Bridgetown, Barbados – For India, the wait of 13 years finally came to an end on that glorious day in Barbados. For South Africa, the never-ending suffering continues, with no idea when or if it will end.
But the spectacle that unfolded between these two teams at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown was more than worthy of a World Cup final, with every blow matched by an equally brutal counter punch and no winner decided until the final moments.
Even before the match began, the roads around Kensington Oval were awash in blue. Some were neutral, some were South African, but the vast majority of fans were eager to see Rohit Sharma lift the trophy that they felt was theirs by divine right, unaware that it would be the last time he represented India in this format.
His first winners’ medal was donned as a new recruit in South Africa in 2007. He retired wearing it after leading an incredibly talented and defiant Indian team that beat South Africa in Barbados. The balance was struck and the burden of the expectations of over a billion Indian fans lifted from his shoulders.
Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is at the end of the press conference, almost as an afterthought, but he gave him a chance to see the light of day when ace batsman Virat Kohli, during the post-match presentation, revealed that this would be his last T20 international.
Vintage Cori emerges from the shadows
Few, even the best, can script the perfect retirement. If Rohit’s victory was sweet, Kohli’s was legendary. Kohli had played seven innings in the tournament and scored 75 runs before the final, adding 76 in one match, but that was the most important one.
The 35-year-old mocked the theory that the strongest T20 teams don’t need an anchor and dismissed critics who felt the team was backing him up, saving his best for the moment he needed it most and his innings propelled India to victory.
Kohli has always displayed his prodigious talent at the World Cup, even when India have failed to win it, and in this special format, he has always been a king without a crown. Not anymore.
But he didn’t do it alone. Akshar Patel lived up to the team’s faith in him as he moved up the batting order and played his pinch-hitter role to perfection. When he fell, Shivam Dube followed suit, making for a seamless transition.
Klassen puts South Africa in danger
When it came time to defend their fearsome run in the World Cup final, India’s fearsome bowling attack assumed its now familiar Terminator form. They felt no pity, no regret, no fear. And they never stopped. Never. Not until South Africa’s hopes of making history were dashed at the famed Kensington Oval.
Two early South African wickets had the mainly Indian crowd cheering wildly but they were back on the edge of their seats when Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs put the Proteas in the lead.
They got back on their feet when Stubbs fell to a ball round the leg of Akshar, but his dismissal heralded the arrival of the most dangerous man in the South African batting line-up: Heinrich Klaassen, a batsman who can, and often does, change the course of a match in a few overs.
It was more than a few runs. Classun’s batting was brutal and the pendulum swung again. In the blink of an eye, he had reduced South Africa’s target to 30 off 30 balls.
Throughout the tournament, it was a new South Africa that had never succumbed to pressure in the toughest matches, kept their cool and won every crucial moment. Until now.
Genius Jasprit and unloved Pandya dismantle the Proteas
Play was halted at the end of the 15th over to address Rishabh Pant’s well-timed knee issue, giving Rohit time to reassess his bowling options.
So he turned to Hardik Pandya, who replaced him as Mumbai Indians captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) four months ago, sparking a storm of boos from Ahmedabad to the Wankhede Stadium and beyond.
The unloved Pandya has so far maintained a dignified silence amid widespread scathing criticism and often heated analysis as to why he has lost fans.
But he hadn’t lost Rohit’s faith and he scored soon after when Klaassen chased down a wide pass with a powerful shot that deflected in front of goal. In a game packed with key moments, this was the kicker and the crowd felt it too, as the blue-shirted fans in the stands erupted in roar.
South Africa had not yet lost hope: their reliable innings-finishing batsman David Miller (nicknamed Killer Miller) was still in the batting position, along with bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen.
But can Janssen survive the incredible genius of a beautiful maverick named Jasprit Bumrah?
A human slingshot with accuracy that defies logic, Bumrah has bowled flawlessly in every innings and now, with his team desperate for a wicket that would open the door for South Africa’s batting final stages, he has delivered a delivery that only a cricket god could dream up.
Launched with an improbable snap of the wrist, the devilish missile angled and straightened out, rocketed off the pitch and blasted past Jansen’s stumps, sending the Indian fans into a frenzy.
Defending on the boundary, Kohli gritted his teeth and silently pumped his fist every time he was given out.
Suryakumar picks up the ball from the sky
The only thing missing from this final so far was a breathtaking catch to cap off the highlight reel, which came off the first ball of the final over. South Africa needed 16 from six balls but with Kirk Miller on strike there was a glimmer of hope.
Miller had no choice but to go for it, trying to smash Pandya’s first full delivery into the ground as Suryakumar Yadav darted from long-off and, light-footed as a flame, tiptoed around the boundary rope to pull off a one-man relay catch that Michael Flatley would be proud of.
Pandya’s third wicket, this time that of Kagiso Rabada, was caught again by Yadav with just one ball remaining but the Indian fans were already celebrating.
India’s joy matches South Africa’s heartbreaking ending
In the India dressing room, head coach Rahul Dravid slammed the notebook he had been scribbling, pumped his fist and shouted, a stark contrast to the calm demeanor that cricket fans have known Dravid for since 1996.
Why not? It was his last day on the job as India coach and his final chance to win the Men’s ICC World Cup title that had eluded him during his 15-year playing career.
After Pandya bowled the final ball, the villain-turned-hero sat down and slowly collapsed onto his back, shedding tears of joy and disbelief. He remained there until his teammates picked him up and jubilantly celebrated.
The wait is over and India has reaped the reward.
The agony was too much for the dejected South African players, whose chances had been missed. Miller buried his face in his arms and Nortje embraced a teary-eyed Maharaj as the Indian team celebrated wildly.
As if nature were following the will of billions of dreams, the heavens opened and the predicted rain fell.
As the presentation took center stage, two moving scenes took place in the wings that were telling.
After accepting his runner-up medal, Quinton de Kock got down on one knee and his 3-year-old daughter, clad in a South African jersey and a bright pink tutu, ran up to her. He placed the medal around her neck and she ran off, delighted with her new jewelry and oblivious to the pain it represented. One day she would know.
Kohli wins in Mumbai
After receiving his winner’s medal, Pandya walked off the stage with his eyes closed and the medal held to his lips. As the spectators closest to him yelled his name, Pandya turned to them and smiled. No one can deny his hero status now.
Dravid, who did not want this to be his last match as India coach, watched the match with a look of satisfaction on his face. His job was done.
And Rohit and Kohli too said their goodbyes in their own ways – Kohli was carried by his teammates on his shoulders in a tribute to Sachin Tendulkar in the 2011 World Cup final, but Rohit insisted on revealing it later – but in their own ways they left an indelible mark on this team and this format.
The 2024 T20 World Cup will be remembered for brave performances from ICC member nations, forays into uncharted American territory, dream win-streaks between the USA and Afghanistan and the return of cricket to the Caribbean.
The on-pitch controversy, the logistics nightmares and the outstanding performances from some of the most talented, unknown new faces will be remembered. Nor will the pain and all-too-familiar heartbreak of South Africa’s long-awaited first final appearance.
But as golden confetti fell on the Kensington Oval, everything else faded into the background, leaving only Rohit, Kohli and their teammates in view.
In the end, the only memories you will have will be those of incredible India.