(Image source from: x.com/ICC)
One team had the gifted Jasprit Bumrah, the other did not. This was the defining factor. His legend is replete with incredible performances. But this triumph will feel even sweeter, not just because it came against Pakistan in a T20 World Cup clash, but also because his intervention prevented a different outcome. India defended a modest total of 119. Pakistan, despite being 80 for 3, failed to reach the target. The finalists of the 2022 tournament now face the real risk of an early elimination. Pakistan needed 40 runs from the last 36 balls with seven wickets remaining. Experts had given them a 93% chance of victory at that stage. Poor forecasters, their predictions went awry. Bumrah's discipline, composure under pressure, and exceptional skills, not just in delivering the right ball but in understanding what the right delivery is, confounded both players and analysts alike. Mohammad Rizwan was made to believe that a full-length ball was there to play a cross-bat shot, and paid the price as his stumps were shattered. Immediately after this crucial dismissal, Bumrah spread his arms wide and broke into his signature celebration, but he didn't stop there - he let out a powerful roar.
The ground erupted with his roar. He punched the air defiantly. Millions of voices joined him in celebration. This was the opportunity India could capitalize on. This was the crack that would lead to the collapse. Rizwan, the settled batsman, fell for 31 off 44 deliveries. Bumrah, who had earlier dismissed Babar Azam, also removed Pakistan's final hope, Iftikhar Ahmed, in the 19th over. Out of his 24 balls, 15 were dot deliveries. Bumrah's mastery carved out a historic moment: 119 is the joint-lowest total ever successfully defended in men's T20 World Cups. India waited until the third over to unleash their secret weapon. Then they had to wait until the 15th over to bring him back into the attack. In the interim, they relied on others to maintain the pressure, and two individuals, in particular, excelled at this task. Hardik Pandya and his short-of-a-length deliveries were always going to be a threat on this New York pitch with its uneven bounce. He stopped Fakhar Zaman before the latter could play the kind of cameo that would have killed off the chase. And then he dismissed Shadab Khan. Both times, the batters were taken aback by the unexpected height of the ball when they made contact with it. Hardik, however, was not surprised.
One more WIN, and this one… means a little more!
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 9, 2024
Let’s keep this going @BCCI #T20WorldCup #INDPAK pic.twitter.com/G3aPTsl8O6
Absolutely, it's all in a day's work. Axar Patel, the unsung champion, delivered a remarkable performance, bowling the initial stages of the high-pressure final overs and remarkably limiting the opposition to a mere two runs, despite facing a left-handed batsman with the short boundary on the leg side. Imad Wasim was effectively neutralized, as he was presented with a steady stream of non-spinning deliveries, angled across his path and bouncing over his attempted cut shots, denying him the opportunity to secure the win. According to Forecasters, Bumrah had the biggest swing for India at 44% after 19 overs. Axar achieved the second largest swing and his defensive skills improved by 13%. This is the best ballpark in New York to date. But it also brought risks. In most cases the ball will not rise and in some cases the bounce may be uneven. Rizwan and Arshdeep Singh were hit on the arm. In such a situation you need a bit of luck. Pant as he managed to fend off three chances in three balls and then bowled an inside edge that could have hit the stumps. A little courage goes a long way. Pant showed it when Haris beat Rauf at extra cover. A little imagination is also necessary. Pant demonstrated this with his flip shot, which he played while lying on the ground.
Because that was the only way he knew how to get his skinny legs so far under the ball that he could bridge the distance. He then performed a standing backwards movement following Emad's very precise left arm spin. It was hard to beat there. Mr. Pant achieved his success through unconventional methods. made him stand out. He made 42 of 31 shots, which corresponds to a strike rate of 135. The rest of the Indian team scored 70 runs out of 84, giving them a strike rate of 83. In the game against America, Mohammad Amir was everywhere. He was pretty handy in that sense. 8 of his first 12 deliveries resulted in foul shots. At the start of the game, with the new ball in hand, he hit three goals in a row. Then he scored a hat trick with the old man. Pakistan demoted him to first and when he came on, India had lost two of their best batsmen. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both picked up the balls stuck in the ground but it was a matter of carrying on for the rest of the innings. Amir had a soft start but he made the most of it. His best work coincided with Pakistan's best spell of the game. Between numbers 12 and 15, Pakistan bowled a total of four overs, scored just eight runs and took just four wickets. India went from 89 for 3 to 96 for 7. In the middle phase, Pakistan led the way. After 20 overs they were on the verge of elimination, partly because they did not form a team with Jasprit Bumrah.
