• By Namrata Vijay
  • Sat, 14 Sep 2024 05:05 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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The 2007 T20 World Cup brought a new format to world cricket and one of the best moments of the mega-event was witnessed in the group stage clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on September 14, 2007. The rivalry between these two teams had made it the much-awaited clash and what happened afterward gave the fans memories of a lifetime to cherish. The match ended in a tie after 40 overs as both the teams had scored 141 runs. While batting first, the Men in Blue posted a respectable target of 141/9, where Robin Uthappa was the highest run-scorer as he scored a half-century whereas MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan too made significant contributions and helped the team post a decent target. Pakistan's Mohammed Asif was the pick among the bowlers as he registered figures of 4/18.

In reply, the Men in Green looked in deep trouble since the beginning of their innings as the Indian bowlers ran riot against their batting lineup. Misbah-ul-Haq scored a gritty knock of 53 runs and helped his team bounce back but couldn't lead the team across the line while chasing. The last over became quite dramatic as Sreeshanth stayed calm and got Misbah out on the last ball and thus Pakistan was 151/7 after 20 overs and the match ended in a draw and was forced towards the bowl-out. It became a nail-biting thriller after it was forced towards the bowl-out.

Watch the iconic bowl-out between India and Pakistan here:

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India wins a historic bowl-out

The bowl-out was a unique method to declare the winner after the match ended in a draw in this format back then. The players from both the teams were asked to bowl at the unguarded stumps with no batter around and whichever team had hit the stumps the most then they would be declared as the winner. And that is when MS Dhoni used his brilliant captaincy skills. On one hand, Pakistan was dependent on their pacers, Dhoni came up with a bold plan by letting Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and Robin Uthappa bowl, despite all of them not being specialist bowlers but had brilliant accuracy. This decision worked in their favor as all three of them had hit the stumps brilliantly with their bowling.

On the other hand, Pakistan's Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, and Shahid Afridi couldn't hit those stumps and thus India won the match by 3-0 in the bowl-out. Dhoni's brilliant captaincy skills and incredible decision-making in the intense nail-biting thriller played a huge role in their victory.

This match was not just known for its bowl-out but also showed Dhoni's tactical strategy. Their bowl-out victory had set the foundation of their maiden T20 World Cup title. For the fans of both teams, this match became one of the most memorable moments in the history of the rivalry between these two teams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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