A resolute half-century from Virat Kohli rescued India from a shaky start and enabled them to set South Africa 177 to win the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup final in Barbados.
Kohli struck six fours and two sixes in the top score of 76 from 59 balls and the Indians reached 176 for seven after they chose to bat in the title match under overcast skies at Kensington Oval.
He shared successive half-century stands with left-hander Axar Patel and Shivam Dube to revive the World No. 1 after they slumped to 34 for three inside the Power Play.
Patel made 47 off 31 balls that included one four and four sixes and shared 72 for the fourth wicket Kohli, and Dube got 27 from 16 balls that included four fours and one six and put on 57 for the fifth wicket with the former India captain.
India were 45 for three at the end of the Power Play after left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj struck twice in the space of three balls in the second over, and strike bowler Kagiso Rabada tightened the early grip of the South Africans with another wicket in the fifth over.
Maharaj got Rohit Sharma caught at square leg for nine from a mistimed sweep and Rishabh Pant caught behind for a second-ball duck from a top-edged sweep, and Rabada got Suryakumar Yadav caught at long-leg for three in the fifth over.
Kohli slowed considerably after he got into gear in the first over with three gorgeous fours off beanpole left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, but Patel came to the crease and kept the score ticking and struck the first six of the innings over mid-wicket off Aiden Markram in the eighth over.
India reached 75 for three at the halfway stage of their innings, and Patel celebrated the 50 partnership with Kohli with a six over long-on off unorthodox left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi in the 12th over.
But Patel was run out in the 14th over, backing up too far and failing to beat a direct hit at the bowler’s end from wicketkeeper Quinton De Kock, just when it appeared he and Kohli were about to indulge themselves for the final slog in the closing overs.
Dube came to the wicket and provided a bit of it, getting into stride with a straight six off Jansen, while Kohli inched his way to the half-century mark off 48 balls when he hooked a short, rising ball from Anrich Nortje to deep square leg for a single in the 17th over.
Kohli started to express himself a little more in the next two overs, taking a four and a six off both Rabada and Jansen, who got him caught at wide long-on with seven balls remaining in the innings.
Maharaj ended with two for 23 from three overs, and Nortje finished with two for 26 from his allotted four overs.
India are seeking their second world T20 title, and South Africa are eyeing their first global title since their readmission to the sport 32 years ago.
Summarised scores:
INDIA (Virat Kohli 76, Axar Patel 47, Shivam Dube 27; Keshav Maharaj 2-23, Anrich Nortje 2-26) vs SOUTH AFRICA.
(AR)
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