India beat South Africa in the T20 World Cup final at the Kensington Oval on Saturday, winning the limited overs format trophy for the first time in 17 years.
They defended 16 runs in the final over. Proteas were chasing the 177-run target India set in the game’s final.
It was David Miller’s wicket in the final over that changed the game for South Africa. He was out on the first delivery of the last over. The left-handed batter tried to hit six on the low full-toss delivery of Hardik Pandya, but he was caught at the boundary. Suryakumar Yadav took a brilliant catch in the boundary.
But many believe the dismissal of Heinrich Klaasen in the seventeenth over was the big moment as he had brought the match closer after hitting two maximums and two boundaries in Axar Patel’s over.
They lost wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock in the 13th over of the game. He was caught in the third man by Kuldeep Yadav on Arshdeep Singh’s delivery. The left-handed batter made 39 runs.
As in the past matches, pacer Jasprit Bumrah gave his team the desired start by getting Reeza Hendricks bowled in the second over.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh got Aiden Markram caught behind when the latter tried to hit an outside off-stump delivery.
The Men in Blue lost three early wickets in the powerplay, but former skipper Virat Kohli stood to lead his side to a defendable total. He with all-rounder Axar Patel made a 72-run partnership, recovering his team from the early loss.
Kohli, who made 76 runs, was out in the penultimate over of the game. He turned up on the big occasion after not contributing with the bat in other matches.
South Africa were cock-a-hoop after they got Patel run out for 47 after providing his team with the much-needed partnership to recover from the loss of three early wickets.
They lost the captain, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav in the powerplay of the game.
India won the toss and elected to bat first in the showdown of the mega event. The toss was held in bright sunshine and with a gusty wind blowing across the 28,000 capacity venue which is expected to be sold out for the game.
Rohit and his South African counterpart Aiden Markram both named unchanged line-ups from the teams which won their respective semi-finals.
The possibility of stormy weather over the weekend, with some rain forecast for Saturday, had raised concerns among organisers but as early arrivals began taking their seats there was no sign of rain.
Sharma was out for nine after hitting two fours in the first over. He tried to hit Keshav Maharaj’s delivery on the square leg but was caught by the fielder. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was the next batter to go to the pavilion. He was caught behind while playing the delivery to the leg side.
Suryakumar Yadav was the next batter to get out. He was caught by Heinrich Klaasen at the boundary on Kagiso Rabada’s delivery. The batter managed to score three runs in the showdown.
The final concludes a near month-long tournament, held in the USA and the Caribbean and features two teams who have yet to lose in the competition.
The event which has been a mixed bag in terms of quality, entertainment and attendances has certainly succeeded in setting up a final between the two best teams in the shortest format.
India crushed defending champions England by 68 runs in Guyana on Thursday, the day after South Africa thrashed Afghanistan by nine wickets in Trinidad to end a long and agonising wait for a title game.
Since their first appearance at a World Cup in 1992, following the end of apartheid, South Africa had lost seven semi-finals in the two limited overs formats.
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This will be South Africa’s first senior men’s final since the inaugural Champions Trophy in Bangladesh in 1998 when the Proteas beat the West Indies.
India experienced the double disappointment last year of defeat in the World Test Championship final and the 50-over World Cup – losing both to Australia.
The country which more than any other popularised the shortest form with the hugely successful Indian Premier League now stands on the brink of their second T20 World Cup title and first since the inaugural edition in 2007.
