Anatomy of a catch that sealed India's World Cup victory
Hardik Pandya is bowling the last over and, well, he is no Jasprit Bumrah. David Miller, the man on strike, is one of the best finishers of the T20 game. One big hit and the match yet again drifts South Africa's way.
India vs South Africa T20 World Cup Final Live Score
India vs SA Final T20 Final Weather Forecast
India vs SA Final Pitch Report
As expected, Miller goes for the big shot in the very first ball itself. And almost perfectly connects.
As the ball sails back over the bowler's head towards the boundary, we see Suryakumar Yadav start his sprint from long off. He's unlikely to win the race and, at first, it seems a futile effort.
But Surya doesn't give up. At the very last instant with hands fully stretched and body bent at 45 degrees, he manages to grab the ball.
As he grabs the ball, he's literally a centimetre or two from the boundary board.
In that one instant, Surya has to make a decision. Should he try to hold on? Or throw the ball back in as he crosses the line? It's a split-second decision that can win or lose India the World Cup.
In most circumstances, with the body in no position to arch back and stay within the ropes, players tend to throw the ball back in and go over the boundary line in an attempt to save runs. Only when they are in total control do they throw the ball up and cross the line, knowing that they will have enough time to jump back in and complete the catch.
In Surya's case, he had 0.4 seconds to make up his mind.
Throwing the ball back in was a safer
