What are the Key Moments of 2007 T20 World Cup?
On this day in 2007 Team India scripted history by winning inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup at Johannesburg.
Well, it was a young Indian team with a newly appointed captain that shocked the world with their match winning approach. The World Cup win paved the way for India’s supremacy, as after winning the T20 WC in 2007, India went on to win the CWC 2011, breaking a 28-year winless drought.
On the supremacy defining day, let’s take a moment to relive India’s 2007 T20 World Cup Victory with 7 Key Moments.
1. Bowl-out (India won 3-0)
India met their arch-rivals Pakistan in their second clash in the tournament, and that was ended in a die after both teams scored 141 each after 20 overs.
It was the first instance when a bowl-out method was used in cricket to determine the winner of the game. Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa all managed to hit the wickets to hand India a memorable 3-0 victory, as Pakistan’s players failed to hit even once.
2. Yuvraj Singh 6’s against Broad
After losing their first match to New Zealand in the Super-8 stage, team India was required to win against England at any cost. Batting first, Sehwag and Gambhir provided India a solid start with their 136-run opening stand. But it was Yuvraj Singh, who grabbed everyone’s attention with his 6 sixes.
He had some conversation with England’s Andrew Flintoff and what Yuvraj did next was just unbelievable stuff. He smashed 6 sixes in an over against Straut Broad and recorded his half-century in only 12 deliveries. India won that match by 18 runs.
3. Crucial 85-run partnership between Rohit (50*) & Dhoni (45) in a do or die match vs SA
It was again a do or die game and India found themselves in trouble after losing 4 wickets on 61 in 10.4 overs. Young Rohit Sharma and skipper MS Dhoni then took full control of the game on their shoulders and added a valuable 85 runs for the fifth wicket.
Dhoni got run out on 45 on the fourth ball of India’s last over of the innings, while Rohit completed his fifty in the process and set a target of 154 for the Proteas.
4. RP Singh’s 4 for 13 against South Africa
154 was a decent target for the star-studded South Africa, but RP Singh made it a difficult task for them, as the left-arm Indian pacer produced a superb spell with the ball with 4-13-4 to help India advance to the semi-final.
5. Yuvraj Singh’s 70-run knock & MS Dhoni’s 18-ball 36* in semi-final vs Australia
The young Indian team was facing the mighty Australia in the semi-final clash. Batting first, India had not the start they wanted, as they lost their opener at 41 in 8 overs. Yuvraj Singh became India’s saviour and smashed a 30-ball 70 and MS Dhoni provided the finishing touch with his not out 36 off 18 to set a target of 189. Australia fell 15 runs short, and India qualified for the finals.
6. Gautam Gambhir’s 75 in the final
Gautam Gambhir has stored the best for the finale, as he played a knock of 75 and kept India’s hopes alive. Rohit Sharma played a solid 16-ball 30* run knock to guide the men in blue to a fighting 157 in 20 overs.
7. Irfan Pathan’s spell, Joginder Sharma’s final over and Sreesanth’s catch
RP Singh provided India a magnificent start by removing two of opposition’s strong batters early in the run-chase. Team Pakistan was still going strong with 53 for 2 in 5.3, but that run out by Uthappa on the next ball changed the whole scenario.
Joginder Sharma grabbed the wicket of dangerous Younis Khan for 24. Irfan Pathan then joined the party and took 3 crucial wickets of Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, and Yasir Arafat.
The game however became a nail-biting affair, as Misbah-ul-Haq of Pakistan was still present at the crease and he took the game to the final over, where the men in green required 12 off the final six.
Dhoni gave the ball to Joginder Sharma that raised eyebrows, but the Indian skipper was confident in his decision. The first ball was wide, next was a dot, followed by a maximum, and with 5 needed in 4, the tension peaked, then came the magical ball that trapped Misbah, as he played a scoop over fine leg, Sreesanth was placed at the short fine leg, the pacer kept his cool and took the catch comfortably to dismiss Misbah, and India won the T20 WC 2007 final by five runs.
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