Sunil Gavaskar didn’t mind breaking into an impromptu jig while Harbhajan Singh didn’t shy away from performing the bhangra in keeping with the demands of the Wankhede crowd.

In the middle, the players did the customary high-fives and fist-pumps once Shivam Dube bowled the final ball of the match. The expression was more of relief than unbridled joy on making the final of the T20 World Cup for the second consecutive time.

There were moments during Thursday’s semi-final against England when it
could have swung either way, especially once Jacob Bethell blasted the Indian attack
into submission.

It took only one ball from Dube’s final over to confirm India’s progress when 30
runs were needed. It was a fuller length delivery and Bethell couldn’t quite get under it.
He attempted a suicidal second run only to depart disappointed.

England fell seven short of the 254-run chase but it left in its wake several unanswered questions ahead of Sunday’s final against New Zealand.

England could have sensed a chance had Bethell remained at the crease. The decision to bowl Dube, when he hadn’t been used in the match earlier, could have backfired.

But it was another Jasprit Bumrah masterclass that stopped England in their tracks. In Gautam Gambhir’s words, the fast bowler is India’s “banker” and the team will continue to use him in different ways.

With no preferred period, Suryakumar Yadav tried him in the Powerplay. Bumrah’s first delivery fetched a wicket as Harry Brook’s flamboyant strike off a slower one failed to go past Axar Patel’s grasp.

England probably wanted to disrupt Bumrah’s rhythm early but weren’t successful. They did manage to unnerve Varun Chakravarthy though.

It was a night of much drama and unwavering emotions with India’s first T20 World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni watching the action from the Garware Pavilion. A total of 499 runs came in 40 overs, including 34 sixes. If Sanju Samson’s match-defining knock made it possible, Bethell came close with 105 off 48 balls.

But Bumrah, who had an economy of 6.3 before this match, once again showed why he continues to pose the biggest threat. Since bowling an over inside the Powerplay, he kept a plundering Bethell in check by hitting the blockhole regularly and cramping batters for room.

This was at a stage when an Arshdeep Singh was delivering wides at will, unable to cope with the pressure that a knockout game brings.

Bowling the 18th over with 45 needed, Bumrah didn’t disappoint giving away only six runs. Hardik Pandya was equally effective in the next and England could manage only nine.

If there was a silver lining to the victory, it reflected in the batting and two catches in the deep.