NEW DELHI: The crowd at New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg was stunned when Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose the little-known
Joginder Sharma
over the experienced Harbhajan Singh to bowl the final over in the high-stakes 2007
T20 World Cup
final against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Needing 13 runs off the last over, Dhoni handed the ball to Joginder, who became India's unsung hero and helped Team India lift their maiden T20 World Cup trophy in 2007.
T20 WORLD CUP 2024: Schedule | Points Table
Misbah-ul-Haq was the lone warrior for Pakistan in the final, scoring 43 off 38 balls with the help of four sixes. He brought his team to the brink of victory.
Pakistan needed 20 runs from 12 balls, and RP Singh bowled the penultimate over, conceding 7 runs and bringing the equation to 13 off 6 balls.
Joginder had no clue what was coming. Dhoni walked up to him, put his hand around his shoulders and gave him a long pep talk. It was like a make or break over for Joginder, a chance that could turn him into a star overnight.
Instead of overthinking, Joginder confidently took on the responsibility given by Dhoni and went to the top of his run-up.
He started with a wide delivery, followed by a dot ball. Now, 12 runs were needed off 5 balls. Joginder bowled a full toss outside off stump, and Misbah launched it straight down the ground for a six .
The equation then came down to six needed off the last four balls. The pressure was clearly on Joginder.
This time, Joginder bowled full and on the stumps. Misbah, out of nowhere, went across and played a scoop shot over short fine-leg, but Sreesanth took the catch and threw the ball in the air as India won the title.
Recalling the famous game, former Pakistan captain Misbah said he knew beforehand that Joginder would bowl the last over.
"Bhajji had an over left and I knew Dhoni is not going to give the last over to a spinner. The only option Dhoni and India had was Joginder Sharma. The side’s boundary was very short. It would be tough for a spinner to bowl that over. I could easily hit them towards the side boundary. I had this idea before Dhoni handed the last over to Joginder Sharma. That was the right call from MS Dhoni," Misbah told TimesofIndia.com.
"There was a chance, an outside chance. They also knew that it was the last wicket...If you get out, the match is over," he said.
"I was mentally prepared about who was going to bowl the last over," Misbah added.
India and Pakistan are set to clash once again in the much-anticipated T20 World Cup 2024 match this Sunday at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, bringing the cricketing world to a standstill for the mother of all battles.
India will enter the match following a victory against Ireland, while Pakistan, in contrast, were shocked in their opening game by tournament co-hosts USA.
"Everyone feels the pressure of playing in the India-Pakistan match. Whenever I used to play against India, if the start was good, I was confident and comfortable that I would perform. It's in the player's muscle memory and mind that when you perform well, you really have a big impact on the match, and the position you are in during the match also has an influence," Misbah said.
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