With 69 runs to get in 30 balls, England were still in with a fair chance. Not quite as desperate as 30 runs needed off 30 balls from the 2024 T20 World Cup final. But considering England had come so close to chasing down 254 – South Africa were chasing 177 in 2024 – India did not want to leave the match deep.
To prevent panic stations, ring in your cheat code. Enter Jasprit Bumrah. Like then captain Rohit Sharma in the last edition, Suryakumar Yadav summoned his No.1 fast bowler into action.
By this time, the Wankhede crowd, fully invested, were well aware, they needed to give a helping hand. A jam-packed stadium including gliterrati from sport and entertainment to political heavyweights, but more importantly cricket regulars, began lifting India’s bowling talisman.
Bumrah, without any fuss, handed his cap to the umpire in a business-as-usual manner and set out to do the assigned task – win India the match.
In those precious few seconds of mental preparations before running in to bowl his third spell, Bumrah was clear he was going to bowl the occasional slower ball, but mostly yorkers. He missed his mark once which Sam Curran punished for a boundary, but he wouldn’t make another error. A 8 run over in the circumstances was as crucial as his 16th over heroics from the World Cup final in Barbados, two years back.
England had kept up the pressure with Jacob Bethell inching closer to a century. With 45 runs needed in 18 balls and a sixth bowler’s over to be used, Surya went for the kill and asked Bumrah to try and close the match in the 18th over itself.
And dutifully, he did. India may have liked a wicket and Bumrah could have tried more of his tricks. But he was clear, a well executed defensive over would work equally well. So an over full of sharp yorkers it was. Some of them dipping full tosses, but English batters, not even Bethell in blistering mood could line up to get under any of them. A 6 run over in a contest where even 253 wasn’t looking safe, was breathtakingly good. The Mumbai crowd gave Bumrah a standing ovation, he deserved.
A unified approval of thundering applause for a successfully executed over that didn’t produce a wicket. It went to show how far the T20 game had come and those watching were up to speed.
Hardik Pandya followed it up with another cracker of a 19th over to finally leave England with too much to do. Towards the back-end of the final over, Jofra Archer got a few sixes away against Shivam Dube to reduce their margin of defeat, but it didn’t matter. India were through to the final to defend their crown.
Bumrah, the smiling assassin had delivered twelve balls of pin-point death overs’ precision to ensure Sanju Samson’s batting brilliance did not go waste.
“All credit goes to Jasprit Bumrah,” Samson said after India beat England by seven runs. “I think the world-class bowler, once-in-a-generation bowler, I think that’s what he delivered today. This (man of the match award) should go to him actually. If he didn’t bowl that way in the death overs, I would not be standing here. So all credit goes to the bowlers, how they backed themselves in the tough conditions.”
Axar Patel, who had taken an outstanding catch and set up another with a relay effort with Dube looked geared up for Sunday’s final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
“Control your emotions. Don’t get too excited.
Whatever it is, just relax for a couple of days. And, then come to Ahmedabad to cheer. Everything will be fun,” Axar offered a piece of advise to the home supporters.
When the vice-captain has such a calming presence, it reflects in performance. India had showed equanimity under pressure while chasing against West Indies, also, in a high-scoring run-defense against England in the semi-final.
Another strong performance and they would achieve a first- become back-to-back winners of the T20 World Cup crown.
