Indian cricket set for transition after T20 World Cup glory

Desperation is not an ideal emotion to have in a World Cup final. It leads to nerves and then the fear of failure. Ideally, you want to play it like any other match and by the end, the better team wins.

But try telling that to India and South Africa. For a decade, the team in blue had made it a painful habit of playing almost flawlessly up until the knockout matches, where all their worst fears would come true and the trophy would slip by. Either the semi-finals, or the final but never the trophy.

The Proteas did not even know what appearing in a World Cup final felt like, despite having many world-class squads with an embarrassment of riches across decades.

So when the two teams faced off in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados, one desperate search for glory was going to end.

South Africa had the title at their fingertips. They needed 30 from 30 balls. Heinrich Klaasen had just smashed Axar Patel for 24 runs in one brutal over. They could have just knocked the ball around and won the title.

But India were probably more alert. Or desperate. Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh bowled five death overs of the highest calibre to win the unwinnable match by seven runs.

In the last over by Pandya, South Africa still had hope with David Miller on strike. A full toss smashed down the ground was plucked just as it was sailing over by Suryakumar Yadav, juggled back into play and caught with the most incredible calmness under pressure.

Pandya then bowled out the over to win the title very few expected India to lift but many felt they deserved.

India were playing their third world final in 12 months – the World Test Championship, the ODI and now the T20 World Cup. They had consistently been the best team in Test and ODI