Twitter Reactions: Virat Kohli joins hands as India manage defendable score against South Africa in Final

India took on South Africa in the Final of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29. India won the toss and opted to bat first. Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant got out cheaply scoring 9 and zero runs respectively. Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav started building the innings and SKY departed for just three runs. India were reeling at 34 for 3 and Axar Patel joined Kohli in the middle of the fifth over.

The duo put up a much-needed partnership of 72 runs for the third wicket. Axar walked back after scoring 47 off 31 at a strike rate of 151.61. Shivam Dube who desperately needed to take the monkey out of his much like Kohli, kept rotating the strike well as the latter struggled to time the ball. The duo managed to stitch a crucial 57-run stand as India reached above the par score of 160. Kohli departed after coming from behind innings scoring 76 off 59 balls.

India manage defendable score on relatively good batting surface

Dube took the onus on himself and hit timely boundaries and trudged back scoring an important 27 off 16. With two balls remaining when Dube was dismissed, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya had very little to offer, though Pandya began his innings with a big edge that crossed the boundary rope behind the keeper. India huffed and puffed their way to 176 for 7. This is the highest-ever target in a T20 World Cup final. On paper, the score looks defendable but with the batting arsenal South Africa possesses, India have to bowl out of their skin. 

“I was just trying to use the surface, use the breeze and luckily it paid off. The pitch started off slow, it has got better now and hopefully it will be good to chase. The catching and outfielding was good, it's something we pride ourselves on. We can do it, opportunities like this don't come often and the boys are ready to go. Hope we can grab it with both hands,” said South Africa spinner, Keshav Maharaj after first innings.

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