South Africa managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against India on Saturday in a twist worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan script.
The Proteas, it seems, have an unerring ability to trip over their feet just when the finish line is in sight. The loss to India adds another chapter to their saga of near-misses on the global stage that has been on since 1996 when they lost to the West Indies in the World Cup quarter-finals.
There is a book, titled The Art of Losing: Why the Proteas Choke at the Cricket World Cup, which recreates through interviews the matches the team has managed to lose when it mattered most.
Even then, on Saturday, as Heinrich Klaasen unleashed a blitzkrieg that threatened to pulverise the Indian playbook, visions of a historic maiden World Cup victory must have flickered in the minds of the South African team and its fans.
Klaasen’s 52 off 27 balls, studded with five sixes, had India's bowlers scratching their heads and fans reaching for their blood pressure meds. Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados buzzed with anticipation as Klaasen seemed poised to deliver South Africa's long-awaited moment of cricket glory.
The way the cookie crumbled, it will probably be another chapter in an updated version of that book.
Klaasen's dismissal, courtesy of a brilliant yorker from Hardik Pandya, triggered a collapse that would make a house of cards look structurally sound. The Proteas lost 5 wickets for just 27 runs in the final 4 overs, leaving their supporters in stunned silence.
India, meanwhile, rode the wave of Virat Kohli's masterclass – a 76 off 59 balls that proved an old GOAT can learn new tricks.
Kohli chose the perfect moment to roar back to form. He saved the best for the last. His innings, a blend of classic stroke-play and modern T20 innovation, was a reminder of why he's considered one of the greatest to ever grace the game.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with relentless twists and turns. India's early batting collapse had fans panicking as Rohit Sharma (9), Rishabh Pant (0), and Suryakumar Yadav (3) departed in quick succession.
Kohli and Axar Patel's 72-run partnership steadied the ship, proving that in cricket, as in life, it's not how you start but how you finish that counts.
Axar's run-out for 47, following a mix-up with Kohli, added a touch of tragicomedy to the proceedings. Shivam Dube's cameo (34 off 24) provided the late flourish that pushed India's total to a competitive 176/7.
In the end, this total proved just enough, as India squeezed out a seven-run victory. The Men in Blue ended their 11-year trophy drought, while South Africa added another chapter to their book of near-misses.
The Indian bowling attack, led by the evergreen Jasprit Bumrah (2/18) and the rising star Arshdeep Singh (2/20), held their nerve when it mattered most, strangling the South African chase in the death overs. And then there was that catch by Suryakumar Yadav.
The bottom line? South Africa retain their tag.
