Hyderabad: On this day in 2007, the Indian cricket team inked their name in the history books with a triumph in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup. The team outplayed arch-rivals Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Many considered India as the underdog but Dhoni and Co. emerged triumphant with a stellar run including some glorious victories and thrilling moments.
In an intense final, India beat Pakistan by five runs and the catch by S Sreesanth to dismiss Misabh-ul-Haq became one of the most memorable moments in the history of Indian cricket. It was a close encounter but India held composure in the final moments of the game to lift the silverware.
A thrilling clash in the final
The grand finale of the T20 World Cup 2007 was a remarkable one with both the teams giving a tough fight to each other. India opted to bat first in the match with Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma playing stellar knocks and the team posting a total of 157/5. Gambhir played an impressive knock of 75 runs from 54 deliveries laced with eight boundaries and two sixes.
Pakistan’s chase was anchored by Misbah but RP Singh struck with early blows. Pakistan were reeling at 77/6 after 12 overs. The wickets were falling from the other end but the Pakistan skipper was holding the fort at one end. Dhoni pulled off a shocking decision in the final giving the last over to Joginder Sharma even though Harbhajan Singh had one over in his kitty.
Joinder defended 13 runs successfully in the final and India lifted the trophy. RP Singh and Irfan Singh picked three wickets each.
First and only bowl-out
When the two teams met in the group stage, a super-over was played and India triumphed with all of their bowlers hitting the wickets. Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa bowled for India while Pakistan bowlers missed the mark.
