Final India v South Africa

In the seven games of the tournament leading up to the final India's Captain, Virat Kohli scored 75 runs. For the final he went one better and scored 76. It held the Indians together when, after an explosive start, they lost their first wicket on the 10th ball of the over with score already at 23, then a second wicket 2 balls later. Two-anda-a-half overs later, with only another nine runs accumulated, a third wicket fell and suddenly things were looking shaky for the first ever winners of the torunament.

Axar Patel joined Kohli at the crease and, over the next nine overs, they added 72 runs. In T20 terms it was slow and steady, but it was exactly what was required. When Axar depart in the fourteenth over, having scored 47 in 31 balls, there was a gentle acceleration and by the time Kohli was out in the nineteenth over another 57 runs had been added. A further 23 runs and 2 wickets in the last 13 balls of the innings gave a pleasant synchronicity with how India started.

176 is the third highest total at this ground in this competition. Neither of the chasing teams in the other two games came close to winning. Over to South Africa.

With the fall of two quick wickets destroyed any notion of South Africa strolling to the win. But India had shown what could be achieved by steady accuulation and the Proteas set about building their innings. At the end of the seventh over the teams had scored teh same number of runs, and SOuth Africa were a wicket to the good. The did lose that third wicket in the ninth over but they were steadily outscoring India for the same period in the innings. When 24 runs were clubbed off the 15th over it looked like the game had turned decisevely to South Africa. The required runs was 24 from the 4 remaining overs

Jasprit bowled the next over and conceded only 4 runs. Now it was 6.5 an over required. Nothing a couple of boundaries wouldn't fix.

Pandya opens the over bowling full and outside off-stump. Klaasen flashes at it but doesn't connect fully and the ball is collected by the wicketkeeper. Four singles scored means the run rate is over 7. Still, easy T20 fodder.

Jasprit comes back for his final over. Three dot balls, two singles, and another wicket mean the pressure is moving back towards South Africa, and the run rate is up to 10.

Arshdeep Singh follows with another tight over, only 4 runs which will leave sixteen for the last one. But possibly the last ball of the over is the key one. A great yorker which Maharaj bounces out. Singh leaps high to prevent the ball running of for a run or two.

And so it comes to the final over. South Africa have already produced a coupl of 12 and thirteen run overs, and that massive 24 in the 15th. It's a very gettable total. Miller climbs into a full toss from Hardik Pandya and the ball heading towards the boundary for six, except Surya grabs it, takes three steps, throws the ball back in the air as he takes a balancing step beyond the boundary, steps back in and completes control of the catch. The play is sent for review and MIller is OUT. Kagiso Rabada comes out and edges Pandya for four runs, then grabs a bye. A legbye brings him back on strike and he tries for the boundary, but can only find the safe hands of Surya. A single from the final ball, and the chase is over 8 runs short.

INDIA WIN
India 176/7 v 169/8 South Africa

And that is it for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The trophy will next be up for grabs in 2026 when holders India will be joint hosts with Sri Lanka.

Thanks for any and all who have followed, and I hope you've enjoyed it.

text by stuartcturnbull. graphic by Mir Rammez Raja & edited by stuartcturnbull via postermywall