Young India wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel has revealed that he was cheering for South Africa during the side’s 2024 T20 World Cup final against India in Barbados. In the summit clash, India won by seven runs, snatching an unbelievable victory from the jaws of defeat. At one stage, South Africa needed just 30 runs from 30 balls but India managed to turn the tide in their favour. Now, Jurel has confessed that while he was supporting India, South Africa were playing well. So, playing on the jinx, he switched to supporting South Africa so that India could make a comeback in the game. And sure enough, India did bounce back.

“When I was watching the final and cheering for India, South Africa came in the winning position, so I started cheering for South Africa and India made a comeback. I kept cheering for South Africa and India won the World Cup,” Jurel told BCCI.

Where were they?

What were they doing

How much #TeamIndia‘s #T20WorldCup 2024 triumph means to them?

Indian Cricket Team in Zimbabwe is like the All Of Us! #Champions

WATCH – By @ameyatilak pic.twitter.com/J2VDtNwSPk

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 5, 2024

Jurel is part of the India squad that is touring Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series, starting from July 6, and is expected to make his India debut in the shortest format. Jurel made his Test debut for India against England in February this year.

Talking about the India vs South Africa 2024 T20 World Cup final, an excellent final five overs bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh clawed the Rohit Sharma-led side back into the game, as the dangerous duo of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller were dismissed

Team India celebrated its T20 World Cup title in incredible fashion, as it conducted an open-top bus parade on the streets of Mumbai, starting from the Marine Drive to the Wankhede stadium.

35,000 spectators packed the Wankhede stadium while lakhs were on the streets to celebrate the T20 World Cup victory with the team. The parade was a repeat of what happened in 2007, when an MS Dhoni-led young India side won the inaugural T20 World Cup. After the tournament, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20Is.

India were able to tame varied challenges thrown at them by South Africa so far, and they will be eager to take the series to its fitting conclusion of a 3-0 margin during the third and final ODI here on Sunday. Currently, the margin stands 2-0 in favour of India but that insuperable position has not come without its own trials by fire. In the first match, the Indian batters had to come back from a perilous 99 for five before making a 260-plus total. The home side bowlers defended the target well too.

But in the second game, it was the turn of the Indian bowlers to ace the test that they were subjected to by centurions Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp on a placid pitch.

Despite the heavy pounding, they kept their nerves till the last ball of the match to come out on the right side of the result.

However, the common thread across these two matches was the exceptional batting of Smriti Mandhana, who made 117 and 136 in them.

Mandhana thus became the first India woman batter to score two successive hundreds in ODIs, and she also equalled Mithali Raj’s record of seven one-day centuries.

So, the Indian vice-captain will be eager to sign off from the ODI series on a high before entering the one-off Test at Chennai from June 28.

The timely return to form of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who made an 88-ball 103 in the second match, too might have pleased the management no end.

However, the think tank will be eager to see a substantial outing from opener Shafali Verma, whose run of low scores has now been extended to eight matches.

With the series already in kitty, India might also give an outing to fringe players such as bowlers Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque and top-order batter Priya Punia.

On the other hand, South Africa will be keen to win the match and gain at least two ICC Women’s ODI Championship points, critical in their qualification for next year’s 50-over World Cup.

Of course, a win will go a long way in instilling a dose of confidence ahead of the Test and the ensuing T20I series.

But for that, the visitors will need a concerted effort from their batters and bowlers.

Teams:

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Dayalan Hemalatha, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana, Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Priya Punia.

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Eliz-Mari Marz, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukune, Nondumiso Shangase, Delmi Tucker.

Match starts at 1.30 PM.