MEMORIES OF ANOTHER INDIA-PAK LEAGUE GAME: I bear in mind sitting on the second ground and looking out on the flood-lit floor a couple of hours after that thrilling bowl-out recreation towards Pakistan within the 2007 T20 event. Just absorbing the surroundings. MS Dhoni walked as much as me to say, “kya, tu itna chup kyun hai?” (Why are you so quiet?). I used to be simply rewinding that yr. I wasn’t a part of the group for the final six months. I used to be alone on the MRF Pace academy in Chennai, coaching with unknown children. And labored very arduous to make a comeback. And now as I sat there quietly after that recreation, I used to be reflecting on how all that onerous work had paid off and the way a lot I had missed being within the motion.
In some methods, it was how the India story too had gone that yr. We had come to the T20 World Cup in 2007 with so many unhealthy recollections. Earlier that yr, we had misplaced the ODI World Cup within the West Indies, we didn’t even qualify. To make issues worse, our first recreation towards Scotland within the T20 event was washed out, so it meant that we needed to win all our video games from there on. The margin of error was too low. Nobody anticipated {that a} bowl out would occur. That win helped us qualify, so an enormous burden was off our shoulders. Everything went in our favour after that.
Irfan Pathan performed a fast 20 off 15 balls. (Videograb)
When I walked into the enjoying area, I used to be simply overwhelmed with the surroundings, and attempting arduous to regulate my feelings. I used to be very determined to make a comeback. When we batted first, Mohammad Asif turned in a harmful spell. It was the one recreation in that event the place we didn’t get an excellent begin. We misplaced 4 batsmen early and I bear in mind the dugout was a bit tense.
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But the best way Robin (Uthappa) batted in that recreation was glorious. I nonetheless bear in mind he walked down the crease and hit a six off Yasir (Arafat). It was one of many best knocks by him. He and Dhoni had a partnership and later I had some stand with Dhoni.
I bear in mind when Shahid Afridi got here to bowl, I requested him (Dhoni) what he was pondering, is it time for one in all us to cost now. He replied, “You go for it.” So I hit Shahid Afridi for 2 consecutive sixes and later bought out to him. We managed to achieve a decent rating. When the chase started, the match was going up and down, it was a see-saw recreation.
There had been some 12 odd runs wanted within the final over, bowled by Sreesanth. I bear in mind two fours got here after which he got here around the wicket. It’s not straightforward to strive that angle and bowl in such a excessive profile tense recreation. Sreesanth had a behavior of adjusting his motion whereas working in to confuse the batsman, I later advised him to not do it. As this may hamper his rhythm. He bowled effectively that night time to come back again after these two fours. They wanted only one from the final two; the primary was a dot and the final ball resulted in a run out.
Before that final ball, when the scores had been tied, there have been too many ideas happening in my thoughts. A loss towards Pakistan and that too in a World Cup the place we had by no means misplaced to them. Such ideas flitted via however fortunately, there was that run out. It was an enormous reduction as a result of we got here again into the sport from nowhere.
Irfan Pathan hit Afridifor two consective sixes within the sixteenth over. (Videograb)
When the bowl out started, we had been prepared. We may see from the faces of the Pakistan gamers, it appeared they didn’t have the concept that such a rule was there. Or so it appeared.
Thankfully, our bowling coach Venky (Venkatesh Prasad) had ready us for this bowl-outs. He had made the coaching classes enjoyable. Before that Pakistan recreation we got a floor to observe in Durban. I bear in mind after the observe there we had a stump which was product of small bricks. Like now we have in gully cricket. Everyone was requested to do goal observe and we not solely needed to hit the brick stumps but in addition make it fall. All that onerous work paid off.
After that win towards Pakistan, the group was extra united than earlier than. It grew to become a motion, nearly with everybody having fun with one another’s firm. We had simply 5 minutes of conferences earlier than each recreation, together with the finals. The solely lengthy assembly we used to have was with Venky bhai. It labored effectively and we went on to win that event.
(Former India participant spoke to Devendra Pandey)
