Janice R. Andrews
On a stressful day in Bridgetown, the rain fell heavily at Kensington Oval, reflecting the emotions dropped by South Africa after one of their greatest chokes cost them their maiden World Cup title and gave India a thrilling victory. As his side celebrated winning by seven runs and qualifying for their first World Cup since 2011, India skipper Rohit Sharma collapsed face-down on the ground.
One of the greatest catches off the first ball of the final over, with 16 runs needed, kept South Africa in the game and won an exciting match that might have gone either way. David Miller, the final specialist batsman for South Africa, delivered a huge blow that Suryakumar Yadav, positioned at the boundary, managed to hold onto. Yadav casually collected the rebound after running wide long off and tossing the ball into the air as his momentum carried him over the rope. It was only a slight call. His left foot could have flicked the bottom of the plastic covering; close-ups later revealed that it was only millimeters away from the boundary triangle. With Miller still in the game, South Africa would have needed 10 off five if it had been awarded a six. Years will pass while they regret how near they were.
The captain of South Africa, Aiden Markram, described it as “gut-wrenching.” “To reach their first final, each player had to go through a personal journey. It intensifies your feelings when you get that close and understand the nature of the game. Moving forward, we must direct it.
For South Africa, who had their formidable 177 objectives in their sights for so long, it was a sucker hit. The tailenders, who needed to score 16 runs in five balls, simply ran out of steam when Hardik Pandya finished the last over with ease. Just moments after the decisive moment, Bridgetown saw the first indication of Storm Beryl. Miller was spotted sobbing on a teammate’s shoulder, and other players were also distraught. For a team that had fought its way to its first World Cup final, it was a sad and bitter finale.
Something else ought to have happened. They were 147 for 4, needing 30 off five overs, with six wickets remaining and Heinrich Klaasen and Miller dominating. After Klaasen hit Axar Patel for 24 runs in one over, India appeared to be at a loss. Even Jasprit Bumrah bowling an over for four runs was affordable for South Africa. With 26 needed instead of 24, they were still in command. However, Klaasen sliced an edge behind after going for Pandya’s wide ball, his first of the championship. It may have flown off the edge for four on a different day. With narrow margins, South Africa lost three out of seventeen, the game seemingly slipping away.
In front of a home crowd of 100,000, India made up for their defeat in the October World Cup final. Their heroes carried them home in the end: Jasprit Bumrah took two for eighteen off four overs, while Virat Kohli hit 76 off fifty-nine, almost piercing the innings together. Although it won him man of the match, Kohli’s slowest T20 fifty for India might have cost his team the championship on another day. After hitting one four in thirty-five balls, he scored 26 from 11 in a late burst that brought his scoring rate up to par. It should have been Bumrah, who removed Klaasen and the match-winning Miller with one of the greatest deliveries of any final with his first wicket, or Pandya, who took three for twenty. In celebration, Kohli declared his resignation from the Indian T20 team.
Bumrah lit up the game with just three balls. The victim’s name was Reeza Hendricks. The ball struck off stump after angling in and swinging away late. The rebuild was initiated by Tristan Stubbs and Quinton de Kock, and at the midway point, South Africa led India, 81 for 3, against 75 for 3. When you have wickets in hand in T20, an asking rate of 96 off the final ten overs is achievable.
But this was the last one. South Africa had never been in this situation before, and we are aware of their choke issue. It appeared that Klaasen’s brute force was bringing them home. As South Africa took nine overs of spin for 106, he smashed Patel, hoisted Kuldeep Yadav over the cover boundary with the finest shot of the day, then slid Ravi Jadeja for a straight six.
Now that it was a run-a-ball, South Africa appeared secure, but Klaasen and Miller bore a large portion of the blame. Panic ensued as Klaasen lost for 52 off 27. It was poor game management for Keshav Maharaj to take a single off Bumrah’s last ball because they needed Miller to be on strike with two overs remaining. He needed three balls to make it to the end. Upon reaching the last over, he was unable to score more than a single, as the final over had 16 runs.
India’s victory demonstrated their tenacity and will while also bringing happiness to their supporters by exacting revenge for past setbacks. South Africa has had yet another devastating World Cup departure, and their hunt for a title remains.
