Barbados, June 30: India produced a brilliant performance to defeat South Africa by just seven runs in a dramatic men’s T20 World Cup final, ending a long 13-year wait for the cricket-obsessed nation since its last World Cup win.

It was a nail-biting finale in Bridgetown, Barbados as India set a total of 177 to win – the highest ever score in a men’s T20 final – but South Africa matched it run for run, even pulling ahead at points before some exceptional bowling from India and an outstanding catch from Suryakumar Yadav restricted the Proteas right at the end.

Victory sparked jubilant and emotional celebrations for India after a year of heartbreak for many of its players who lost to Australia in the finals of both the ODI Cricket World Cup and World Test Championship.

India was under pressure early in its innings as some sharp South African bowling reduced it to 39-3 after five overs. But with Axar Patel and talismanic batter Virat Kohli at the crease, India rebuilt.

Together, they put on a 72-run partnership as Axar lofted several sixes over the boundary before a moment’s hesitation allowed Quinton de Kock to run him out at the non-striker’s end and he departed with 47 off 31 balls.

Shivam Dube walked out to the middle and added a quickfire 27 while at the other end, Kohli ticked along and reached a half century – even as he struggled to find the boundary for much of the game. Perhaps spurred by the knowledge that he was playing in his final T20 match for India, as he revealed in his post-match interview, Kohli accelerated in the final three overs to score 76 off 59 balls – a match-changing innings.

He departed in the 18th over, and India lost several late wickets as it chased any possible runs to set a total of 176-7.

Jasprit Bumrah, who has already enjoyed a phenomenal tournament and was named its best player after the match, gave India the perfect start as he bowled Reeza Hendricks in only the second over and South Africa found itself 12-2 shortly afterwards.

But there was still time for the game’s momentum to shift once more as De Kock and rising star Tristan Stubbs sprinted towards a 50-run partnership before Stubbs was bowled by Axar, much to the frustration of De Kock.

South Africa continued to build steadily and almost found itself in a match-winning position when Heinrich Klaasen produced an astonishing performance in the 15th over, hitting Axar for 24 runs and racing towards a half century in just 23 balls, the fastest ever in a men’s T20 World Cup final, according to Opta.

He was finally out after edging Hardik Pandya to Rishabh Pant, giving India a lifeline.

With the match poised on a knife-edge, India’s captain Rohit Sharma sent Bumrah in to bowl his final two overs well ahead of schedule and the star bowler repaid his captain by stymieing the run rate and taking the wicket of Marco Jansen for good measure.

Then, as the tide turned towards India, it seemed as if David Miller had hit a six for South Africa in the penultimate over but for a brilliant catch from Suryakumar Yadav on the boundary, where he caught the ball, threw it up in the air and caught it again as he jumped back inside the ropes.

That gave India the platform it needed and it held on to take the victory by the narrowest of margins.-Agencies