BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – JUNE 29: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma of India celebrates with the ICC Men’s … [+]
India’s win over a crestfallen South Africa in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados was almost too painful to watch for both sets of supporters. When the Proteas were 151 for 4, needing just 26 runs off 24 balls with Heinrich Klaasen blasting sixes for fun, it was odds-on another final heartbreak for Indian cricket.
South Africa had lost their last seven World Cup semi-finals too. Nothing felt inevitable. It was never a done deal, especially when Aiden Markram’s side faltered in the last four overs. What was striking in the madness of the denouement was that the Men in Blue struck with true faith, skill and a killer instinct. That has changed the narrative for one team and cemented the negative legacy for the other.
The fallout would have been unbearable for the millions of Indian cricket fans who are always on the edge of their seat for the wrong reasons when the finale never has a happy ending. The column inches were probably pre-written for both teams on why they are unable to get over the line when the crunch comes. India had been stymied in so many sad endings that the spleen-venting was just minutes away. The burden of carrying a cricket-mad nation’s hopes can be all-consuming.
One of the cruelest things about sport is holding the No.1 tag without the trophies to silence the critics. The taunts are traumatic. Take Caroline Wozniacki’s first career where respect was due but never totally received until she claimed the Australian Open.
At team level, India have dominated all three strands of international cricket for long periods. However, they had failed to win anything ICC-accredited since the 2013 Champions Trophy. There are always questions, especially when the evidence of numerous series wins are overlooked for the one day where it all goes west when the silverware was on the line.
There were alarm bells on Saturday when India took the gut punch of losing Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav in the space of five overs. Their personality batters had been removed. After losing this trio of destructive hitters, an out of form Virat Kohli played an anchor role, the kind of innings his captain said didn’t exist anymore in the competition. Boundaries were only coming from the other end with Axar Patel. The solemnity of India’s innings had worrying echoes of the ODI World Cup final defeat against Australia.
When the title was on the line and about to fall into the hands of another nervous finisher, India did everything right. They showed their cojones and clinical side under intense pressure when second favorites. That alone should stay with them, whatever the personnel going forward. Jasprit Bumrah did what Jasprit Bumrah does, a smiling assassin in extremis. Arshdeep Singh conceded only four from the penultimate over.
Suryakumar took an incredible catch to dismiss David Miller. It was the moment which screamed that India wanted this badly but not so badly that they couldn’t execute. They won as a team while South Africa couldn’t collectively breathe when they saw the finish line.
No longer will the label of perennial bridesmaids hang around the necks of the new breed as Kohli, Rohit and Ravi Jadeja retired from the format with the freedom that the winner’s tag brings. Kohli was almost in tears on receiving the player of the match award, knowing this was his last chance saloon in a young man’s format. Rohit was spontaneously happy, eating the turf and hugging his opening partner. The relief of a good team finally cracking the code was compelling in its humanity.
AHMEDABAD, INDIA – NOVEMBER 19: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma of India cut dejected figures following … [+]
The road less well traveled for India is now one that could be full of riches. They are number one by a country mile in both white-ball formats of the game. Their domination has only been challenged by the lack of trophies in one-off games and the sceptre of Australia who crushed them in the World Test Championship last June. A Test series down under beckons to examine their new-found resolve.
“When you first win a trophy, you want to do it again and again. It keeps you hungry,” said Norwegian footballer Ada Hegerberg. The T20 World Cup might be the silverware that starts the gold chain reaction of this super-talented Indian cricket team.
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