It is final time in the T20 World Cup 2024 and we have two top sides of the tournament playing  in it. Two teams who have adapted better to the changing conditions than others. They have  played brilliant cricket and also selected the right teams match after match, knowing what is right  for them across venues in USA and West Indies. 

Starting with India, they put out an all-round effort against England in the semifinal, completely  outplaying, outclassing the opponents. When you look at their bowling resources, everything  looks in great order. Arshdeep Singh may have been expensive vs England but he still remains a  huge asset with the new ball. Barbados’ surface, I am sure, will be a truer surface than what was  at Guyana. I see India’s bowling as their pillar of strength in the final. I am not expecting many  change in plans as far as their playing 11 is concerned, except one maybe. 

When it comes to India’s batting, there are some batters who are light on runs. Sadly, for India,  one of the batters’ names is Virat Kohli. His bat has not done much talking. Shivam Dube, who  would have loved a big score recently, has made contributions with limited opportunity to keep  his place in side. 

However, one thing that India may look to do is not necessarily change the side drastically but  tweak the side a little to get in Yashasvi Jaiswal at 3 and Rishabh Pant at 5, if they are worried  about the top-order runs. While I don’t think India will drop Virat Kohli, they can take a call on  

Shivam Dube if the management thinks that they do not need his bowling. But I think it is the  conditions which will decide whether India would want to make this change. 

The one thing which will be going on in India’s mind will be crossing that last hurdle. Seven  months ago, they were very near to their first ICC title in more than ten years. But they missed  the finish line by some distance. Today, they are on cusp of writing history again and the  ‘favourites’ tag will definitely put pressure on them ahead of another final. They will be fighting a  mental battle as well when they take on Proteas men in the field. 

India have shown that they can play fearless cricket in this tournament. It will be interesting to  see if they can play the same brand of cricket in the final with so much pressure upon them as  favourites. 

One of the biggest positives for India has been how Rohit Sharma has batted. He showed the way  at Guyana vs England. He has consistently played a fearless brand of cricket with the bat. He  was coming from St Lucia where batting conditions were quite favourable, to Guyana where  batting was not so easy. But the way he adjusted and still went on to play the attacking shots was  fascinating to see. He came down the ground, played inside out, and attacked Adil Rashid with  sweeps to put pressure on him. It was a fantastic, clever knock and I think that underlines the  way India have played in the tournament. 

Jasprit Bumrah has also been fantastic to watch. We all know who good he is, the best in the  world, as effective with the new ball as with the old and can bowl at any stage of the game. But 

the lengths he bowled vs England, the slower balls that he executed, was sight of all things  Bumrah. Phil Salt’s wicket was an example. He was just back of the length with his slower balls.  If you are bowling the slower balls, you cannot go too fuller as a batter can still swing through it  even if he does not catch the pace of the ball. Bumrah did not allow that because of the lengths  he bowls when he uses the slower ones. Kuldeep Yadav is also bowling beautifully at the  moment. He is quick in the air at the moment which is serving him well. 

I have hugely admired the way South Africa have played the tournament so far. There is a tag  that is associated with them. There is a baggage of World Cup history that previous teams had  been carrying. But like I mentioned in my last article, I don’t think so these guys carry that  baggage or overthink about the tag. The new generation of South African cricketers are free of  such baggage. 

Aiden Markram has done a remarkable job as captain. South Africa have looked very calm, very  sure of what they are trying to do. Like India, some of their players too have not hit their peak  yet. Heinrich Klaasen is an example.  

I am assuming South Africa will play the same side they played in the semifinals. I think Tabraiz  Shamsi is an excellent addition to the side. Then, they have got a great pace attack in Marco  Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. Keshav Maharaj is also there and he might also open  bowling.  

South Africa have also been very flexible with the batting lineup which is quite a clever thing to  do in this tournament. Miller and Stubbs have floated up and down in the order, as per the game  situation and matchups. 

One of the key phases of the game will be when South Africa’s middle order will be up against  India’s bowlers. Markram, Klaasen, Miller, Stubbs, is a middle order of quality, which is used to  the Indian conditions, used to the Indian bowlers and have played a lot in the IPL. That will be a  fascinating watch. If South Africa are able to play that phase well against the spinners, Kuldeep  in particular, it will probably decide the outcome in their favour. In my opinion, this matchup  will be a deciding factor in the final. How this phase turns out for either of the teams will be  exciting to see.