Posted on July 1, 2024

T20 World Cup 2024, India vs South Africa: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh & Hardik Pandya clinched it for India right at the end of the match in the last T20I held in Barbados on June 29. Rohit Sharma and his men brought an end to the 11-year-long India’s trophy drought with ICC trophy.

They waited for weeks and in specific, until June 29 during the Saturday. This Indian team repeated the feat of MS Dhoni’s men, 11 years later, Rohit Sharma and his army clinched the T20 World Cup. India won the match at the eleventh hour from what seemed to be a hopeless position by holding South Africa to 176 and thus steering the millions of their fans into distress. Opener Hardik Pandya’s brutal assault along with the selected fast bowling trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya guided India to the final but it was on this day at the Kensington Oval that the Proteas choked under pressure when it mattered the most.

In the end Hardik Pandya become the hero of India as he manage to spare 16 runs in the last over. After India barely qualified for the end line, Hardik could not even hold back his tears. In the special juncture of the game, captain Rohit Sharma lifted his Mumbai Indians captain.

India, inspired and free from fear were presented with an ICC trophy. Made sure they got across the line and to thank, Virat Kohli’s 76, Axar Patel’s 47 and a bowling display from the pacers on a day the spinners copped a lot of punishment. It was indeed a spine-chilling finish that most fans of the T20 World Cups can ever remember and it was India who, once again, with a shown of nerves of steel helped billions realise their dreams.

Virat Kohli and Rohit sharma decided to retire from T20I after the final. Kohli was able to seal his T20I career in a successful manner getting the Player of the match in the final of the World Cup while Rohit also leaving the format similar to MS Dhoni.

After the dreadful IPL 2024 season, pandya sang a redemption song and cried after hitting the winning over. Appropriately, Rohit Sharma hugged him and consoled him while the television broadcasters zoomed the scene all through.

For the taste of defeat in 2007, where India was knocked out of the ODI World Cup in the group stages under his leadership. , There was a fill in the void by head coach Rahul Dravid.

Thus, for South Africa, who were in the finals of a World cup for the first time it was a case of Almost but not Venezuelan. Pre-tournament inactivity was visible and came to the forefront as Heinrich Klaasen, played brilliant knock of fifty. The fiery SunRisers Hyderabad player raised the Indian flag on a high note as he destroyed spin bowlers and the team managed to get a crushing victory with the help of the pace bowlers.

South Africa lost a prima ball player, the out-of-form opener, Reeza Hendricks just after a Jasprit Bumrah spectacular. Captain Aiden Markram could not put much pressure on the scorers as Arshdeep again had a fruitful spell for India.

South Africa when they were in a precarious 12-2 position, Tristan Stubbs was brought in as a batting No. 4. The Delhi capitals’ star played a cameo against the Indian bowling lineup and formed a 58-run partnership with Quinton de Kock who was more of a sedate performer in his final T20I innings.

But Axar Patel, came into the attack at the right time and dismissed the set batsman in the 8th over. His ‘you miss I hit’ strategy paid off and Stubbs felt the heat enjoying as the forward was too creative.

Heinrich Klaasen was the next to come and the Indian spinners Axar and Kuldeep Yadav could not make an impression on him. Klaasen was merciless to Axar in the 14th and 15th over while Axar conceded as many as 14 runs and Kuldeep 24 in those two overs.

Klaasen ensured that he did that after entering the middle order when David Miller walked out to bat.

The match’s swing came in the 16th over of the bowling from Jasprit Bumrah when he steadied the Gujarat Lions’ charge, allowing only four runs.

Thus, in the 17 th over, Pandya bowled out Klaasen, who attempted to open up after receiving a straitjacket treatment from Bumrah. Hardik introduced his wider slower ball which did the trick as Klaasen and lost balance and edged one to the keeper.

Thereafter, having a serious discussion with the seniors in the side, Rohit handed the ball to Jasprit Bumrah for the 18th over and could not bowl his fourth over in the attacking powerplay. Bumrah countered this by only conceding only 2 runs and taking the wicket of Marco Jansen.

After another good, orderly Arshdeep over, the equation had boiled down to 16 from one ball. The last over was started by Hardik with a low full toss which was almost carry for a big hit by miller. Almost because Suryakumar Yadav did what possibly could’ve been the best catch in the T20 World Cup to make sure it did not go beyond the boundary rope at long-off.

This sucked the life out of South Africa’s chase as Rabada and Maharaj, the frontline seamen, could not lead their team to a fairy tale win with theukes.

Rohit Sharma was seen bending his knees to perform the dance while Hardik Pandya crumbled down on the ground to the pitch. The biggest celebrations came after India won a match big; the highlight was Rahul Dravid who was quite animated, Kohli and Rohit with the Indian flag.

Barely yesterday, the weather demigods spared cricket lovers thus; it rained not and this after having forecasted rain for the whole week. Rohit Sharma won the toss in the match and without giving a second thought decided to bat. The rub of green went Rohit’s way after the agony of nov 19 when Pat cummins won the toss nd dominated the ODI world cup final frnzz till the end. India brought their powerplay specialists for Caribbean conditions hoping to capitalise on a hoped for flat wicket but it did not turn out to plan in Barbados.

The legendary Virat Kohli stood up and gave a billion fans the belief when he got off the mark with three boundaries of Marco Jansen’s first over of the competition. He did not see the combative Kohli, who did not get a single Baazigar shot in his batting till the semi-final. Kohli was not negotiating, as too often depicted dragging the ball through the covers in the first over, but placing it. The star batter had made a total of 65 runs in the first seven matches; he even got out cheaply in the final group match against England.

But when comeback pairing of Rohit Sharma anticipated in the wake of stating a prophetic phrase, the stars were out in support of Kohli on the day of the big final. ”He probably is saving it for the final,” Rohit had said after the semifinals. This was a fitting reply to his captain and the head coach Rahul Dravid as Kohli played so well scoring 76 off 59 balls. A man who has shattered records with staggering showings in the T20 World Cups before, bided his time for his first fifty of the tournament this season until the final.

Prequels to the final, Rohit Sharma, who scripted India’s thrashing of England and Australia, suffered an off-day being dismissed for 9 in the second over. When he got two boundaries off the first left-arm spinner in Keshav Maharaj, Rohit tried the sweep and could not control on the shot. Unfortunately, Rohit lived up to the maxim of sword and shield and his decision of hanging the power play out to dry in the final simply did not pay off.

Further shocks for India as they lost Pant on the same ball. The aggressive wicketkeeper-batter was unfortunate to depart to a full-toss that he cut straight into the hands of the wicketkeeping captain Quinton de Kock.

Of all the batters, Suryakumar Yadav who was in menacing form right through the series was dismissed on the very first ball by Kagiso Rabada for 3, further making India’s powerplay worse.

However, India made another excellent decision as Axar Patel coming in at No. in the fifth changed the con and tone of the innings. This was the big final and the all-rounder of Delhi Capitals was provided with the free roll to go after the bowling and he did not disappoint. Axar made mince meat out of the South African spinners as he smashed 47 off 31 deliveries. It was Axar, who batted as if he was the one who had to take responsibility of the partnership that was going to dictate the fate of the game along with Kohli.

Shivam Dube ensured that he made his inclusion in the team worthy as he scored a crucial 27 off 16 balls as India took their total to 176 which was the highest in the men’s T20 World Cup finals.

Categories: Sports

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