Heartbreak for Proteas after 32-year wait

ICC T20 World Cup Final

India: 176/7 (Kohli 76, Patel 47, Maharaj 2/23, Nortje 2/26)

South Africa: 169/8 (Klaasen 52, De Kock 39, Pandya 3/20, Sigh 2/18)

Indian won by seven runs

THE Proteas’ 32-year long wait to win an ICC World Cup crown will continue after an agonising seven-run defeat to India last night at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Aiden Markram’s team were in touching distance of the holy grail, as they tried to hunt down the highest target in T20 World Cup final history. They reduced the equation to 30 runs off 30 balls, and then 16 off the final over, but ultimately were undone by a spectacular piece of fielding from Suryakumar Yadav that proved the catalyst for India claiming their second T20 World Cup crown after their initial success at the inaugural competition all the way back in 2007.

Yadav, fielding on the deep long-off boundary, pulled off a memorable catch off a David Miller strike that any trapeze artist would have been pleased with, as he tip-toed along the touchline before throwing the ball in-field to claim the catch.

Miller (21 off 17 balls) was forced to trudge back to the pavilion, and with it he took the Proteas’ chances, as Hardik Pandya held his nerve by also claiming Kagiso Rabada’s wicket in the dramatic final over.

But, oh, how different it could all have been, especially after Heinrich Klaasen provided the Rainbow Nation with real hope when he was at the crease.

Klaasen was always the man India feared most, not just for his strength and aggression but because he has been the best player of spin in white-ball cricket for the past two seasons.

India captain Rohit Sharma knew that at some point he would need to risk his spin trio against Klaasen, and eventually handed the task to left-arm spinner Axar Patel with the Proteas requiring 56 off 36 balls.

What proceeded the next six deliveries was absolute carnage. Standing deep in his crease, Klaasen despatched Patel with disdain straight over the bowler’s head. Sensing that a steam train was coming his way, Patel tried to go wide of the off-stump, and only conceded two wides in the process.

What followed was a demolition derby of the highest order, with Klaasen trumping this match-up with two gigantic heaves that landed on the stadium roof, and the other fetching 103 metres, before belting another boundary before closing off the over with a couple.

India’s experience of playing high-octane finals, however, came to fore at this stage when they slowed down the game just when Klaasen was hitting his straps with wicket-keeper Risabh Pant receiving treatment for an injury.

The break in play allowed India to take a deep breath, and again it was Pandya that made the big play for the champions by having Klaasen caught behind shortly afterwards for 52 off 27 balls.

It was the opening they needed for Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh to tighten the screws on the Proteas.

The pair had already combined earlier to grab the early wickets India yearned for, with Bumrah, in particular, terrorising the Proteas batters with a remarkable spell of fast bowling, which included a devilish ball straight from hell that went straight through Hendricks’ defence.

The Proteas needed a riposte, and often it is the fearlessness of youth that is called for at critical junctures like these, with 23-year-old Tristan Stubbs joining the experienced Quinton de Kock.

Trusting his eye and instinct, Stubbs found his rhythm as the pair rebuilt the Proteas innings with a 58-run partnership (off 38 balls) for the third wicket.

But just when India seemed to be faltering, Stubbs (31 off 21 balls, 3x4, 1x6) fell on his sword, jumping across to the off-stump like he had done the previous over when he swept Patel for six over mid-wicket, but this time he misjudged the fullish length and had his timber disturbed.

De Kock fell soon afterwards for a workmanlike 39 off 31 balls.

Earlier, India had come into this T20 showpiece having lost two major ICC finals in the past 12 months. The greatest lesson they have learnt from both experiences was to take the initiative from the outset.

That responsibility was left to their most senior statesman, Kohli. Despite having endured a lean tournament up until this stage, Kohli sensed the nerves emanating from Marco Jansen as the lanky left-armer ambled up to the crease to deliver two buffet balls upfront.

Kohli required no second invitation, feasting on the first half-volley with a scrumptious cover drive, before neatly clipping the next delivery through mid-wicket for back-to-back boundaries.

But Kohli was not done with the wide-eyed youngster just yet. The final ball of the opening over was another floated half-volley, which Kohli met with the sweetest straight blade to send it scorching straight down the Kensington Oval turf.

The Proteas were shell-shocked. It was arguably the worst possible start they could have imagined to their first-ever World Cup final, conceding 15 runs, and allowing “King Kohli” to ease his way back into form.

And when India captain Rohit Sharma cut and reverse-swept Keshav Maharaj’s first two deliveries for another two consecutive boundaries, the Proteas were genuinely fearing that their lifelong dream was suddenly being transformed into a nightmare.

But this Proteas side had not got to this stage without overcoming adversity and in Maharaj they have one the most tenacious cricketers that this country has ever produced.

It was the left-arm spinner that revived the Proteas’ spirits with a double strike by sending Sharma (9) and new batter Risabh Pant (0) back to the dugout before the second over had run its course.

With the nerves having now settled, the Proteas could get into their work, and they were rewarded with further success when Kagiso Rabada, who replaced the out-of-sorts Jansen, had the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav brilliantly caught by a diving Heinrich Klaasen at fine-leg.

India had now lost three wickets for just 11 runs to slip to 34/3 inside just 4.3 overs of the PowerPlay and the Proteas had ripped open the door to India’s inexperienced middle-order.

But Kohli had seen this all before, most notably the 2012 T20 World Cup final against Sri Lanka when he played a lone hand of 77 from 58 balls, and knew that he just needed to absorb the pressure the Proteas were exerting and hope that this time there would be someone able to stay out in the middle long enough with him to launch the counter-attack later on.

It appeared in the unlikely form of spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel. Promoted to No 5, Patel transferred the pressure and switched up the entire momentum of the game by attacking all three Proteas spinners Maharaj, Aiden Markram and Tabraiz Shamsi.

The Kohli-Patel fourth-wicket partnership yielded 72 off 54 balls, and was only broken after De Kock stepped up with an inspirational piece of fielding, when the wicket-keeper whipped off his glove and threw down the stumps at the non-strikers end to bring Patel’s game of 47 (31 balls, 4x4, 4x6) to a dramatic close.

But still the runs kept coming with another Indian rookie, Shivan Dube, maintaining the momentum with a brisk 27 from 16 balls (16 balls, 3x4, 1x6).

All the while Kohli kept chipping away, ensuring he was at the other end to marshal the Indian middle-order before finally breaking free with a straight hit down the ground off Rabada.

Although Rabada later dismissed Kohli, it was the master batter, who announced his retirement from T20 Internationals, and the rest of this champion Indian side that broke the hearts of the Proteas and everyone cheering them on from back home.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).