In what could have been a now or never maiden World Cup, South Africa squandered their chances of a first ever triumph as India won the T20 World Cup final by seven runs defending 176 in Bridgetown in the West Indies yesterday.
Conceding a total of 176 to India meant the South Africans had to bat at their very best which they could not do collectively as they fell eight runs short of the target although Heinrich Klassen and David Miller threatened to take the match away.
But when Klaasen was dismissed for 52 in 27 balls with two fours and five sixes the writing was on the wall that South Africa will have to wait much longer to lay their hands on a World Cup as they were restricted to 169 for 8 after they needed 30 runs off 30 balls at one stage.
India after a disastrous start to their innings reached a total of 176 for 7 after losing three wickets in the power-play overs as spinner Keshav Maharaj put South Africa back on course with a double blow taking the wickets of Rohit Sharma (9) and Rishab Pant (0) in over ver.
But the South Africans lost their grip and let India off the hook with the devastating batter Suriyakumar Yadav also back in the pavilion when the fourth wicket pair of Virat Kohli (76) and Axar Patel (47) repaired the early damage with a stand of 72 vital runs in just nine overs.
Patel overshadowed his senior partner Kohli taking the fight upfront by hammering 47 in 31 balls that had four sixes and one four that changed the course for India and put South Africa on the back foot.
Kohli after a string of failures in seven previous matches reached his first 50 in the tournament that came in handy at his eighth attempt to dominate the bowlers as he stayed calm and let Patel do the scoring.
Kohli made 76 from 59 balls with six fours and two sixes.
It appeared there was only
one way South Africa could have seen the back of Patel and it happened when wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock from behind the stumps ran the batsman out at the bowler’s end with a direct hit in a failed attempt to get back to his crease.
Both South Africa and India went into the final with unchanged teams that played in the semi finals but it was India that eventually had the better of the exchanges after overcoming the early setbacks when they lost three wickets for 34 runs in the power-play overs that brought them just 44 runs at the end of the six overs.
Scores:
India 176 for 7 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 76, Axa Patel 47, Shivam Dube 27, Keshav Maharaj 2 for 23, Anrich Nortje 2 for 26)
South Africa 169 for 8 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 39, Tristan Stubbs 31, Heinrich Klaasen 52, David Miller 21, Arshadeep Singh 2 for 20, Jasprit Bumrah 2 for 18, Hardik Pandya 3 for 20)
