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This day, last year Dhoni clinched T20 world cup

By Staff

New Delhi, Sep 24 (UNI) This day last year, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's young guns captured the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup to write a glorious new chapter in the history of Indian cricket.

However, no one should belittle the effort of 1983 - it came at a time when India were not a force in world cricket, when they were not the power centre of the cricket universe, at a time when success was counted in runs and wickets and not rupees and dollars.

And it did change the way cricket was played and watched in the country. It was the moment that gave a nation belief.

But the T20 win did something strange - some would say terrible - to Indian cricket.

This day, last year India won the toss and chose to bat on what was considered to be a traditionally batsman-friendly pitch at the Bullring.

Pakistani fast bowler Umar Gul took the wickets of both Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, leaving India with 157/5 in 20 overs; only Gautam Gambhir (75 from 54 balls) produced a notable innings.

A 21-run over from Sreesanth swung the game towards Pakistan.

However, Irfan Pathan and Joginder Sharma slowed the scoring dramatically. With Pakistan needing 54 from 24 balls, Misbah-ul-Haq hit 3 sixes off Harbhajan Singh in one over.

Sreesanth was also dispatched for 2 sixes, as Pakistan went into the last over needing 13 runs to win, with only 1 wicket remaining.

Then Joginder Sharma bowled that famous last over in the T20 final last year, and instantly etched his name in Indian cricket history and caught the eye of fans. He first bowled a wide ball, followed by a dot ball. Misbah followed by taking six off a full-toss; Pakistan needed just 6 runs to win from the last four balls.

Misbah attempted to hit the next ball with a paddle-scoop over fine leg, but he only managed to sky the ball, and it was caught at short fine-leg by Sreesanth, leaving Pakistan all out for 152 runs. And India won the 2007 ICC T20 world cup.

Irfan Pathan was awarded the Man of the Match for his spell, which included 3 wickets for 16 runs, including that of Man of the Series, Shahid Afridi.

The 2007 ICC World Twenty20 was a Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in South Africa from 11 September to 24 September last year. It was the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship.

Twelve teams took part in the thirteen-day tournament, comprising the ten Test playing nations as well as Kenya and Scotland, the latter teams having qualified by reaching the final of the 2007 WCL Division One tournament.

UNI CS AB BST1333

Story first published: Tuesday, August 22, 2017, 12:34 [IST]
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