India’s decade-long trophy drought is over after a stunning spell from Jasprit Bumrah and a sensational late catch from Suryakumar Yadav carried them to a thrilling seven-run T20 World Cup final victory against South Africa.
The two sides, both unbeaten on their way to the showpiece, served up a see-saw classic at the Kensington Oval with India only sure of their first piece of silverware since 2013 in the last over of this month-long competition.
A furious knock of 52 from 27 balls from Heinrich Klaasen had put the Proteas in sight of their first ever global title but their unwanted tag as tournament ‘chokers’ will not go away after they failed to get over the line from the winning position he created.
Chasing 177, they needed just 30 runs from 30 balls with five wickets in hand but fell apart under pressure at the death to finish 168 for eight.
Bumrah was the architect of their downfall, re-entering the attack with his side seemingly on the floor at the start of the 16th. Already an undisputed master of his craft, he only raised his reputation as he gave up just six runs from his next two overs and added the wicket of Marco Jansen to finish with two for 18.
It was a jaw-dropping display of menace and control from the best bowler in the world and left South Africa flailing from a position of strength. Remarkably, they might still have won it despite needing 16 off the 20th over.
David Miller clubbed the first ball from Hardik Pandya down the ground and would have had six had it not been for some amazingly deft work from Yadav, whose safe hands were complimented by brilliant footwork as he danced around the boundary rope and pulled off a one-man relay catch.
India had earlier relied on Virat Kohli’s 76 to get them to 176 for seven, the highest score in a T20 World Cup final.
Kohli, little more than a passenger in the campaign so far, played a long and at times conservative innings but in the end must be commended for correctly delivering a winning score.
He started brightly with three fours off Jansen in the opening over but that early onslaught proved something of a red herring. Instead, when South Africa picked up three huge wickets in the powerplay, he shifted down the gears and did not score a single boundary between the fourth over and the 18th.
He watched from the other end while Keshav Maharaj dismissed in-form captain Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant in the space of three balls, both perishing to the sweep, then saw Yadav caught off Kagiso Rabada.
He was the junior partner in a stand of 72 with the pinch-hitting Axar Patel and only caught fire in the latter stages as he heaved two sixes and two fours in a long-awaited charge.
The total looked a steep one and things got no easier when Bumrah bowled Reeza Hendricks with a gem, angling in then snaking past the outside edge before hitting off stump. It was a masterful moment worthy of the stage.
Proteas skipper Aiden Markram lasted just five balls but Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31) kept the contest alive with a half-century partnership.
It was not until Klaasen got into the game that the mood really changed. They needed 107 of 67 balls when he emerged at number five and, after failing to score from his first four balls, he began taking huge chunks out of the target.
Three of his next seven deliveries disappeared for six, Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav all going the distance. Even De Kock’s departure, holing out to Arshdeep with 71 needed, seemed a minor distraction.
He hit the button in the 15th over, blazing 24 off Patel including one monster hit into the roof of the stand. The task now looked simple but Bumrah had other ideas. After he shut the scoring down, Klaasen edged Pandya behind, before Bumrah cranked the pressure even higher. In the 18th he gave away just two singles and took Jansen’s leg stump for a souvenir.
Miller’s presence gave South Africa an outsider’s chance but Yadav’s super take on the ropes at long-on ended them for good.
