Despite its lack of experience in the game’s new format, India emerged victorious from a very tense clash with Pakistan to win the first World Twenty20 cricket trophy in South Africa, Johannesburg, on Monday.
A giant country of 1.2 billion people, most of them cricket fans, was all eyes and ears as they watched the TV broadcast from Johannesburg and rejoiced as the Indian national team was led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni to a historical win over Pakistan by five runs with three balls to spare.
"I shall treasure it for the rest of my life," Dhoni said.
The attendance of the packed stadium in Johannesburg, which came to see the clash between the two mighty teams from the sub-continent, were not disappointed as they witnessed a dramatic match full of sixes and wickets.
This is India’s second World Cup title after 24 years and BCCI announced a reward of $2 million for the winners and a reward for Rs 1 crore for Yuvraj Singh.
The Pakistanis needed 158 runs to win the final, but they constantly lost wickets, and although they were ahead on run rate for much of the game, the excellent bowling by RP Singh and Irfan Pathan gave India the much-deserved win. All 10 Pakistan batsmen were dismissed for 152 runs after India scored 157 runs for the loss of five wickets.
The Twenty20 tournament was a change from the old five-day-test matches, considered very boring over the last period as its matches often ended in draws.
The changed format is only 20 overs and every match produces a clear result thus leaving the teams with only one alternative to win the match: fast scoring.
"As far as the thousands who saw (India) clinch a nerve-shredding contest against Pakistan here in Johannesburg and the millions upon millions who watched it on television are concerned, that makes them world champions. Pure and simple," The Independent reported Tuesday.
The new format was a success and the ICC will definitely want to see more Twenty20 matches played, but if this happens it will be in ODI cricket’s detriment. Although it takes more time, the old format remains the better from a cricketing point of view as it allows more of a balance between batting and bowling.
Scoreboard
INDIA
Gambhir c Asif b Umar Gul .......................75
Pathan c Malik b Mohammad Asif ............15
Uthappa c Afridi b Sohail Tanvir................ 8
Y Singh c & b Umar Gul ............................14
Dhoni b Gul ...............................................6
Sharma not out .......................................30
Pathan not out ..........................................3
Extras: (1lb, 1nb, 4w) ....................... ........6
Total: (for 5 wickets, 20 overs)...............157
Toss: India
Fall of wicket: 1/25, 2/40, 3/103, 4/111, 5/130 Bowling: Asif 3-0-25-1(1w), Tanvir 4-0-29-1(2w), Afridi 4-0-30-0, Hafeez 2-0-16-0, Gul 4-0-28-3 (1nb, 1w), Arafat 2-0-19-0
PAKISTAN
Hafeez c Uthappa b Singh.......................... 1
Nazir run out Uthappa............................. .33
Akmal b RP Singh ........................................0
Khan c Pathan b Sharma ...........................24
Malik c R Sharma b Pathan...........................8
Misbah c Sreesanth b J Sharma .................43
Afridi c Sreesanth b Pathan .........................0
Arafat b I Pathan .......................................15
Tanvir b Sreesanth ....................................12
Gul b RP Singh .............................................0
Asif not out ..................................................4
Extras: (1b, 4lb, 1nb, 6w) ...........................12
Total: (all out, 19.3 overs) ..................... ...152
Fall of wicket: 1/2, 2/26, 3/53, 4/65, 5/76, 6/77, 7/104, 8/138, 9/141, 10/152
Bowling: RP Singh 4-0-26-3 (1nb), Sreesanth 4-1-44-1(2w), Sharma 3.3-0-20-2 (2w), Pathan 1-0-5-0 Pathan 4-0-16-3 (1w), H Singh 3-0-36-0 (1w)
Result: India wins by 5 runs
Man of the Match: Irfan Pathan
Man of the Series: Shahid Afridi
