The T20 World Cup 2024 final had all ebbs and flows, with the game turning at numerous points.
The T20 World Cup 2024 final had all ebbs and flows, with the game turning at numerous points. While India looked comfortable at one stage, South Africa bounced back strongly to turn the tides in their favour.
There were numerous key moments in the game where the game shifted drastically, and the trophy was up for anyone to grab. Eventually, India held their nerve and scripted a memorable comeback after being down and out at one stage.
We point out key moments in the game where the game took significant twists.
The partnership between Virat Kohli and Axar Patel was the most crucial moment of the first innings. When Axar arrived at the crease, India were reeling at 34/3 and required a stable partnership to steady the ship. Virat and Axar stitched a 72-run partnership in 54 balls to put India back on track and lay a solid platform for big hitters to build on.
Their partnership was timely, and Axar dominated, for he took on spinners and let Kohli take his time. This partnership allowed Virat to play his game, who later hit quick boundaries to put India in a commanding position. The duo ensured India didn’t lose the plot and were always in control, even if South Africa took early scalps.
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Heinrich Klaasen almost gave India a shock of a lifetime by playing a tremendous knock to put South Africa on the verge of winning the game. Klaasen amassed 52 runs in 27 balls, including two boundaries and five maximums, at a strike rate of 192.59. His assault against Axar almost finished the game, for he scored a whopping 24 runs from over and completely shifted the momentum.
South Africa only required run-a-ball after this big set and were cruising in the chase. Klaasen showed his superior skillsets against spin, and his game awareness was spot-on. He knew Axar’s over was the final one from the Indian spinner in the game and went after him to convert it into a big one.
While Hardik Pandya took crucial wickets, it was Jasprit Bumrah who created panic and brought nervous energies back into the South African camp. Bumrah, as always, was immensely consistent and bowled two crucial overs in the back end of the innings, conceding only four and two runs, respectively. His 16th over slowed down things after a maniac hitting in Axar’s previous set.
Further, he also dismissed Marco Jansen to bring South Africa’s tailenders into play for more overs. As it turned out, Miller couldn’t farm the strike as consistently, compelling the likes of Keshav Maharaj to play additional balls. Ultimately, Hardik got as many as 16 runs to defend in the final over and did the job for India.
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