It has been more than six months since the final of the last Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final for India against South Africa at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, when the premier pacer of the side, Jasprit Bumrah, held his nerve to carry them over the line in Barbados in the defense of 176 runs in 20 allotted overs.
At one point, when 30 runs were required in as many deliveries to claim the prestigious title, Jasprit Bumrah needed to convince himself, as he revealed in a recent interview, to be positive and get some help from the reverse swing to turn the game around. The Rohit Sharma-led, batting first, put on 176/7 in their 20 overs, with the opening veteran batter of the side, Virat Kohli, handling the burden of the batting department.
The right-handed Delhi-born clubbed a fantastic knock of 76 runs in 59 balls with the help of six boundaries and a couple of sixes at the strike rate of around 130. The knock required some help from the other batters of the side, and Axar Patel, at five, coming at the stage of 34/3, contributed valuable 47 runs in 31 balls, shouldering on one boundary and four sixes.
“I am very grateful we were able to turn that game around”- Jasprit Bumrah
Shivam Dube also displayed his power for 27 runs in 16 deliveries with the help of three boundaries and one six at the strike rate of 168.75. The chase didn’t start smoothly for the Proteas, who lost three wickets before the halfway mark, while Quinton de Kock went back after his stable knock of 39 balls 31 balls.
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Jasprit Bumrah had already picked up the opening wicket of Reeza Hendricks, but Heinrich Klassen, the wicket-keeper batter, took on the Indian spinners to bring down the rate. Hardik Pandya stepped down in that situation to change the route of the end.
When the Ahmedabad-born pacer returned for his third over, the blue brigade needed to save 30 runs in 30 deliveries, but an over of two singles and a double increased the pressure, and it resulted in the wicket of Klassen on 52 runs in 27 balls on the very first ball of the next over.
“When the score had come to 30 off 30, I would be lying if I said I was not worried and that I knew I could make a role (sic). But no. We were worried, but I was somehow talking to myself that okay, you stay positive, you still have to stay in the game, and try and get your team back because the game is still not over, still 30 runs are left.” Jasprit Bumrah expressed an interaction on Forbes India during the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, whose clip was released recently.
The 30-year-old highlighted that the reverse swing helped him in getting some purchase as he looked to squeeze some good over to take the run-rate high, and the pressure of the final would be enough for making a mistake.
“Then, when I came in the second last over, I saw the ball was reverse swinging a little bit. That doesn’t happen a lot in white-ball cricket. So then I realized if I can squeeze in a good over, the run-rate will become higher and higher, and it’s a final so, the pressure keeps mounting up. So when the ball started to reverse, then I started to use my experience in how to use it to the best of my advantage.” Jasprit Bumrah addressed.
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The pacer ended with figures of 2/20 in four overs to earn the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award for finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 15 scalps in eight innings at 8.26 and an economy rate of 4.17.
“What helps me the most is staying in the present. I was not looking at a last-ball victory. I was looking at them one by one, slowly taking your team to a better position. If I had thought about it, okay, I have to bowl the glory ball or do something magical, but it never works. And God was very kind, I am very grateful we were able to turn that game around.” Jasprit Bumrah concluded.