India has finally ended its ten-year trophy-less run, winning a thrilling T20 World Cup final against South Africa by seven runs in Barbados this Saturday. Suryakumar Yadav put on an electrifying late catch while Jasprit Bumrah delivered a remarkable bowling spell, propelling India to the win. The Jamie Merrican Stadium was the grounds for this nail-biting jugular, with India clinching their first trophy since 2013 at the end of the month-long contest.
Both teams had remained undefeated prior to this championship decider. South Africa, led by Heinrich Klaasen’s aggressive 52-runs-from-27-balls performance, was positioned to win their first global title. However, their reputation as tournament ‘chokers’ remained intact when they failed to cross the finish line despite Klaasen’s valiant efforts.
Despite only needing 30 runs from 30 balls with five wickets standing while chasing a score of 177, South Africa crumbled under the intense pressure, finishing 168 for eight. This collapse can be largely attributed to Bumrah’s sterling performance. Known worldwide for his bowling prowess, Bumrah escalated his reputation even further by restricting South Africa to a meagre six runs across two overs and claiming Marco Jansen’s wicket, ending with an impressive two for 18.
It was a display of staggering menace and assortment from the best bowler in the world, causing South Africa to stumble when they earlier had a clear advantage. Incredibly, despite requiring 16 runs from the last over, victory was still within sight for them.
David Miller commenced with a bold move against Hardik Pandya’s first pitch, but was prevented from turning it into a six by Yadav’s exceptional footwork and catch. Before this, Virat Kohli’s impressive score of 76 aided India in securing a total of 176 for seven, the top score in a T20 World Cup final. Although Kohli had been less active in the run-up to the match, he showcased his perseverance with a long and predominantly restrained game that proved pivotal for India.
The strong start saw Kohli hitting three fours off Jansen in the initial over, but this explosive beginning was misleading. Rather, after South Africa obtained three huge wickets in the powerplay, he altered his strategy, refraining from scoring a single boundary between the fourth and the 18th over.
While on the non-striker’s end, Kohli watched as Keshav Maharaj took out captain Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant with three balls, both falling to the sweep, then witnessed Yadav’s dismissal by Kagiso Rabada. Even though he played a secondary role in a partnership of 72 with the pinch-hitter Axar Patel, he got into form towards the finish, hitting two sixes and a pair of fours during a final push.
The challengingly high run target stressed the South African team, especially when Reeza Hendricks was expertly bowled out by Bumrah. Despite losing Proteas skipper Aiden Markram in just five balls, Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31) managed to keep the match in balance through a fifty-run partnership.
However, it was Klaasen’s entry into play that truly impacted the game. When he stepped up to bat at number five, they required 107 off 67 balls. After a brief lull in his first four balls, he started drastically reducing the target, driving three out of his following seven pitches for a six against Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav. De Kock’s exit did cause a slight setback, but it was largely overshadowed by the escalating match drama.
In the 15th over, he pressed the button, smashing Patel for a towering 24 runs, even sending one shot into the stadium’s rooftop. It appeared as though the job was becoming simpler, however, Bumrah had alternate plans in mind. Following his effective enforcement of a scoring drought, Klaasen was caught behind from an edge off Pandya before Bumrah ratcheted up the tension. He allowed merely two singles and claimed Jansen’s leg stump as a keepsake in the 18th over.
South Africa could entertain some hope with Miller still on the crease. Alas, with Yadav’s exquisite catch on the boundary at long-on, South Africa’s faint glimmer of hope was extinguished once and for all.
Kohli declared his intention to step back from T20 Internationals for India after celebrating Saturday’s victory. “This marks my final appearance in T20 matches for India,” indicated the match’s star player. “The baton now passes to the forthcoming generation to carry the T20 game forward.”