Finals - A match report. Long read

[coffee_rules]

I was watching highlights last night, showing off my joblessness and having no life . I thought of writing a true cricket fan’s report on the key moments of the match. This is the most unbiased report with a 20/20 hindsight you will read , hindsight because I watched live only parts of India innings and last 30 balls of SA innings. 

 

The match started with the Jansen bowling . Markram must have thought that left arm pacers have troubled India since the days of Bruce Reid. Wasim Akram, Vaas, or even  Boult for that matter. Left-arm pacers, trundlers are India’s lifetime tormentors .  

In the first over,  Kohli got 3 boundaries and my thoughts were Kohli finally rose to the occasion in this WC. 

 

Brother Rambhakt Keshubhai next over! Rohit got the  first boundary with an airy  edged cut shot.  Putin (Nasser)  called it streaky, Ravi Shastri said it was played with a  positive frame of mind and aggressive. I liked Ravi Shastri’s comments better and noted that Putin is anti-India.

 

The 2nd boundary was a risky money shot , a IG reel favorite , a reverse sweep. He must have  felt  very confident then to attempt the next slog sweep and he sadly perished . Hearts sank and I thought that since  he was key against Australia,  ab match tho gaya. I was cursing our luck, Panauti Modi ,BJP, my dog . In my defense,  I still had friends who stayed back overnight after the Fri night karaoke party . It had gone on  till 3am. I had made Uppittu (upma for the uninitiated) for breakfast that I had not eaten yet. 

Next batsman Pant played safe 2 balls, and then he lost his mind and marbles. He went for a slog sweep and he got out. It was a cocky move first up. Ek do shot pehle khel lete, BC. Yelled expletives in all languages I knew. Best was sooLe maga (son of a bitch), felt good. Pant ‘s brain farts have costed us the first WTC  final against NZ as well. His big supporter, but he lets down fans a lot like Sehwag used to do. They are both similar risky aggressive players of different era. 

 

Kohli was playing nicely even when two wickets fell. He was 21(13) before the tabahi we experienced. The sky, I mean the Sky, Suryakumar Samajhvadi Yadav, literally fell on us  at 34/3. It was just  4.3 overs  in the PP . Mind it! I was praying to not see Dube next. Dravid sent Axar. Thank God for small mercies.   Axar facking got a first ball boundary , I was elated. My target was to get at least 54 in the PP. I had to step out to feed the dog and to do some chores (SO was still sleeping) I saw that India were 46/3 at 6 overs in PP. Not bad, I thought as we had lust 3wickets inside 5 overs.

 

After PP, at 7.2  Axar hit an amazing 6er to get to 51/3 off Markram, the tormenting bowler that we struggle to put him away.  Next at 8.4 overs Axar hits brother Maharaj for a 6! We are 68/3 slowly inching towards safety. I don’t know why Markram didn’t use fast bowlers after PP, he could have gotten one more wicket and rammed us through. I thanked brother Markram though. As I watched in and out, every time , we were still motoring along with Axar taking all the risks and Kohli seriously playing safe. I did feel  good that  at least Kohli from the top order is around and thought he should play till 20th over. At  11.4 overs , Axar  hit a  6er off of  Shamsi , India on 91/3. 

 

At 13.1 overs , Axar hit a 6er, now off of Rabada , moving us to. 104/3. At this time, I felt confident of India posting an above par score of 190. Against the run of the play, suddenly  Axar was ambling across back to the crease at the non-striker’s end he was dismissed next ball at 106/4 . He was very unlucky and his innings was crucial. I thanked him for playing his part. A very crucial match-savings innings. 47(31) .  I put on my selector’s hat then and was cursing Dube for having selected him. Rinku Singh would have been much much more valuable!!

 

As if to answer my doubts , Dube hit a 6er of Jansen at  14.1 overs to move India to  114/4. I think  the plan was to keep Kohli holding one end and others will play around him taking all risks and get us to 190-200.  Next up Dube hit Shamsi for a six at 15.5 overs , India at 125/4.
 

This is the part which hurt India the most. Dube was a fricking lost cause, Hardik should have come earlier at that time, we could have posted a better score  

 

Kohli was pushing 1s and 2s in the period reached 50(48) . India at 130/4 in 16.4 overs. My targets came down to 185.  Dube 21(12)  in the next ball hit a boundary , India  134/4 in 17 overs

 

Kohli finally got his act together hit a six against Rabada. India 140/4 in 17.1 overs. Kohli hits a boundary again in the same over at 17.3. In the 18th over -Jansen bowls a no-ball. Kohli misses the free hit at  150/4 in 18.1 overs. Kohli then takes 10 runs - a six and a four in the next 3 balls. I was feeling Kohli finally got his groove back was at 76(58). He holes out next ball.  India 163/4 in 18.4 overs. Hardik and Dube get us to 167/5 in 19 overs. 

 

In the last over, India is scrambling and Dube and Jadeja got out. We scored just 9 runs . Dube innings 27(15) was neither here or there. Finishers are much much better , Pandya would have gotten more. Dube was the worst selected player in Indian WC final history.  We were at least 20 runs short , I reckoned 

 

Now, I had to step out for a charity walk-athon. SO was one of volunteers and I couldn’t excuse myself out. I was cursing the organizers and the kids that event was for. Grudgingly, I went there only after knowing that the match will be streamed on a cheap screen and they would serve masala dosas!! 

 

From highlights: 

First over Arshadeep bowled beautifully for just 6 runs with just one boundary 

Next over, BUmrah gets a great breakthrough . A beautiful outswinger beating Reeza at 1.3 overs. SA are 7/1 . 

 

In the 3rd over , Markram gets out to Arsha for an amazing delivery SA - 12/2 in 2.3 overs I saw this wicket fall and felt good to go out for a humanitarian event feeling India has this match in the bag. SA was choking again.   Little did I know they would battle an amazing recovery . From the highlights I note the following scores. 

 

SA were 31/2 after 5 overs. 

They were 39/2 after 6 overs

 49/2 after 7 overs. 

62/2 after 8.

Axar bowls the 9th over and gets Stubbs out -70/3 in 8.4 overs 

Chief tormentor Klassen comes in next . Hardik bowls the 10th over. The evil Nazi non-chalantlly hits him out of the park for a sixer. At 9.4 overs, SA needed 100 from 62 balls - 78/3.

Kuldeep bowls the 12th over and the mayhem begins . At 11.3,  Klassen bludgeoned Kuldeep for a 6er. SA are now 109/3 . You can’t bowl that length to Klassen. You just can’t bowl spinners to him. He’s a spin  assassin!

 

Arshadeep bowls the 13th over. The cock, De Kock, playing a Kohli type innings holes out to the fineleg-SA  are at 

106/4 . Another India killer Miller enters and SA reach 109/4 in 13 .

The next destructive partnership starts from here. All I see in highlights is Miller and Klassen hitting Kuldeep and Axar to the cleaners in the next couple of overs. 

Kuldeep is taken for 14 runs in the 14th over. SO is driving to the event. I am following the Match on the phone, cricinfo. Totally tense. SA are at 123/4 after 14 overs. 54 needed in 36 balls with 6 wickets in hand. 

 

Extremely forgettable Axar over 15 begins, I was like this is it. We get a wicket here, we are through. First ball Klassen bosses a  boundary. SA 127/4 in 14.1 - they need 50 in 35 balls . After 2 wides. SIXER SIXER FOUR - 24 runs in one over. Goti mooh mein tha tab! 30 needed in 30 balls! 

We had reached the park, I was hopping mad at friends, family (SO especially) . There was a big line for Masala dosas, I yelled at some, was the quintessential phupha in weddings, grumbling at everyone and complaining. 

 

There was a projector connected to a laptop streaming on 5G to a white screen which had holes. This is what I watched the rest of the match!!!

 

 

Barely remember the 16th over from Bumrah. People were cheering every dot ball. SA batsmen were playing it safe. They were thinking that they will target lesser bowlers. Klassen got his 50 . SA posted 150. They needed 28 runs in 27 balls. Bumrah almost got Klassen out with a Yorker. We yelled so loud for the umpire to ignore our appeal. At the end of 16 overs SA are at 151/4 . 26 needed from 24 balls. 

 

Thank god (in hindsight),  it was Hardik . First ball of the 17th over, Hardik bowled a fast wide ball, suckered Klassen for a swing, faint edge. Pant catches it. It’s going wild and rowdy there. In front of kids, people are yelling and calling out mothers and sisters of others At 16.1, SA are  151/5  Klassen out for 52(27)! What a valiant knock! But at that time all kinds of expletives were thrown at him!! 
 

 26 needed of 23 balls, Jansen with a porn star ‘stache walks in. Hardik bowls the most important 17th over with just 4 runs and the most important wicket of Nazi Klassen. Every dot ball was cheered and made sure there were high-fives!! At the end of his over , SA needed 22 runs of 18 balls.

 

It was a very smart move to bring in Bumrah now. At that time, was hoping Bumrah will bowl the 19th over, but Rohit brought Bumrah to probably hit the nail on the head. More of dot balls and cheering. At 18.4 , Bumrah does what he is famous for. A sensational length delivery angled to Jansen and he is bowled through the gate!! What a moment in the match. Just two runs and a wicket. Miller is shaky, can’t get a grip of the match since Klassen left, exposing new batsmen.

 

20 runs from 12 balls, Arshadeep comes in ahead of Hardik. Surprised again with the bowler selection. It worked well in the end. Rohit went with experience for the 20th over and chose the young Sardar for the 19th over. A truly mind-numbing over by Arshadeep where SA batsmen were just pushing for 1s and not taking any risks with the last batsman Miller around. They were probably waiting for bad balls. Just 4 runs given - 16 runs from 6 balls. Game. set and March!!

20th over, cometh the hour. cometh the over, cometh the moment.  First ball. Miller hoicks. Ball is fricking going out of the park. Goti mooh mein!! Two two Ravi Shastris in my mind!

 

 

 

Sky catches it, we thought he will fall over, he does the old switcharoo, steps out, catches it back inside. What a great moment it was in the match. The catch needs its own topic. Despite what that Pakii troll @Laaloothinks, it was a clean catch! We were all mad and going crazy at that point, knew very well, we had won the match. Next few deliveries  were just going thru motions. We thought. One streaky boundary, one wide. Then people started all slogans - 

 

Ganapati Bappa  moreya !!

Hara Hara Mahadev!!

Jai Shree Ram!!

Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega!!

 

I yelled Pakistan Muradabad, and all hushed me out. There were couple of them as well.

When Rabada holed out to Sky (pun intended) , knew it was all over! I thanked all organizers for facilitating to watch the match. I was hugging all strangers and got back some   stares, women mainly!! Glad I contributed back something to society!! 

 

As Harsha Bhogle would say

What a day!

What a match!

Bumrah - What a player

What a Masala Dosa!

What a life!!

 

Let me stop here!!

Edited July 1, 2024 by coffee_rules

[punjabi_khota]

5 hours ago, coffee_rules said:

the

nice read bro. Good job juggling marital responsibilities with the fandom