The two undefeated teams in the competition square off in the T20 World Cup final at Kensington Oval tomorrow, with India looking to snap their worldwide championship drought and South Africa hoping to live up to their “chokers” reputation.

There is no denying that the top two teams from the 20-team competition have advanced to the championship game after their flawless seasons and convincing wins in the quarterfinals.

India defeated England’s title defense in Guyana, the day after South Africa ended Afghanistan’s incredible run in the first semifinal in Trinidad, to reach the third straight global event final across both forms.

India, which lost both the World Test Championship and the 50-over home World Cup finals the previous year, will be hoping for a third straight victory under captain Rohit Sharma.

Winning the championship would be the ideal sendoff for veteran Virat Kohli, 35, and 37-year-old Rohit. This may be their last T20 World Cup.

They seem to have the people and the strategy in place to do it.

Rohit epitomizes India’s batting strategy at the top of the order, which favours a succession of aggressive cameos over a single game-winning blow from a batter.

While speed leader Jasprit Bumrah has been almost unplayable so far in the tournament, their three-pronged spin assault has served them well in the second half.

The secret to India’s successful run, in Rohit’s opinion, has been a quiet locker room.

He said, “We understand the occasion, but it’s important for us to remain composed and calm.”

That supports wise decision-making on our part. It is imperative that we make wise choices throughout the 40 overs.

India’s main real concern going into the final seems to be Kohli’s run-scoring issues, but Rohit is unconcerned about his opening partner’s form.

“We comprehend his class. Form is never an issue when you’ve been playing for fifteen years,” he said. “I think he’s holding it for the championship.”

Released from the chokehold?

As South Africa tries to get beyond their seventh semifinal heartache to reach their first World Cup final in any format, it will be a test of nerves for their opponents.

Holding the World Cup trophy in their hands will be the final reward for several of their players, who consider winning the IPL to be their greatest accomplishment.

Every time their batters faltered, their pace attack came through for them.

Their middle-order has a lot of firepower, and opener Quinton de Kock has made excellent use of his experience playing in the Caribbean Premier League.

South Africa also boasts a calm captain in Aiden Markram, who has won eleven games in a row.

“Getting to the finals and earning the chance to potentially lift the trophy is a personal and individual motivator,” Markram said. We think and feel that we are capable of competing with the world’s top athletes and taking home medals. And that we now have that chance is fantastic. – News reports

Axar makes it easy to step up to the occasion

Georgetown, Guyana: India’s decisive victory against England was made possible by his exploits in the powerplay. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel said that the secret was to keep things simple in order to frustrate opposing batsmen “without doing anything extraordinary.” Axar (3/23) came in to bowl in the fourth over and got rid of England captain Jos Buttler with his first delivery. He then got rid of Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali in back-to-back overs to ruin England’s pursuit on Thursday. During the press conference after the game, Axar said, “Obviously, it is difficult (to bowl) in a powerplay, but when you know that you are getting help from the wicket, then without thinking much, without doing anything extraordinary, I thought that the more I keep it simple, the easier it would be for me.” PTI

ESSENTIAL FIGHTS

Marco Jansen vs Rohit Sharma

Although it’s hardly a legendary rivalry, Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Shah Afridi have shown in the past that the Indian captain is susceptible to left-arm speed. Even if it is less noticeable today, Jansen, who has played flawlessly throughout the match, has the ability to reopen an old wound by using his probing line outside off-stump to deny India an early advantage. Still, the odds are on Rohit’s side. In nine T20I innings, he has faced the South African bowler and has taken 113 runs off of him with only one dismissal.

Quinton de Kock vs Jasprit Bumrah

At a strike rate of 143, De Kock has amassed 204 runs from eight matches, making him the best run scorer for South Africa in this World Cup. His scoring bursts have given them the advantage in a few low-scoring games. However, he’ll be facing the world’s finest bowler right now, Bumrah. In only seven games, the Indian bowler has claimed 13 wickets at an incredible economy of 4.12. Not only must De Kock perform at the highest level to get runs off Bumrah, but he must also avoid losing his wicket in the process.

Against Kagiso Rabada, Virat Kohli

India’s winning streak in this ICC championship tournament has obscured Kohli’s dismal batting performance, which stands at 75 runs from seven games at an average of 10.71. Rabada is going to be a tough opponent for Kohli in the championship match. The South African pacer has claimed 12 wickets in eight games so far, but given that he often bowls during the powerplay and in the last overs, his economy rate of 5.88 is even more remarkable. Rabada’s deliveries can slip past Kohli’s signature swat-flick, so he would be wise to use caution while playing it.

Heinrich Klaasen vs Kuldeep Yadav

Without a doubt, one of the most lethal players against spin is Klaasen. However, in eight matches throughout this World Cup, he has only amassed 138 runs with a meager strike-rate of 112. Axar and Kuldeep, who have been bothering hitters with their impeccable lines and subtle changes, will be opponents the right-hander must fight with. If South Africa want to generate some momentum in the middle overs, whether chasing or establishing a total, Klaasen will need to reclaim his range-hitting skills.