(Source X)
Team India decided to forgo their practice session on Friday, as confirmed by the ICC, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa. The decision comes as the team prepares to face South Africa in the championship match on Saturday at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Following their semifinal match on Thursday evening, which was closely followed by a scheduled training session, the management opted to prioritize the players’ rest ahead of the crucial final. Additionally, Team India will be traveling to Barbados on Friday via a charter flight.
“India have cancelled their training session,” said the ICC, as quoted by HT.
In a notable move, the Indian team conducted consecutive press conferences in Guyana. The initial session followed their victorious semifinal against England, with Axar Patel representing the team. Soon after, they held a second press conference in preparation for the upcoming final, featuring Rahul Dravid as the spokesperson.
“I think we could have easily defended at 170. It was a very good score. The way the wicket was behaving, when we spoke to Rohit [Sharma], he said it was very difficult to hit a big shot because the odd ball is spinning and the odd ball is also staying down, skidding on.
“So that was our thought that 150-160 is a very good score, we can defend it. So, when we made 170, we knew that we made 10-15 runs more,” said Axar Patel who picked up 3 wickets in the game and was adjudged the Player of the Match.
India convincingly defeated England to secure a spot in the final after a decade-long wait. Despite being tasked with batting first on a challenging pitch, India managed to set a formidable total of 171/7, largely fueled by a stellar half-century from their captain, Rohit Sharma. Subsequently, India’s bowlers delivered an impressive performance, restricting England to a mere 103 runs and ensuring a comprehensive victory.
India is on the brink of a historic achievement as they stand poised to become the third team, and the first from Asia, to clinch the T20 World Cup twice. Only West Indies and England have accomplished this feat thus far. In the final showdown, India, known as the Men in Blue, will square off against South Africa. While India aims for their second T20 World Cup title, South Africa seeks their maiden World Cup victory across any format. Both teams have maintained a perfect record in the tournament so far, setting the stage for what promises to be an intensely competitive final where both sides will be optimistic about their chances of lifting the coveted trophy.
