South African hearts break again after final over loss in T20 World Cup final

South African hearts break again after final over loss in T20 World Cup final

The Proteas lost a dramatic T20 World Cup final to India with a thrilling final over ending in a heartbreaking seven run loss in Barbados on Saturday.

India won the toss and elected to bat first hoping to put the scoreboard pressure onto the Proteas.

India put the score on the board

However, a double strike by Keshav Maharaj stunted India’s start and left them 23 for 2 after two overs after Marco Jansen was plundered for 15 in the opening over.

When Kagiso Rabada sent Suryakumar Yadav packing India were 34 for 3 and reeling.

Virat Kohli hadn’t fired all tournament but he came up with a crucial knock that set India back onto the path towards a competitive score.

Kohli shared crucial stands with Axar Patel and Shivam Dube. Although Axar played well, his runout was a momentum shifter, and the product of some sloppy running.

The India talisman would eventually fall trying to put the hammer down and holing out to Jansen.

Anrich Nortje produced an excellent final over of the innings to leave India 176 for 7 at the end of their 20 overs.

That required South Africa to complete a record run chase in the T20 World Cup final.

The Proteas chase history

India pegged South Africa back early when Jasprit Bumrah cleaned up Reeza Hendricks and Arshdeep Singh bagged then skipper Aiden Markram both for just four runs.

Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs played the consolidating partnership that took the Proteas to 70 for 3 when Stubbs departed for 31.

De Kock then came together with Heinrich Klaasen and the pair began to accelerate.

The Proteas opener hit four fours and a six but holed out trying to hit Arshdeep over fine leg who had just been pushed back to the boundary.

Klaasen then took the opening to attack India and hit a brutal 52 off 27 balls that included five sixes and together with David Miller he took South Africa to within touching distance of victory.

Hardik Pandya lured Klaasen out to swing at a wide one and got him to nick off to give the match another dramatic twist late on.

That left Miller to try to marshall the Proteas bowlers over the line.

India skipper Sharma brought his key bowler Bumrah back into the attack for the 18th over as they sought to break the game. He would clean up Jansen and South Africa were 156 for 6 and needing 21 runs to win off 14 balls.

Bumrah finished with figures of 2 for 18 from his four overs and left the Proteas needing 20 runs to win off 12 balls.

Arshdeep started the 19th over with a pair of dot balls that left Keshav Maharaj stranded on strike until he chipped the third delivery into the deep for single.

Final over drama in T20 World Cup final

South Africa would need to get 16 runs off the final over to break their World Cup curse.

Miller was bagged on the boundary off the first ball of the final over and it was clear that the heartbreak wasn’t over. Suryakumar pulled off a great piece of fielding on the boundary to set India up for the win.

A streaky boundary from Rabada left South Africa needing 12 from 4 balls but the next two balls would go for just one each and at least one of the remaining two balls had to be hit for six to have any chance to tie the score. A wide followed and the drama continued.

Rabada holed out off the next ball and India were over the line.