 "Indian pacers lead the way as Men in Blue win battle of nerves to pip South Africa in Barbados")
An entire generation of Indian cricket fans had almost forgotten what it felt like to win a world title. The Indian cricket team had become what South Africa have been all these years since their return to the international fold — a team consistent in bilaterals across formats as well as in the pre-knockout stage of World Cups, only to find themselves falling narrowly short of being crowned champions in the latter.
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And unlike South African teams of the past, the Men in Blue reached finals, though, in the end, they’d still end up without a trophy. MS Dhoni had made winning tournaments look ridiculously easy, helping India clinch each of the ICC’s three major white-ball tournaments in a span of six years.
The last of those triumphs, in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, would unfortunately mark the beginning of a long drought for the Indian team. One where the Indians would endure multiple heartbreaks despite being counted among the favourites in each event, finishing runners-up in all three formats and enduring semi-final exits on many other occasions.
The manner in which the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup was slipping out of India’s grasp during South Africa’s chase of a target of 177 in Barbados on Saturday suggested another heartbreak was on the cards. The dreaded thought of the Men in Blue failing to defend a total in the final of a World Cup for the second time in a space of seven months was perhaps beginning to creep into the minds of the fans clad in blue at the Kensington Oval, as well as those glued to their TV sets around the world.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIndia found themselves in that situation despite posting a record total after skipper Rohit opted to bat. Virat Kohli finally regained his old form in what would be his final appearance for the Indian team in the 20-over format, top-scoring for his side with a 59-ball 76 that, together with Axar Patel’s 31-ball 47 and Shivam Dube’s 27 off 16, helped India mount a score of 176/7, surpassing Australia’s 173/2 that was the previous highest total in a T20 World Cup final.
Read | Rohit joins Kohli in retiring from T20Is after India’s T20 World Cup triumph
It was also a score roughly similar to what India had posted against Afghanistan earlier in the Super 8s, one that would prove to be a winning total by a comfortable margin. South Africa, however, nearly made a mockery of it after racing to 151/4 at the end of the 16th over, needing just a run-a-ball to pull off what celebrated teams led by the likes of Hansie Cronje and Graeme Smith couldn’t in the past — be crowned world champions.
A victory lap to remember! 🇮🇳💙
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 29, 2024
There's no feeling better than watching the #TeamIndia contingent waving the 🇮🇳 at Barbados! 🥹#T20WorldCupOnStar #T20WorldCup2024 #RohitSharma #ViratKohli #AxarPatel #HardikPandya pic.twitter.com/iCTkutEtRx
Men in Blue pip Proteas in the battle of nerves
On a day when India’s spinners were smashed all over the Kensington Oval, it was the pace department that ultimately came to India’s rescue with four good overs. In the battle of the ‘Recent Chokers’ vs the ‘Generational Chokers’ — terms that have been thrown around a lot in the build-up to the final on social media describing India and South Africa respectively, it was ultimately the ability to handle the pressure situation better that would decide which team came out on top on Saturday.
Klaasen appeared to have carried on from where he had left off in the Indian Premier League and was striking the ball as hard as he was when he was wearing the Sunrisers Hyderabad orange instead of the Proteas’ green and gold. Klaasen had raced to his fifty in just 23 balls around the time South Africa breached the 150-run mark, and it appeared as if he and David Miller would waltz across the finish line in the end.
A break in proceedings, however, can lead to funny things in cricket and can often prove detrimental for batters — one of the reasons why a wicket falls immediately after a drinks break so often. In Barbados, it was Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant needing some medical attention that led to a temporary halt in proceedings. Jasprit Bumrah had bowled a tidy 16th over, conceding just four including a brace that brought up Klaasen’s fifty.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya, however, made the most of the opportunity and enticed Klaasen into stretching his arms to a slower ball that was pitched well outside off, resulting in a nick off the bottom half of the bat that resulted in a simple catch for Pant behind the stumps.
It was a massive moment that would later be seen as the turning point in the final. Had Klaasen not acted rashly, he could have taken the Proteas home with ones and twos interspersed with the odd boundaries. Knowing Klaasen, however, it was highly unlikely he would take that route by curbing his natural hard-hitting instincts.
Klaasen’s dismissal, however, was just the opening. South Africa still had Miller at the crease along with batters who certainly were handy when it came to swinging the bat. India finally had a ray of hope after a few gloomy middle overs, but needed to convert that into a conclusion where they were able to successfully 30 in 30.
It started with Pandya conceding just four singles in five deliveries after getting rid of Klaasen at the start of the 17th. Equally crucial were Bumrah and Arshdeep’s subsequent overs, with the former castling the top of the leg in what was nearly a mirror opposite of his dismissal of Reeza Hendricks earlier in the day, conceding just two runs for one wicket to sign off with figures of 2/18.
Read | Bumrah's unmatched talent help India snatch victory from jaws of defeat
Left-arm quick Arshdeep helped India further tighten their grip by conceding just four runs in the crucial 19th, once again underlining his death-bowling skills that along with the variety that his left-arm angle brings to the attack highlights why he remains an asset in the shortest format and picked ahead of Mohammed Siraj.
Funny things can happen in sport in the blink of an eye, and the Proteas suddenly found their required rate going from 6 to 16 after losing two wickets in three good overs. It was as if they were starting afresh immediately after Klaasen’s wicket and that their domination of the spinners in the middle overs had no bearing on how the quicks were operating in the death overs.
It is a team’s ability to stay calm in the face of adversity and refuse to give up till the very end that is the hallmark of champion sides. Steve Waugh’s Australia hadn’t given up even after Lance Klusener had smoked Damien Fleming through the off-side at Edgbaston in the 1999 World Cup semi-final. Dhoni and company had not given up when Bangladesh needed just two to win in three deliveries, with India collecting a wicket in each of those deliveries to pull off one of the most thrilling victories in the sport.
Outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid had also hoped for a “rub of the green” to join forces with their skillset and help the Men in Blue bury their recent disappointments with a victory on Saturday.
Pandya was a bit lucky alright when ‘Killer’ Miller mishit a wide full toss from Pandya, sending it high in the air towards the long-off boundary where Suryakumar Yadav ended up grabbing what many are describing as one of the greatest catches of all time. And he didn’t fret either when Kagiso Rabada got a thick outside edge that carried the ball past Pant and all the way to third man for a boundary.
Rabada had holed out to SKY for a much easier catch at long off in the penultimately delivery of the over to leave the Proteas needing 9 to win off 1, leaving Pandya to just bowl a legal delivery to ensure a historic win for the Men in Blue. The all-rounder had adjusted his lines and lengths beautifully after getting rid of Miller to ensure no last-minute drama was in store, and seal victory for his side.
“Guys do understand when the pressure is on, what needs to be done. And today was the perfect example, when our backs are against the wall, what needs to be done. We wanted this really bad, we wanted to win this.
“I’ve seen this guy (Bumrah) for so long. Even I don’t know how he does what he does. He backs his skills, which is more than enough. Whatever he wants to do he executes to perfection. He’s a class act! Hardik was brilliant as well. To bowl the last over, I’m very proud of the boys,” Rohit said after the match , reflecting on his team’s superb finish towards the end among other topics.
Read | Rahul Dravid's lasting impact sealed by Rohit Sharma's T20 World Cup triumph
The Indians, especially skipper Rohit, his deputy Pandya as well as the likes of Mohammed Siraj, could hardly fight their tears of joy as both players, as well as members of the support staff, converged at the centre in what was one of the most emotionally-charged celebrations witnessed in cricket in recent years.
Those who had followed the Men in Blue and their journey over the years, and the manner in which they fell short in last year’s ODI World Cup at home despite bulldozing their way through the round-robin stage and the semi-final, would certainly understand why they celebrated the way they did.
There were tears flowing in the other camp as well with Miller looking absolutely distraught with himself for failing to get his team over the line when they were so close.
WATCH | Dravid unleashes his emotions with passionate T20 World Cup trophy celebration
Had it not been for the collective heroics of Bumrah, Arshdeep and Pandya, though, the two sides would have been shedding tears after the game for very different reasons, and all the joy that is currently on display on social networking platforms would’ve been replaced with incessant trolling and negativity — a familiar sight after an Indian defeat in a major fixture.
One of the teams had to shed the ‘chokers’ tag on the day and the Men in Blue will be glad they got to throw the monkey off their back after years, giving coach Dravid the perfect farewell gift and allowing Rohit and Kohli to sign off from T20Is in style.
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