India retain T20 World Cup to add to their white-ball dynasty

0:01Yeah, gone! Gone! He gets his fairytale ending! An epic way to go to a Test Match 100. The London Spirit of First Time win is the most remarkable thing you'll probably ever see in cricket.

0:16Nas:604 and final Test wicket that's due a fall. It's ended when the T20 World Cup. England's captain Ben Stokes, while he is there, England have hope.

0:32That game was done and dusted after the first power play really wasn't it 92 without loss not

0:38Nas:much coming back from that yeah it felt like that I was going to say 10 overs but you're probably right 92 for none I don't think New Zealand were at their best at all which is very rare for New Zealand the way they bowled in that power play but let's be honest India have been the best T20 side for a number of years now their win percentage between the last World Cup they won and this one was 85%. They've only lost one game in this. It's a formula that's pretty simple. Have a batting line-up that is full of power hitters and long and deep, and that will get you an above-par score. And when you have a bowler like Bumrah, even if you get a below-par score, you've probably got enough.

1:21Nas:He is an absolute genius. And when you mix those two together, they are virtually unbeatable, albeit South Africa did beat them in this tournament but in these conditions with this crowd playing at home they are a fantastic T20 side Let's talk about Bumrah because he got the player of the match but really he mopped up the tail I mean I know Sanju Sampson got the player of the tournament but he was the one along with Abhishek who's had a difficult time who set this game up Absolutely in fact Bumrah probably should have got the player of the match in the previous game against England because that game was very tight through the brilliance of Jacob Bethel.

1:59They ran India close and it was those final overs from Bomber which really sealed the deal. Here, the wickets that he took, the game was over already. I agree with you. The game was over here after the opening power play effectively. Certainly after the halfway mark of New Zealand's innings when I think they were 88 for five, game was over then. Bomber obviously mopped up the tail. Just to back up Nasser's point, India are more than just the preeminent T20 side. They are the preeminent white ball side of the moment. They've added a World Cup here to the Champions Trophy that they won a year ago in Dubai.

2:37In the last few ICC global events, before today, they'd won 30 out of 32 games. They'd only been beaten in the final of the 50-over World Cup here by Australia, and that game by South Africa early in this tournament. So across the board in white ball cricket, they are the preeminent side they're the strongest side here and deserve their victory they may well mop it all up there's a 50 over World Cup next year and they have the chance now to hold a Champions Trophy T20 World Cup and 50 over World Cup all in one go and that will surely be their aim For the reasons you've just both given you expected India to perform on the biggest stage particularly in front of this crowd on conditions they know What about New Zealand today?

3:24We turned up thinking, we know what New Zealand are going to bring. A lot of competitive fight. They're going to get the tactics right. But let's go back to that initial power play. Matt Henry bowled a superb opening over, hard into back of a length. Then it was slower balls. What were they doing? Why did they go away from what had been successful? I mean, we called it wrong, really, because that's exactly what we said. New Zealand are a consistent, resilient side. you pretty much know that they're going to bring their best game to a World Cup final. It might not be good enough, but they're going to at least make it a contest.

3:55And they didn't do that. They were so poor in the opening six overs. They made the change by bringing in the extra pace bowler, Jacob Duffy, for McConkie, the off spinner, and then spent most of the opening power play taking pace off the ball and bowling cutters. And as you say, Matt Henry, I think four dot balls, the fifth ball went for six. And after that, it was a complete onslaught. but eight wides in the opening power play, the opening six overs. So they've already given away an extra over in that opening six overs, which is so unlike New Zealand. Ferguson went for 24, Jacob Duffy's two overs, I think, went for 20 and 15.

4:33It was just an onslaught from the outset. A bit of redemption for Abhishek, who has been so out of touch in this tournament. And what an impact Sandju Samson has made since coming back against Zimbabwe to get the player of the tournament, having basically missed the first half of the tournament, shows you the impact that he's made on beating 97 against West Indies, match-winning performance against England, and again here tonight.

4:58Nas:It's a great story there, top three, actually. You could see Sanju Sansa, and I thought that was a really good interview with Ian Bishop about the ups and downs that he's had. He had the down where he was left out of the side in the Caribbean when they won it, he then had the up, and then leading up to this tournament, he couldn't buy a run and started to doubt himself. That's why he was left out. Now he's player of the tournament. Then you had Abhishek Sharma, who was the number one player in the world, who coming into the tournament had a nightmare and then performed today. And even Ishan Kishan, he has had the ups and downs in this format.

5:35Nas:And it's a real lesson in whoever you are. Keep persevering, keep practicing hard, especially in this country. because if you keep still, there'll be a whole load of people that go past you. So if you get that chance, take it, and those three have taken it eventually. What are the great strengths of Sanju, the player, in terms of the way he gets the ball to the boundary? I think he hits it pretty much everywhere, but you can't bowl back of a length. But he's got a touch of class as well as not just the big... I'd say that pretty much about every Indian batter. This Indian lineup seem to have the power, but they have it in a very elegant way.

6:12Nas:They all have a very full bat swing, but they never lose their shape. And you're right, Sandju Samson, when you don't bowl short to him and you go wide Yorkers, he'll just open the bat face and run it down to third for fourth. You know, even Dubé will swing that bat, but it's a beautiful arc and shape. All of them, it's just the way they're brought up, in that you do have power, but you have an elegant power about you. You don't try and over-hit. You don't lose your shape. They are a joy to watch. Their batting line-up is a real joy to watch. Samson's been so impressive, and obviously others have been as well.

6:50But he reminds me so much of Rohit, who is here tonight watching on. There's a kind of stillness to him. He sits a bit deep in his crease, and when bowlers bowl short, they get punished. but there's a kind of stillness and calmness to his game and he's just some proper classy shots down the ground and then that pull off a length when bowlers drop short and the shot that has made it so difficult now for spinners most of the spinners like Baron Chakravarti Santa's a bit different but most of them they try and hit the top of the stumps with the back of a length and they're quite quick and batters like Samson now can hit them off the back foot down the ground makes it so much more difficult for the spinners and his opening partner Abhishek and we've discussed it already he's had such a difficult time quite a unique way of holding the bat holds it a long way up the top and when he swings the bat it's just such a beautiful a bit like Alex Stewart was like that Adam Gilchrist holding the bat very high on the bat handle and that gives you tremendous power against the quicker bowlers it doesn't actually always allow you to manoeuvre the ball brilliantly against spin but he's got a beautiful back swing and I think you have to try and bowl quite a lot of slow balls at him.

8:05I know we've criticised New Zealand for the way the slow balls got whacked but because he's got such a high back lift he sometimes finds it difficult to slow that back swing down and he can be undone by slower balls. But it was good to see him get some runs today because he's had a bit of a shocker to be honest.

8:23Nas:He's had a shocker because of offspin. I mean Will Jackson, previous to him, all the other offspinners That's why the Cole McConkie decision, when he heard that at the toss, he would have been like, OK, they've got Glenn Phillips. But one of the nemesis, one of the areas I've been struggling, that's been taken away from me. I know when you're out of the side, your stock goes up. But Cole McConkie had a really good night tonight by sitting on the sideline. In the semi-final against South Africa, he bowled in the power play. I think he bowled one over. He got Quinton DeCotte, Ryan Rickleton, left-handers out.

8:55Nas:So I thought it was an odd move in such a big game. I know what will happen, and I'm trying to explain it. The stats, the analysts will come to you and go, this pitch turns the least out of all of them. This pitch, you'll need the extra seamer. But you have a gut feel as a captain. They've got a lot of left-handers, and my off-spinner in the semi-final did well against left-handers. Should I change it? The complication for them was that they've got an off-spinner as well, haven't they, in Glenn Phillips, who hasn't actually bowled a lot, but he does bowl off-spin. and had Phillips, did they not have the option they would have played McConkie but they probably fell with having an off spinner and the pitch that doesn't turn so much go for the extra pace bowler but it didn't work for them It shows the role of the analyst in this format Go back to our era and in a previous game your off spinners bowl so well to left handers you come up in a final against a load of left handers we would have never left him out you would have always played the second off spinner now the analyst says this pitch doesn't spin much go with the extra sema i think the captain in the end should have the final say and he probably did but what do you think about the captain to about mitchell santner here because i mean he must have been privy and part of that decision to make that change as you've just discussed if you go back to that england game in colombo he bowled phillips in the 18th and rayon arvid took him down what sort of a tournament has mitch santner had as captain when the pressure has really been on?

10:23Nas:I think pretty good. I think he's done fine. He's a low heartbeat sort of captain. He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve. The decision against England I thought was an odd one as well with two right handers in to bowl Glenn Phillips when he had seamers. The coach did say after that well if he'd stuck with the if he'd gone back to the seamers everyone would have said well why didn't you carry on with your spinners. That is captaincy. You only win if you win. If you make the wrong decision, everyone will nail you. And that's why I said McConkie's had a really good night tonight. Who knows? He could have bowled to Abhishek.

10:58Nas:Ishan Kishan goes after. Sanju goes after off-spin. So it's not as easy as that. But I thought in a big game in a final, whereas India stuck with their 11 and stuck with Abhishek Sharma. Although I was just going to say, I mean, you could make the argument that they could possibly have made the change to go to Kuldeep. And of course, who knows what would have happened? It was absolutely the right thing to do to stick with Abhishek. But every time we've seen Chakravarti in this tournament, he's just getting whacked for six. He's not getting it off the straight at all. And I don't know, I just kind of fancy Kuldeep a bit.

11:34Something a bit different and a wrist spinner who can actually spin it and send it both ways. It just seemed to me that the batters have got a bit of a handle on Chakravarti at the moment. Just to back up what Nass was saying though, I mean, a fantastic start. 92 without loss with the bat and then obviously Abhishek gets out as Nass said they just keep on coming then Ishan Kishan comes in and puts on what 106 and you just think well it's relentless

11:57Nas:you weren't happy though were you? You wanted Dubé in, I was sat next to you having a coffee I wanted Dubé in ahead of Tillak Varma I thought that was very odd actually I mean that partnership between Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan was an excellent partnership after the platform and then there was just a very short kind of passage of calm for New Zealand when Pandia got three wickets in that Nishimova at Pandia and Tilak Varma, who just couldn't quite get going immediately. And suddenly there was just a chance that New Zealand might have kept it to about 230 when it looked as though at one stage they were going to be conceding 300.

12:36And quite why Shivam Doobie didn't come in ahead of Tilak Varma, I don't know. I mean, he's been whacking it in this tournament. And then when he did come in, he obviously hit that last over for 24. and that's a big difference isn't it 230 to 254 We were sat up there watching the run chase unfold and obviously there were five down and we sort of looked at each other and said hang up they need 16s here and Boomba's still got two overs left

12:59Nas:I mean what do you do? Absolute genius honestly and those slower ball Yorkers every batter you could see Santner smiling with him you know what's coming you literally know what's coming but yet he deceives you every time. It is absolute genius. I mean, the similarities to the England game, because his very first ball, that slower ball, he came on and got Harry Brook, which was his kind of initial aim in the England game, and he got Ratchin Ravindra here with a brilliant slower ball. I mean, the end wickets, he mopped up the tail and the game was done by then, but you know, it did follow a similar pattern with that brilliant slower ball first up that neither Harry Brook, Norrach, and Ravendra really could pick.

13:44Nas:It's the dip. Those slower balls, you see it, and it gets to here, and it's the dip. We played against one, Franklin Stevenson, who played for Nottinghamshire, and batters used to duck it. Chris Cairns against Chris Reid at Lord's, ducking it, the ball dips on you. Thorpe did it as well. Thorpe ducked it, and that's what does you. You think it's a half-volley or full toss, and because it's almost got overspin on it, it dips, but to nail it every time. I'm under this pressure. First ball to Harry Brook, he probably knows that Brook is thinking that he's their main man. I want to go at him and try and make a statement here.

14:21Very first ball, trying to hit it over extra cover. It was a wonderful bit of bowling and catching, actually. I mean, it's subjective, but how do you define a great player? Is it the longevity, the importance of when crucial moments happen, you throw in the ball? Or is it also potentially that no one seems to be able to work you out? and that challenge is still there because there's so much analytical stuff now and they play against each other all the time now. It's not like England won't see him for three years, but he keeps deceiving people. First of all, he's a bit different, isn't he? He's not got a classical action.

14:54We've talked about it a lot. You know, the release that is a yard in front of where the normal release is. Then he's got the brilliant variations, the slow ball that we talked of, the number of times he nails his Yorker. Remember that dismissal of Ollie Pope in Hyderabad where the stumps were just detonated out of the ground. So he's got everything. And across formats, his numbers are just outstanding. Test cricket, strike rate, average, up with the best that there's ever been. And the same in short-form cricket as well. So he is a multi-format, multi-phase champion.

15:28Nas:Yeah, and the moments thing that you talked about there. You know, Shane Warne was a great cricketer because when you wanted a wicket, every Australian captain threw the ball to Shane. when England in 2005 were beating Australia, who was the one cricketer in that Australian side that stood up with bat and ball. Boomer is exactly the same. When you need something special, and special doesn't mean four for 15 tonight. Special means bowling the 18th over against England when they need 45, and he goes for six. And that's pretty much game done and dusted. That, for me, is what makes a good cricketer great, is when your captain needs you and you're looking round and Surya Kumar Yadav's looking round and saying, come on, do something special, please.

16:14Nas:Boomba will deliver 99 % of the time.

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17:07What about the tournament as a whole? I mean, this game was always going to be sold out once India got there, 120-odd thousand people. But when you, I think Bish said on commentary, over a million people have gone through the turnstiles in this event. We've been at these events before. Well, India, their games are sold out. You might get the odd good crowd here. But we were in Kolkata. 44 ,000 came in to watch England against Scotland. Then against Italy, there were 35 ,000. The crowds here and in Sri Lanka have been extraordinarily encouraging and good. Very much so. It's been a terrific tournament from that perspective.

17:41As you say, I think 40 ,000 pre-sold for the England-Scotland game, neutral game in Kolkata. I came here to do a game, it was an India game admittedly, but it was against the Netherlands and there were 80 ,000 here. So the crowds both obviously for the home teams, but also for the neutral games have been good. I think the pitches have been good generally. I mean people will complain about everything all the time but you know all you want is a variety of pitches but that offer bowlers a chance occasionally and I think we've seen that there have been some mighty scores like the 250 here 250 in Mumbai and T20 is a game set up for that really that's how it is we've also seen a lot of games that have been 170 180 there's been enough there for the bowlers to be in the game and then the other big thing about the tournament that has made it an enjoyable one from my perspective.

18:34The first group stage, when the associates really did themselves proud, not every single associate team was completely competitive, but by and large, most of them were. You know, we followed Nepal a bit. They played all their games in Mumbai, 25 ,000 for each game, and they played some excellent cricket along the way. So I think those three aspects have made it an excellent tournament from a neutral perspective. Obviously, you know, 100 ,000 in here tonight, and billions across the country will enjoy the fact that they've seen a home win. But just in a broader context, it's been an enjoyable competition.

19:09Nas:Yeah, I mean, this place is the centre. It is the heartbeat of world cricket. They have the best cricket side at the moment. They have the best fans, the most fans. They have the best franchise tournament in the IPL. And that's something I've noticed going around every venue. And that's why they come in now and see South Africa, West Indies or whatever other game, because they have an affinity, affiliation with some of those players. I went out to do the toss in Chennai and there was a massive cheer. Are you? Yeah, I went, I know I'm a Chennai boy, but you might be overdoing the cheer here. And Mitch Santner came out, who's an ex-Chennai Super King.

19:44Nas:And when it went out to Ratchin Ravindra in the deep, who's an ex-Chennai Super King, there was a massive cheer. So they love their cricket. And when it's on, you listen to people, other commentators. they'll be already working out their IPL you know when New Zealand were batting he's a better player of spin he should come in in the middle order so that franchise tournament this is no coincidence what's happening he is spot on they've got the best white ball side in the world at the moment by some distance and that is not out of coincidence the franchise cricket they play in that tournament is producing some great cricketers IPL by the way starts on the 26th of March so that's coming around pretty quickly but with the associates the reason that this World Cup was 20 and they brought people in like Italy Nepal is to try and grow the game and we've seen as you said really encouraging signs that the gap has closed a bit but what happens next because if you speak to any of them and we as you say spent time in Nepal and you hear it from Scotland I spoke to their coach and players etc they want to play more they want to play more against the better side how do you do that given the calendar that you have around the world and domestically.

20:51It's why I'm conflicted a bit about the number of World Cups that we have. In a way, you think there's going to be the law of diminishing returns. If you have a World Cup virtually every year, there's essentially three World Cups every four years with the biannual T20 World Cup and then the quadrennual 50 over World Cup. That makes three out of every four. So you think gradually, you know, that there'll be a law of diminishing returns. But equally, you know people will say who are supporters of the associate nations that they want a t20 world cup every two years because that's the time that they have to showcase what they're about and and you know the time to get on the big stage so somewhat conflicted about that but obviously a global game is a good uh a good thing in theory and practice um and t20 is obviously going to drive that.

21:43It's long been, you know, we give the ICC a bit of stick from time to time. It's long been their desire to globalise the game through T20. It's the obvious format because it narrows the gap and makes it more likely that games will be competitive. And that is working to some degree. In terms of giving teams more opportunity, it is difficult with the calendar sometimes, but when you think how many times England have played Scotland, for example, which I think is six in our history, when they're our next door neighbours, there must be more to give a team like Scotland more opportunity when teams come and tour England and indeed England themselves.

22:18Have we in this World Cup seen any inventiveness that perhaps we hadn't seen coming into the tournament? If you think back to 2010 when England won in Barbados, you had like the slower ball bumpers that went into the surface. Scoops started coming in. What about in this tournament? Is it, I mean I'm thinking West Indies here and some of the shots we've seen from the Indian players, power. Is it just getting more powerful? I think that phase in the middle where you sort of knock it around.

22:47Nas:It's not consolidate. It says consolidate on that grab. There's no consolidate. The top four or five sides just do not consolidate at all. The accumulator in the middle, the barbarism, the Joe Root sort of player has disappeared, rightly or wrongly, has disappeared from the game. It's just every ball must go. And the reason they can do that is because of batting depth. You know, let's be honest. How did England get within a whisk of seven runs of being here this evening? It wasn't just that it wasn't anyone in the top order. It was the lower order, the likes of Jax and Bethel and people like that.

23:18Nas:Batting depth all the way down, which means you can go harder. If you think of Owen Morgan's side that was so successful, they went hard because they had a long batting line-up. You look at India, Akshar Patel coming in at number eight in a 20-over game. It's just ridiculous. He's going to face half a dozen balls as most, but it enables the top seven to know that they've got Akshar Patel there. Same with South Africa, same with England, New Zealand to a degree as well, Santana down the order, so that's the trend. The old days of have six batters and five bowlers, that's gone. I would have only made one bet before this tournament.

23:54I like the odd punt, as you know, but the only bet I would have made is that the winning team will hit the most sixes. Now, of course, the winning team's going to play slightly more games. You know, they're playing extra match. But I think India had hit 88 before this game, and they hit 18 tonight, I think. 106 sixes in the tournament. It is a six-hitting game. And if you've got the combination of power plus a good bowling attack with a genius bowler in there, hard to beat. Is it a six-hitting game or also still a boundary-hitting game? Because the criticism that was thrown at West Indies, certainly in Calcutta in that game, was they cleared the ropes a lot, but they didn't find the boundary enough.