On This Day – MS Dhoni’s India beats Pakistan to win 2007 World T20 and change history

The year 2007 was a dark phase in Indian cricket. The national team had crashed out in the league stages of the 2007 50-over World Cup in the West Indies after suffering losses to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The Indian dressing room was fractured with accusations of infighting and lack of understanding with Greg Chappell, the-then coach of the Indian cricket team. However, as the year progressed, things improved. India won a Test series in England but lost the ODI series.Amidst all this, a new tournament was been created by the ICC called the World T20. It started in South Africa and all teams participated. India had no experience of playing many Twenty20 games, having played just one in 2006 against South Africa which they won.

The Indian team was been led by MS Dhoni, a newcomer who had already dazzled the cricketing world with his long locks and aggressive cricket. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid all backed out of the tournament to hand over the reigns to someone young. The tournament began in thrilling fashion for India. After their game against Scotland was abandoned due to rain, the next league game against arch-rivals Pakistan ended in a tie which was separated only by the bowl-out which India won 3-0.

In the Super Sixes, Yuvraj Singh created history by smashing Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over as India beat England. Although they lost to New Zealand, they defeated South Africa in the last game thanks to RP Singh’s four wickets and aggressive batting from Rohit Sharma. In the semi-final, Yuvraj was once again at his best as he blasted 70 off 30 balls and Sreesanth’s 3/16 gave India a tense win as they entered the final, where they would face Pakistan again.

Final for the ages

What the World Cup could not do, the World T20 did it in the first edition itself and that was to give the cricketing world an India vs Pakistan final in a major tournament. This was THE clash for the ages. This was THE match for the millions of cricket fans.

India batted first and Gautam Gambhir showed his class with a brilliant 75 as India reached 157/5. RP Singh and Irfan Pathan kept India in the game with three wickets. Irfan’s one spell resulted in the wicket of Shahid Afridi for a golden duck as well as the captain Shoaib Malik.

Pakistan, though, still had Misbah-ul-Haq and he kept hitting sixes at will. The equation boiled down to 12 runs off the final over. In ehat was then a captaincy masterstroke by MS Dhoni, he chose the unknown Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over. After a wide, dot and a six, Pakistan needed six runs off four balls. Misbah reached his fifty and as Joginder came to bowl, the tension was palpable.

Joginder had not released the ball when Misbah decided to pre-empt and attempt the paddle scoop. Joginder bowled a slower ball and the ball lobbed to short fine leg. Sreesanth, stationed there, eyed to take the catch. In the backdrop, Ravi Shastri boomed out on his commentary box, “In the aaaiiirrrr, Sreesanth, TAKES IT!” Sreesanth took the catch and India won the match by five runs.

Johannesburg saw absolute pandemonium and the Indian team celebrated. A new era had dawned. MS Dhoni was now the captain for India destined to take them to greatness. He would do it, winning all three ICC trophies and achieving wins in all multi-national tournaments. It was this 2007 World T20 win that gave wings to the Indian Premier League, a tournament that would change the entire course of cricketing history. If the world changed forever in cricket, then September 24, 2007 would be the starting point of the new epoch.