In a rain-interrupted final match, India beat South Africa by 12 runs to win their second under-19 World Cup. South Africa can blame it on a host of factors but there’s no denying that at the end, the best team in the tournament was holding the silverware.

Batting first, India were 83/4 with all their batting stars Taruwar Kohli, Tanmay Srivastava and Virat Kohli back in the pavilion. When they took the field, Virat and Pradeep Sangwan dropped catches while wicket-keeper Shreevats Goswami, who had a terrific tournament so far, lived a nightmare, missing five chances. Compare that to the South African effort. The tournament’s Jonty Junior Sibrand Engelbrecht held two spectacular catches to dismiss Virat and Tanmay and saved at least 30 runs while fielding at point. Two run outs, several close calls saw India being dismissed for a mere 159.

As skipper Kohli said after the game, it was the bowlers who rose to the occasion. “All through the tournament the batsmen have been the match-winners. Today, the bowlers complemented our efforts. And that’s what makes us a champion side,” he said.

Pacer Siddharth Kaul said the skipper’s instruction during the team huddle before the taking the field was simple: “Josh dikhana, par hosh mat khona (show enthusiasm but don’t lose control).” That is something the new ball bowler — and the eventual Man of the Match — Ajitesh Agral followed to the T, sticking to a perfect line and length. His two wickets and India’s one-off spectacular fielding moment of the day — Manish Pandey at square leg, brilliantly running out in-form opener Jon Jon Smutts — saw the South Africans faltering, down to 17/3 in 8.4 overs.

That’s when the rain came in and when the match resumed, the target was revised from 160 from 50 overs to 115 in 25. The pressure was now on South Africa. Post-break, the spinners took over but the fielders were of no help. Left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla, who saw two catches being dropped in his first over, was ready to forgive and forget after the win. “It happens in cricket. After every dropped catch, I merely clapped and went back to my bowling mark. I didn’t want to lose my concentration,” he said. Jadeja, who too saw three stumping chances being missed, didn’t lose heart. All he did was merely walk back to his bowling mark.

It was because of their efforts that by the time pacer Siddharth Kaul came in for the last over of the game, South Africa needed 19 runs from six balls. And, maybe, that’s when they realised that catches don’t always win matches.