That one ball was a second of intense strain that modified my life. The Pakistanis had been on the verge of a win, and Misbah-ul-Haq threatened to spoil our celebration. He had put his crew on the cusp of victory, and the load of that second was palpable. Each crew member was tense, and I used to be no exception. The gravity of the scenario was overwhelming.
I couldn’t have let the crew down. My captain, MS Dhoni, had positioned immense religion in me. I knew why. He had seen me bowl the final overs in home and native matches, so he was way more assured than me. That’s the fantastic thing about having a captain like Dhoni.
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Our journey by means of the match was a testomony to our resilience and ability. From the bowl-out end after a tie in opposition to Pakistan to the grand finale, we performed some excellent cricket. We discovered our match-winners in every difficult scenario, and I used to be about to find that I must play a essential function in one of the crucial essential moments of the match.
We misplaced to New Zealand within the early a part of the competitors however got here again strongly. The surge got here from a sensational knock by Yuvraj Singh in opposition to England. What a efficiency!
The calculated assault by Yuvraj on Stuart Broad was a affirmation of his vary of strokes and a optimistic mindset. Broad was left bruised. As a bowler, I might learn his thoughts. It may be very demoralising, however Yuvraj is such an distinctive batsman.
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As soon as we defeated England, South Africa, and Australia, the subsequent two additionally bowed to our crew’s all-around expertise. It was a brand new format for us, however it was wonderful how the crew tailored to the inputs from coaches, Lalchand Rajput and Venkatesh Prasad. Practising the bowl-out was a well-thought-out technique, and it labored superbly. Successful that match was essential. We discovered our power within the England contest and by no means appeared again. Just like the 1983 crew below Kapil Dev, this squad had little expectations from the followers. We might have finished higher within the 2007 ODI World Cup, and that’s why successful the inaugural T20 World Cup was so joyful. It modified the lives of many cricketers.
Let me get again to that ball. Pakistan wanted 13 to win, with Misbah on fireplace. Dhoni gave me the ball with the reassurance, “If we win, you’re taking the credit score. In the event that they win, I’ll take the blame.” This galvanised me.
I bowled a large to start out with however managed to observe it up with a dot ball. I felt so relieved. After which Misbah hit me for a six. I might really feel the stress, however I used to be not perturbed. I noticed Dhoni’s calm and provoking face. I attacked Misbah on the stumps, and he tried to scoop the ball over S. Sreesanth. He couldn’t clear Sreesanth, who held on to the skier as if his life trusted it. We had gained, and I used to be delighted to be a part of historical past. I’ve relived that ball one million occasions!
As advised to Vijay Lokapally