The stage is set for a mega battle in the T20 World Cup. The final match between India and South Africa is on Saturday. It is sure to be a tight fight between the two teams who reached the final unbeaten.
The stage is set for a mega battle in the T20 World Cup. The final match between India and South Africa is on Saturday. It is sure to be a tight fight between the two teams who reached the final unbeaten. India, who won the first T20 World Cup in 2007, is determined to win the short cup for the second time. This is the first time that South Africa has reached the finals in both ODIs and T20Is. The Safari team is looking to not miss this opportunity to win the title. And who will come out on top at Bridgetown? Will India win the second T20 World Cup? Will South Africa fulfill a decades-old World Cup dream? That should be seen.
Virat Kohli entered the T20 World Cup with super form in IPL. He is one of the most expected batsmen in the Indian team. Kohli, who is technically at a high level, fans expected that Satta Chatti will show his specialty on pitches suitable for bowlers. But surprisingly in the tournament he was a big disappointment. Except for the 37 runs he scored against Bangladesh in the Super-8, he was disappointing in all the matches. In the semis against England, he went back for 9 runs. The hope of the fans is that he will play a key role in the team’s cup with an innings below his level even in the final.
Team India reached the final with a team performance in the tournament. The best bowling is the main reason for India’s Jaitrayatra. Bumrah not only bowled sparingly in every match. Bumrah is the reason why India won against Pakistan even after setting a target of 120 runs. Bumrah also shined in Super-8 and semis. He took 13 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 8.15. Arshdeep took more wickets (15) despite giving runs. And the spinner Kuldeep came to the final team from the Super-8 and performed brilliantly in every match. Akshar is also doing well in the tournament. He turned the match against England in the semis. Rohit Sharma is leading the team in batting. In the Super-8 match against Australia, in the semis, he played a vital role in the team’s victory with brilliant half-centuries. Suryakumar, Hardik Pandya and Pant also played crucial innings. Shivam Dube also impressed in both matches. If all of them continue the same performance in the final, India will not be able to turn around. Only Kohli and Jadeja failed to live up to expectations in the tournament. It is not difficult to win the cup if they are also strong.
It can be said that the two best teams in this world cup are going to face each other in the final. Both India and South Africa reached the final unbeaten. While India defeated Ireland, Pakistan and America in the group stage, the match against Canada was cancelled. India topped the group. India won against Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Australia in Super-8. Got the top spot there. Rohitsena thrashed England in the semis. South Africa won against Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Bangladesh and Nepal in the group stage. The Safari team defeated America, England and West Indies in the Super-8.. and defeated Afghanistan in the semis. India won comfortably in all the matches except against Pakistan, but South Africa won against Bangladesh and Nepal. Even in the match against England, they bounced back from defeat.
In this World Cup, the pitch contributed equally to the batters and bowlers in the matches held at Bridgetown. It is one of the most balanced pitches in the tournament. Except for small teams like America and Oman, all scored better. Australia scored 201 runs against England in the group match. The key is to guard the pacers early on. Then the spinners come into play. Batters can score runs if they get down. The team that won the toss may be inclined to break. There is some threat of rain for the match. But it may not rain to the extent of canceling the match. Even if there is no match on Saturday, there is a reserve day the next day. If there is no match then joint winners will be declared.
South Africa looks stronger and more balanced than it has in years. The team came to the final without relying on each other. That team is the best bowling department in the tournament! Rabada, who seemed to have lost a bit of influence in the middle, was a hit in this tournament. He took 12 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 13.25. Another pacer, Nokia (13 wickets) also got the ball. Having played many matches against India in IPL as well as international cricket, both of them have a good understanding of the weaknesses of Indian batsmen. And Shamsi who played only 4 matches and took 11 wickets in the tournament is also a threat. There is nothing new to say about how dangerous De Kock is in batting. He was in super form in the tournament. Pavilion should add this opener as soon as possible, who can change the course of the match in minutes with lightning innings. It is known what kind of havoc Klassen and Miller will create if they come together. Keshav Maharaj and Jansen in bowling, Markram and Stubbs in batting are also key for South Africa.
Fans are hoping that captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli will bid farewell to the cup as this is likely to be their last T20 World Cup. This is also the last match for Rahul Dravid as the coach of Team India. Rahul Dravid, who has not been able to fulfill his dream of the World Cup as a player and coach so far, also wishes to bid farewell to his position with the cup.
Indian Team : Rohit (captain), Kohli, Pant, Suryakumar, Dube, Hardik, Jadeja, Akshar, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, Bumrah
SA Team : De Kock, Reza Hendricks, Markram, Klaasen, Miller, Stubbs, Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Rabada, Nokia, Shamsi.