Fearless, ruthless, peerless: India make the World Cup final a one-team show
India Today
T20 World Cup: India didn't win the World Cup final. They annexed it. From the first ball to the last, New Zealand were spectators to something they had no answer for.
There is a particular kind of madness that descends on a cricket ground when a team decides collectively that they are not going to play it safe. When the plan isn't to build but to destroy. Even if it is a World Cup final.
India walked out to bat in Ahmedabad on Sunday and made that decision before the first ball was bowled. You could see it in how Abhishek Sharma stood at the crease. Chin up. Eyes forward. No looking around. You could see it on the face of Sanju Samson. It had grit and destiny written on it.
They ensured that the last 34 overs of the final were a mere formality. The game was over in the first six.
| IND vs NZ final: Highlights | Scorecard | India created history as the first team to defend a T20 World Cup title. (PTI Photo)
Abhishek Sharma shouldn't have been this calm. He's twenty-four. But he had aged at least a decade in the past fortnight.
This was a World Cup final. More than a billion fans were praying for his return to form. More than a billion were sharpening their knives for him if he failed again. Abhishek showcased his usual best in the final. (Photo: PTI)
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