucial 22-run challenge in the final three overs. Jasprit Bumrah stepped up when it mattered most, delivering a pivotal blow by dismissing Jansen in the 18th over.
With 20 required off the final 12 balls, Arshdeep Singh was entrusted with the ball and he leaked just 4 runs from the over. With 16 needed off the final over, vice-captain Hardik Pandya took the ball and dismissed Miller on the first ball with Suryakumar taking a stunning catch near the boundary ropes.
Kagiso Rabada then faced the next ball and managed to score a boundary. The following ball resulted in a bye. With 11 runs required off 3 balls, Maharaj took a single to return Rabada to strike. Needing 10 runs off 2 balls, Hardik Pandya bowled a wide. Surya then took another catch and sent Rabada back in the hut. With 9 required off the final ball, Nortje took a single and INDIA WIN THE WORLD CUP!!!!
What Happened in the First Innings?
Earlier, Virat Kohli stepped up to the plate, ending his lean patch with a 59-ball 76 to help India post a competitive 176/7.
On a dry and slow pitch, South Africa made early inroads by picking three quick wickets. But Kohli stood up to be at the centre of India’s innings, despite a middle-overs slowdown, with his crucial knock laced with six fours and two sixes, as they posted the highest total in a Men’s T20 World Cup final.
It was a knock in which Kohli scored more than what his first seven innings in the tournament yielded (75 runs). His 72-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Axar Patel, who made 47 off 31 balls, and a 57-run partnership with Shivam Dube, who hit a 16-ball 27, helped India go past the 175-run mark, as they hammered 42 runs off the last three overs.
Kohli got India going with three boundaries – drive through point, whip through square leg, and straight drive – on overpitched deliveries from Marco Jansen, as 15 runs came off the opening over.
Maharaj's Sensational 2nd Over
Rohit Sharma cut and reverse-swept for consecutive boundaries off Keshav Maharaj. But Maharaj bounced back as he had Rohit sweeping aerially to square-leg to fall for nine, followed by dismissing Rishabh Pant for a two-ball duck when the top-edge on his sweep off a full and wide ball ballooned off the toe-end to keeper Quinton de Kock.
Kagiso Rabada struck in the fifth over when Suryakumar Yadav moved across to whip a back-of-a-length ball, but fine leg advanced to his left and took a spectacular catch, ending his stay on just three, as India were reduced to 34/3 in 4.3 overs.
With Kohli taking up the busy strike-rotation role in rebuilding India’s innings, pinch-hitter Axar took up the attacking mantle by clipping Rabada for four, clearing deep mid-wicket to get a six off Markram, slog-sweeping Maharaj for a maximum over the same region and hitting a flat six down on one knee to just clear long-on for a six off Tabraiz Shamsi.
The Kohli-Axar Show
Axar brought up India’s hundred in 13.1 overs by hammering Rabada for a six down the ground. But a ball and wide later, South Africa produced a moment of magic when Kohli missed a delivery and the ball went behind to de Kock, who ran out Axar, who turned back and ran slowly, with a direct hit and sent him back for 47.
With Kohli still finding fielders and not getting timing to hit boundaries, Dube lofted Jansen for six and then slog-sweep Shamsi for four more. After Kohli got his first fifty of this tournament, in 48 balls with a single off Nortje, Dube ended the 17th over with a slice past the backward point for four. Kohli got his first six of the competition by slogging Rabada over long-on and then pulled the pacer for four more, as 16 runs came off the 18th over.
Kohli clipped and slogged Jansen for four and six respectively, before the pacer dragged his length back and had the batter holing out to long-on. Hardik Pandya came in and top-edged a pull off Jansen over the keeper’s head for four, as 17 runs came off the 19th over. Dube struck Nortje down the ground past a diving mid-on for four, before the pacer bounced back by taking out him and Ravindra Jadeja on the last three balls of the innings to keep India four runs below 180.
With inputs from IANS.
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