T20 World Cup 2024, Final Match Report IND vs SA, 29th June 2024

India 176 for 7 (Kohli 76, Axar 47, Maharaj 2-23, Nortje 2-26) vs. South Africa 169 for 8 (Klaasen 52, Bumrah 2-18, Arshdeep 2-20, Hardik 3-20) by seven runs

Rohit Sharma had to resort to the best bowler in the world, while he would have kept Bumrah for a later innings. Bumrah never quite managed to break the partnership, and the batsmen never dared to take him on. But he succeeded in breaking the lead of Klassen and Miller. They only scored four runs in that inning.

But the most telling blow came at the start of the 17th. After the pace of the match was further slowed by an apparent knee complaint for Rishabh Pant, Hardik bowled a wide line out and took the edge off Klaasen, and Pant happily squandered the opportunity.

Still, Miller was there, though he couldn’t quite put a stop to the rest of it.

Then Bumrah came back and bowled a series of ripsnorters in the final over of another tournament he dominated. Using one of those magic balls, a wicked seamer, he ripped through the defences of South Africa’s last known batsman, Marco Jansen, and his leg stump.

And then came the knockout blow. After 16 runs of the last over, bowled by Hardik, Miller tried to lift the first ball, a full toss, over the straight boundary. He failed, and Suryakumar, who had run full force along the rope, with his feet just centimetres from the infield, caught the ball, lifted it briefly over the boundary, and completed the catch as he leapt back into the field, sparking wild celebrations in the stands and jubilant celebrations from the Indian players.

South Africa’s Nos. 8, 9 and 10 could not keep Hardik out, except for one outside edge which flew for four.

When Hardik completed India’s seven-run win, the bowler fell to his knees in relief, his teammates cheered, and the crowd, who had largely supported India, was ecstatic. Their team was world champion again after 13 years.

Showcase of Bumrah’s amazing finals

On a flat track in Barbados, Bumrah bowled two unplayable knocks, which fetched him two wickets – both of them. The first hit was the best. It was one of the best shots of the tournament, and arguably one of the best shots ever in the finals. It was directed to Risa Hendricks, and she bowled the ball and it went off course to hit the high point, beating the outside edge of the hitter.

He conceded five runs in that first over, and eight in the next (here one of just two boundaries came off the bowling – a drive not fully controlled through the deep third).

But those last two outs went a long way in defining this matchup. Four runs from the 16th, after the 15th had been clubbed for 24 runs. Two runs from the 17th. His numbers were 2 for 18.

Arshdeep plays his role

Arshdeep Singh was almost brilliant, returning 2 for 20. A power-double cost him just eight, and he brought the important wicket of Aiden Markram, who edged him. In the middle, he dismissed Quinton de Kock, who was looking to up the tempo after overseeing a recovery after two early hits.

Then came that brilliant 19th over, in which he passed two balls to Miller but only conceded three, keeping Maharaj on the attack.

This is after the Indian spinners leaked 106 of their nine collective overs.

Klassen loads six full.

One of the best shots of the tournament came from Klaasen, who hit a powerful shot over the cover boundary with a simple footwork. It was his third shot (having hit a powerful shot over the rope earlier).

But it was against Axar Patel that South Africa took the lead. First ball of the 15th over, he scared the ground off the back foot for a four. Axar bowled two wides in fear. Then later, two hard hits down the ground – one of which blew the roof off the pitch, then four long-on for good measure.

He completed his fifty off 23 balls, the fastest ever in a T20 World Cup final. After his dismissal, South Africa were unable to manage any intentional boundaries, with the only four coming off the outside edge of Kagiso Rabada.

Kohli throws anchor

Between the fourth and 18th overs, Kohli faced 35 balls, scored 29 runs and did not hit a single ball out. When he reached his fifty, he had used 48 balls, and did not lift his bat, batting mostly from midwicket. There was an obvious criticism here: was this tour so unambitious that it was hurting India?

But the counter-argument is strong. Kohli had scored 22 from 16 overs when the third wicket (Suryakumar Yadav) fell in the fifth over. The insurance he provided at one end allowed Axar (lifted up at No. 5) and Shivam Dube to flourish with their powerful strokes.

His runs with these batsmen were 72 from 54 (Axar hit 47 from 31) and 57 from 33 (Dube hit 22 from 13), and they were a major force in India’s tour. Their total of 176 from 7 overs was the most by any team in a World Cup final.

Has South Africa suffocated?

For 35 overs in this game, there was no way they could have come to that conclusion. They were pumped up early, when Keshav Maharaj struck twice, dismissing Rabada Suryakumar – India’s most dangerous batsman. They held their catches and were excellent on the field.

They overcame the early wicket loss well too. But at one stage, needing 26 off 24 balls, they had six wickets in hand, with only one Bumrah left to face. They tried to target Hardik, which was a smart play in that situation, but they lost both their key batsmen to him.

There are simpler explanations too: India’s players were very experienced in combat; The lineup of South African players was short.