Key events
17th over: South Africa 155-5 (Miller 17, Jansen 2) chasing 177 22 needed from 18 Hardik changes the game with that wicket, from boundaries every ball to four singles from the over.
“Guess we are not winning this one either!” writes Bhawesh Kumar. “Happy for South Africa if they win. They have had their heartbreaks!” Still time Bhawesh, still time.
WICKET! Klaasen c Pant b Hardik 52 (South Africa 151-5)
Klaasen stretches for a wider delivery from Hardik but the feet don’t move and he can only squeak an edge through to Pant. He can’t believe what he’s just done. Off he must go.
Fifty for Klaasen!
16th over: South Africa 151-4 (Klaasen 52, Miller 15) chasing 177 Bumrah, but is it too late? An lbw appeal, but it is an inside edge. A yorker of perfection, but Klassen keeps it out. They survive, and Klaasen reaches an astonishing innings-turning 50 from 23 balls. A pause, as Pant gets his knee (strategically?) strapped. 26 needed from 24 balls.
15th over: South Africa 147-4 (Klaasen 49, Miller 14) chasing 177 Dismayed faces in the crowd. Hands on hips for Rohit as Klaasen ploughs through Axar Patel – 24 from the over: Four over Axar’s head, then six onto the roof, six over long-on, four flying through the off side. Throw in a couple of wides and South Africa now need just a run a ball.
14th over: South Africa 123-4 (Klaasen 27, Miller 14) chasing 177 Kuldeep’s last over, without his usual mischief today. Miller carves him away for four, and next ball pulls him for six. Fourteen from the over, Miller immediately hits his stride.
13th over: South Africa 109-4 (Klaasen 26, Miller 1) chasing 177 Arsheep comes back and de Kock flicks him over fine leg with a swivel on the back foot for four. But he’s blind to the immediate field change as fine leg shuffles back, repeats the shot and must be on his way. Twist follows turn.
WICKET! de Kock c Kuldeep b Arshdeep 39 (South Africa 106-4)
de Kock tries to replay the shot that had brought him four the previous ball, but the fielder has been moved, and Kuldeep is waiting, takes with both hands!
12th over: South Africa 101-3 (de Kock 35, Klaasen 23) Klaasen brings up the 100 with a six off Kuldeep – six crafted with a fast eye and unmoving feet, lofted over cover with a shrug.
11th over: South Africa 93-3 (de Kock 34, Klaasen 16) Jadeja – headband, sunglasses. Klaasen smashes him straight and long over the sightscreen for six. Touch of the Klusener about his simplicity of hitting. Jadeja sprints to field off his own bowling, a touch of anxiety to India in the field now. 12 from the over.
10th over: South Africa 81-3 (de Kock 29, Klaasen 7) Brief breathing space for India with three dots off Hardik’s first over, but then Klaasen flambes six, flat and straight over point. A no ball brings a free hit which Pant takes behind the stumps. At the half way stage, South AFrica are marginally ahead. But Bumrah.
“Good afternoon,” hello Bhawesh Kumar!
“The last time I sent you an email, it was probably 4 am or something in Cambridge, MA, and India was playing Australia in the World Cup final. I was anxious about India losing the game. This time around, the viewing time is much more reasonable, and as I am starting to get worried by this dangerous-looking partnership, Axar Patel clean bowlds Stubbs. My heart is starting to beat normally again. Hoping this time India wins the game. I will go dancing tonight if that happens :)“
Fifty fifty at this stage as to whether your dancing shoes remain in the cupboard…
9th over: South Africa 71-3 (de Kock 29, Klaasen 0) Stubbs starts the over by slog-sweeping Axar brilliantly, but must leave the arena with the job less than half done.
WICKET! Stubbs b Axar 31 (South AFrica 70-3)
Stubbs takes a huge stride outside off stump, ready to sweep, eager for more, but misses completely and can just watch as the stumps are rearranged. Axar punches the air, the crowd roars and at the non-striker’s end de Kock tuns in frustration.
8th over: South Africa 62-2 (de Kock 28, Stubbs 24) Continuing to roll along nicely, 13 off the previously unplayable Kuldeep, including a huge six, slog-swept onto the solar panel by de Kock!
7th over: South Africa 49-2 (de Kock 21, Stubbs 18) India were 49-3 at the same stage. Seven from Axar’s over, including a slog-sweep for four from Stubbs. South Africa not overawed here.
Hello Alfred Hartford: “I’m a cricket fan from New Zealand presently in London and gratefully following your match feed in The Guardian.
“I’d love to know which Indian bowlers SA plan to attack. Good luck with that!
“Hope SA stay in the chase until the final overs when we’ll see the incomparable Bumrah whirling his dervishes!”
Famous last words but this looks like it will go down to the wire.
6th over: South Africa 42-2 (de Kock 20, Stubbs 12) Kuldeep with the final over of the power play, long fringe blowing in the strong wind. Pant and de Kock share a laugh, then de Kock, wriggling for position in the crease, cuts Kuldeep for four from his final ball. South Africa definitely still in it at this stage.
“Hi Tanya, I think Markram let slip a “poes”, the grittier South African version of your British c-word.” Thank you for that excellent bit of lip-reading Lauren Hess!
5th over: South Africa 32-2 (de Kock 15, Stubbs 7) After a cracking more-than-cameo with the bat, it is Axar’s turn with the ball. Relative riches for South Africa as both batters pick up four plus a couple of singles.
4th over: South Africa 22-2 (de Kock 10, Stubbs 2) An exorbitant eight from Bumrah’s second: de Kock finding a boundary in the gap past slip.
3rd over: South Africa 14-2 (de Kock 3, Stubbs 1) Rohit is persuaded to review a “caught behind” – I don’t know the stats on this but my impressions is Rohit is a terrible judge of these things – and India duly lose their review – nothing showing on ultra edge.
Hello Teresa Ewart: “Just finished watching the TDF – and onto the cricket… Good grief! Are they playing music between each ball? In what world does that make sense? Surely it makes it hard to concentrate? They “do stuff” between balls don’t they?” So true! I think the players are trained to just zone out though. Similarly I have no idea how those TDF riders keep going along a tiny path between packed shouting crowds with men run alongside them with flares.
WICKET! Markram c Pant b Arshdeep 4 (South Africa 12-2)
Stretches to drive, weight on the back foot, gets a thick edge and a diving Pant collects low to his right. Markram tips his head back and slumps away.
2nd over: South Africa 11-1 (de Kock 1, Markram 4) Markram in early, but sends his first ball from Bumrah for four wiht some panache. Just watching Bumrah’s wicket again, Hendricks played with a straight bat but the ball laughed and passed by on its merry way. Just brilliant.
WICKET! Hendricks b Bumrah 4 (South Africa 7-10
Just a perfect out-swinger. Shrugs out a shoulder and knocks the top of off stump.
South Africa need 177 to win
1st over: South Africa 6-0 (Hendricks 4, de Kock 1) They don’t give you much kettle time in this world cup. Five from the first over, Arshdeep’s last delivery a slower ball which Hendricks licks past cover point for four.
Kohli makes his mark at last – whether it was a masterpiece or too slow, we shall find out! Time for me to make a quick cup of tea, back shortly.
WICKET! Jadeja c Maharaj b Nortje 0 (India 176-7)
20th over: India 176-7 (Hardik 5) Nortje, men on the boundary. Dube manages one four, over the ducking bowler, under the diving fielder at mid-on. Two wickets in the over, finishing with a huge leading edge from Jadeja, which Maharaj runs to collect. India have the highest ever score in a World Cup final – what can they do with it?
WICKET! Dube c Miller b Nortje 27 (India 174-6)
Dube throws himself at a full toss, sending it down the ground, and Miller catches a bullet, slipping as he does.
19th over: India 167-5 (Hardik 4, Dube 22) Jansen with the penultimate over – not a man who oozes confidence. South Africa think they’ve had Kohli caught behind, but it turns out to be a no ball. Kohli swings wildly at the free hit and misses – he fancies it was a wide but is told no. Kohli then pings a full toss through backward square for four, then six straight and sweet as you like, before being caught. That wicket could keep the final total more manageable for South Africa. Ah – but then Hardik immediately picks up four from a top-edge over the keeper.
WICKET! Kohli c Rabada b Jansen 76 (India 163-5)
Just when he’d got going! Serious, innings-building effort. Trying for a second six in the over but caught at long on.
18th over: India 150-4 (Kohli 64, Dube 22) Rabada’s first ball is greeted with a huge straight six from Kohli. The next goes for two, with Kohli sprinting wolf-like, prey in his sights. Four more swung with with dancing wrists to the rope. A big fat wide. Not Rabada’s best work: 16 from the over.
Fifty for Virat Kohli!
17th over: India 134-4 (Kohli 50, Dube 21) Nortje, clever bowling, Kohli nurdles but can’t reach the rope – his first fifty of this World Cup – off 48 balls. I’m not sure he raises his bat. Dube uses the wind to reach the rope off the last ball.
16th over: India 126-4 (Kohli 48, Dube 15) Shamsie is back, the brass band a tooting, drums pounding at the Kensington Oval. Dube goes again, very wide stance, swings Shamsie powerfully for four. Time, I think, to put the foot down.
15th over: India 118-4 (Kohli 46, Dube 9) Dube gives himself a couple of balls to get his eye in then swings the fragile-looing Jansen for six. A handful of singles.