India - "Ist" Twenty20 World Champion
Heartly Congratulations for the young and energetic Indian Cricket Team for winning the inaugural Twenty20 cricket World Cup after a thrilling five-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final in Johannesburg on Monday 24 September, 2007.
And hats off to the new team India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. There cannot be a better start as a Captain of Indian Cricket team. First assignment Twenty20 world cup as captain and winning the cup without seniors players in the team. No words... all praises to Dhoni and its team.... :-)
There can't be a better Twenty20 world cup, which saw the home side (South Africa) winning the very first match of the tournament by chasing more than 200 on the score board.
Bangladesh beating West Indies and Australia deafeated by Zimbabwe reminded us the World Cup (50 overs) held earlier in the year. Australia moved on to the next stage, but West Indies were not so lucky.
India vs. Pakistan - First Twenty20 encounter...
Heart beats of all Indians were increased when the match between India and Scotland was abandoned due to rain. And to reach to the next stage (Super 8), India had to beat its arch-rival Pakistan. Memories of early exit of Pakistan and India in the World Cup were re-surfaced.
It was a match, which will be remembered for years, not because India beat Pakistan in yet another world cup match but the way India won the match. It was first ever bowl-out match in the cricket history. India batting first could manage to score only a small total which Pakistan team was able to match with... yeah the match was a tie and according to new rule of Twenty20, five bowlers from each team will bowl one ball and whoever hits the stumps most will be declared winner.
Everyone seems tensed and was excited too as it was first time in history that such kind of thing was happening in Cricket. Dhoni's tactics of using only spinners (including non-regular bowlers like Robin Uthappa) paid of as the Pakistan bowlers could not hit the stump even once and from India, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Robin Uthappa was on target and the match was awarded to India. For records India has won the match :-)
Super 8
India lost first and last time in Twenty20 World Cup final and it was the only time when Indians were to chase the score and they failed to do that against New Zealand. To reach to the semi-finals, India had to win both of its matches against England and South Africa. And Indian Cricket team did it in style. The heroes of these wins were Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma.
First, Yuvraj Singh played a knock of his life scoring 50 in 12 balls including 6 sixes of six balls of 19th over bowled by England seamer Stuart Broad. He also became the first to achieve this and his 50 runs are the fastest in Twenty20 game.
Rohit Sharma looked fantastic in all the matches he played. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and looked great while batting. He was also awarded Man of the Match for his match winning 50 against South Africa.
Semifinal - India vs. Australia
A match which will be remembered for the aggression shown by Indian batsmen and bowlers particularly Sreesanth and Yuvraj Singh. Though Sreesanth was fined for being over aggressive after taking Mathew Hayden's wicket, India won this match in style by beating the World Champions.
Highlights of the match was stunning knock by Yuvraj Singh scoring 70 of 30 balls and great balling performance by R.P. Singh and Sreesanth. And hats off to the Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni whose patience paid of at the end. He used his bowlers so tactically that even World Champions had no answer to that.
Oh yes... the match was played in Durban but it felt like match is being played in India.. Indian flags moving all over and stadium was full Indian Fans. Even Ricky Ponting said that he was feeling like in India :-)
Final - The Last battle - India vs. Pakistan
In a match that saw fortunes fluctuate till the dying moments, the young Indian team scored 157 for 5 and then held its nerve to bowl out Pakistan for 152 with just 3 balls to spare. It was India's first World cup win since winning the Prudential World Cup in 1983. It was an incredible display by the Indians who relied on superb team work to not only maintain their all-win record against their bitter foes in World Cup matches but also complete a series of giant-killing acts in the blaze glory.
the big guns like Yuvraj Singh [Images] and Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to click and it was Gautam Gambhir who slammed 54balls 75 and Rohit Sharma scoring an unbeaten 30 runs to help India putting a decent total on the score board.
The large flag-waving gathering of Indians at the Wanderers burst into celebration when Sreesanth caught the dangerous Misbah-ul Haq off Joginder Sharma to bring an end to Pakistan's challenge. The contest seemed to go out of India's hands in the 17th over when Misbah hitted Harbhajan Singh for 3 sixes, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni's band of young warriors roared back in great style to come out trumps and claim the winners' purse of US $49,000.
Irfan Pathan was named the Man of the Match. Pakistan s' Shahid Afridi was named Man of the Series.
Celebrations
Celebrations started soon after Sreesanth took the catch. News channel showing homes of our heroes where people have gathered to congratualte tha family. The atmosphere at the Wanderers was electified by the Indians, Team members taking a round of the ground, Indian flags all over, team members dancing to the music. It was such a pleasing moment.
It didn't end here. More celebration were awaiting team India at home in Mumbai...
Oblivious of the pouring rain, fans have lined the 30km route from the international airport in Sahar to the Wankhede Stadium, where the team was felicitated.
And in tribute to the dancing fans, the team members shrugged off their jet lag and the elements, climbed to the top of an open bus fronted by a photograph of a triumphant captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] and the words VIJAY RATH, and danced in response to the dancing fans.
Traffic on the route is at a standstill, and no one seems to mind -- the mood is one of total celebration, and the younger among the fans have begun running alongside the team bus, dancing and, whenever their heroes show signs of standing still, egging them on to dance again.
Yuvraj and Sreesanth [Images] have established themselves as the cheerleaders, dancing non-stop on the roof of the bus, and exhorting the fans lining the roads to applaud, to dance, to celebrate. The bus is travelling at a little over walking pace along Mumbai roads, trailing the contingent of fans running alongside, and the media in two buses following the team bus.
Cellphones are ubiquitous -- everyone holds his or her phone overhead, hoping to snag the perfect shot.
The cavalcade of 50-odd police motorcycles preceding the team bus has moved a good five kms ahead of the team bus, and as they pass, even they get a cheer.
And as expected, there was money pouring into the pockets of teams members. Rs. 80 Lakh for each team member, Rs.1 crore for Yuvraj Singh and a brand new Porsche for hitting six sixes and a Mercedez to R.P. Singh. There was prizes announced by state Govt. to the local heroes.
I hope India continue the winning spirit and a great luck to Dhoni for leading the Indian cricket team...
at last... Chak De India
