Run cricket, run! When India bolted on the T20 track

March 23, 2007: A dejected India dressing room
One look at the desperate, grief-laden faces of the Indian cricketers and the viewer would be able to comprehend the approaching storm. India had been knocked out of the 2007 ICC World Cup in the group stage. A defeat against Bangladesh in the opening match foretold impending doom and the prophecy was fulfilled by Sri Lanka in the last match.

India, the favourites to win the World Cup, were thrashed and humiliated not only in the cricketing arena but also back home. Effigies were burnt, the 'Godly' players crucified. In the middle of the pandemonium, when the fire of hatred and anger threatened to engulf a sport so long considered a religion, the nation ventured to conquer a new kingdom. A land hitherto untouched, a mystery that promised glory. A battered India set sail on a new journey.

Cricket's newborn, rebuked and praised

When T20 cricket came into the spotlight for the first time, it was touted as just a form of entertainment. It was nothing serious that would leave its mark on the century-old game. The puritans scoffed at the idea, the sceptics looked from a distance. Nobody was ready to test the waters, except for occasional brushes. It was at this juncture that the ICC thawed its ice of negligence and announced the first-ever T20 World Cup. The newbie was given the grandest of stages to showcase its potential.

Should go or shouldn't?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India debated whether they should send a team to the competition. The BCCI never liked the idea of T20 until then (later, irony smiled with the birth of IPL), and if they had to send a team, they decided to field a second-string one. The big guns: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan decided to abstain from taking part in the unconventional format. A new team was chosen and a new captain was appointed. A captain who would later win numerous accolades for his country. The team under his leadership would emerge as a powerhouse in white-ball cricket in later years.

It was in South Africa 12 years ago when it all began.

A washout and a bowl-out

The T20 World Cup greeted India with rain. The first match against a relatively weaker opponent (though the shortest format can cause the greatest of upsets), Scotland, was washed out without a ball being bowled. Deprived of two points, India had to win their last group stage against arch-rivals Pakistan. In a mad dance of fate, both the teams ended up tied on 141. Then a bowl-out, where a bowler would have to bowl and hit the unguarded stumps. India won the shootout 3-0 and qualified for the next round.

Bogey team, Yuvraj mayhem, bowling masterclass

New Zealand have beaten India in T20Is more often than not. The Black Caps lead an astonishing 8-3 in head-to-head encounters. The inaugural T20 World Cup was no exception. India lost by 10 runs in their opening match of the Super 8s against the Kiwis. They were staring down the barrel once again and were forced to fight tooth and nail for survival.

And then, a volcano erupted and mayhem ensued.

Yuvraj Singh was always known as a swashbuckling batsman, capable of clearing the fence with the utmost ease. The graceful laidback swing of the bat would terrorise even the best bowlers in the world. Andrew Flintoff though was unfazed.

India were up against England in their next match. Batting first, they were well on course for a big total when Yuvraj hammered Flintoff for two fours in the 18th over of the innings. A frustrated Flintoff walked up to the southpaw and chirped a few words. A verbal duel ensued between the two, while Stuart Broad waited at the top of his run-up to deliver the 19th over. Little did Broad know that he would have to bear the brunt of Yuvi's venom.

6,6,6,6,6,6. The world gaped in disbelief, a booming Ravi Shastri screamed, "Yuvraj Singh finishes things off in style. The first time this has happened in T20 cricket." It was carnage that sent the bowler and the opposition into shock and the crowd into frenzied celebration. Yuvraj's 58 runs off 16 balls propelled India to 218. England, despite their best efforts, fell 18 runs short of the total. It's a match that's fondly remembered for Yuvraj's thunderous assault.

India won their next match against host South Africa by 37 runs. It was a victory laced with R.P. Singh's masterful swing bowling. His controlled variations and deceitful guile demolished the South African batting order and the left-arm pacer finished with 4 wickets for a mere 13 runs from his four overs. His scalps included both the openers, Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith.

Up against ODI World Champions

Australia were indomitable, and for some, a team that personified invincibility. The fearsome juggernaut of victory helped them add three consecutive ODI World Cups (1999, 2003, 2007) to their trophy cabinet and they dominated Test cricket as well. They were the reigning champions in both formats. The new T20 format beckoned them to extend their dominion. They wanted to rule unopposed over every fragment of cricket.

India faced mighty Australia in the semifinals. It was a young team unaware of the majestic terror that the Aussies generally evoked in opponents. A fear-free approach ensured that India would reach 188 in their 20 overs, thanks largely to a late Yuvraj flourish. A whirlwind 70 off 30 balls dismantled the Aussie bowling line-up that comprised Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken and Stuart Clark. In reply, Australia ended with 173 for the loss of seven wickets, as the Indian bowlers, especially S Sreesanth, Joginder Sharma and Irfan Pathan strangled the batting, taking two wickets each. India, humiliated in the ODI World Cup, were through to the final of the first-ever T20 World Cup.

Old foes wait in the middle

India reached the final and found Pakistan at the opposite end. A battle for the ultimate prize between arch-rivals. Fans licked their lips in anticipation, the fever pitch reached the crescendo. It was an encounter billed as must-see television, and like many India-Pakistan clashes, it didn't disappoint.

Winning the toss, India elected to bat first. The wily Umar Gul began to thwart the Indian batsmen and he was countered by a determined Gautam Gambhir. Gul's bowling figures of 3 wickets for 28 runs and Gambhir's 75 runs off 54 balls highlighted the first half of the match, where India reached 157 in 20 overs. A modest target against an in-form Pakistan.

However, the Indian bowlers rose to the occasion. It was perhaps a silver lining in India's campaign that they were frequently rescued by their bowlers in a format believed to be a batsman's paradise. RP Singh once again led the attack by removing opener Mohammad Hafeez and the dangerous Kamran Akmal at number three. India chipped away at the wickets at regular intervals. At one stage, Pakistan were tottering at 104 for the loss of seven wickets. Misbah-ul-Haq was, however, still waging a lone war, determined to take his team home.

Pakistan went into the last over needing 13 runs to win, with one wicket in hand. Joginder Sharma was given the task to defend runs in the final six balls. Misbah stood at the other end, calm and composed, assured of his prowess. Joginder bowled a wide first ball, followed by a dot ball. Misbah followed by taking six off a full-toss. Pakistan then needed just 6 runs to win from the last four balls. Misbah attempted to hit the next ball with a paddle-scoop over fine leg but he only managed to sky the ball. It was caught at short fine-leg by Sreesanth, leaving Pakistan all out for 152 runs.

Misbah sat on his haunches as the Men in Blue broke into wild celebrations.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni lifted his first trophy as captain. The victory sent ripples of joy across a country, which was still reeling from humiliation and ignominy. It pulled the nation, the supporters from the dark abyss of failure and placed the game once again on a pedestal. The much-maligned players were reinstated on the thrones of lords and all was well again in the land obsessed with the gentleman's game.

It was back in 2007 when India's tryst with the shortest format of the game began.