The Indian bowlers couldn't have asked for a better start in their defense of 177 runs in the T20 World Cup final. Jasprit Bumrah, who has been in top form throughout the tournament in the West Indies, continued his brilliance by delivering a killer blow to the South African batting lineup in his very first over.
On just the third ball of his second over, Jasprit Bumrah produced a near-perfect delivery that completely deceived batsman Reeza Hendricks. Misjudging the inward swing of the ball, Hendricks was left exposed, and the dismissal left him speechless. This early wicket sent a wave of ecstatic celebration through the Indian team, setting the tone for what could be a dominant bowling performance.
The euphoria for India was short-lived as South Africa lost their captain just as quickly. On the third ball of the very next over, Aiden Markram followed Reeza Hendricks back to the pavilion, dismissed for a mere 4 runs off 5 deliveries. This double blow left South Africa reeling at a precarious 12/2, mirroring the identical scores of both departed batsmen.
This is how Jasprit Bumrah hunted down Reeza Hendricks, watch video
India's batting innings in the T20 World Cup final started shaky, mirroring South Africa's early struggles. They lost key players early on, with captain Rohit Sharma (9), Rishabh Pant (0), and Suryakumar Yadav (3) all dismissed within the powerplay. This left India in a precarious position at 34/3.
However, the innings saw a crucial turnaround thanks to a brilliant partnership between Virat Kohli and Axar Patel. Kohli, returning to form, anchored the innings with a top score of 76 runs off 59 balls. Axar Patel also played a vital role, contributing 47 runs off 31 deliveries before being unfortunately run out by Quinton de Kock. Shivam Dube provided valuable support in the later stages with a quickfire 27 runs off just 16 balls. These contributions helped India recover and eventually post a competitive total of 176/7 on the board in their 20 overs. Despite the fightback, credit goes to South African bowlers Keshav Maharaj (2/23) and Anrich Nortje (2/26) for taking crucial wickets and keeping the pressure on India throughout the innings.
Later India ended up winning the match by 7 runs and lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 title.
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