Indian Players celebrating after winning the Semi-Finals of the T20 World Cup 2007
Imagine stepping onto the field as MS Dhoni, leading India for the first time in a T20 World Cup Semi-Final. The stakes couldn’t be higher as you are up against Australia, the reigning ODI World Cup champions, Champions Trophy holders, and one of the most dominant teams across formats, now making their mark in T20 cricket. But what if you have a weapon like Yuvraj Singh, a player in red-hot form, ready to take the fight to the opposition? This was the setting for the electrifying 2007 T20 World Cup Semi-Final. Let’s relive every thrilling moment of that unforgettable match below.
The second Semi-Final of the 2007 T20 World Cup took place at Kingsmead, Durban, on 22nd September 2007, as India faced Australia to decide the second finalist after Pakistan. With the Australian team in formidable form and Indian fans nervously anticipating the clash, it was a high-stakes encounter. MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first, sending the trusted opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag to set the stage. Australia’s pace attack, led by Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken, made early scoring difficult for India.
The start was cautious, with the scoreboard reading 19/0 by the end of the fourth over, thanks to Gambhir’s two crisp boundaries. Just as the openers seemed ready to shift gears, disaster struck. In the sixth over, Mitchell Johnson got Sehwag out for 9 runs off 13 balls, reducing India to 36/1. The pressure mounted further as Johnson struck again in the eighth over, removing Gambhir for 24 runs off 25 balls.
With India struggling at 41/2, the situation looked grim. Enter Yuvraj Singh, the hero of India’s campaign. He wasted no time in announcing his intentions. On just the second ball he faced, Yuvraj dispatched Stuart Clark over the boundary for a six, instantly shifting momentum. With his trademark aggression, Yuvraj set the tone for a counterattack, signaling that India wasn’t backing down. Then came the unforgettable moment: Yuvraj Singh’s iconic flick off Brett Lee for a colossal 119-meter six, a shot that every batter dreams of and one that remains etched in cricket history.
The 11th over, bowled by Stuart Clark, marked the turning point as Yuvraj unleashed his full power, smashing two sixes and a boundary. India plundered 19 runs in the over, propelling the score to 79/2. The onslaught continued as Yuvraj targeted Clark again in the 14th over, hammering 21 runs to complete his half-century in just 21 balls, an innings of sheer dominance. Robin Uthappa joined the party in the 15th over, striking two consecutive sixes off Mitchell Johnson. However, in a moment of misfortune, Uthappa was run out for a well-made 34 off 28 balls, ending a crucial 84-run partnership.
India stood strong at 127/3 after 15 overs, now aiming for a competitive 180+ total. MS Dhoni walked in to join Yuvraj, and the duo continued the carnage. Sensing the need for control, Adam Gilchrist introduced part-time spinner Michael Clarke. The move worked, as Clarke dismissed Yuvraj for a scintillating 70 off 30 balls in the 18th over, leaving India at 161/4. Rohit Sharma joined Dhoni for the final flourish. The duo smashed 18 runs in the penultimate over, with Dhoni and Rohit launching massive sixes. In the final over, the Indian innings concluded on a commanding 188/5.
Chasing a daunting target of 189, Australia needed a strong start. Their experienced openers, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, rose to the occasion. In the 5th over, they tore into RP Singh, smashing 17 runs to propel the score to 36/0. With momentum shifting towards Australia, MS Dhoni needed a breakthrough, and it came courtesy of Sreesanth. The fiery pacer bowled a beauty to castle Adam Gilchrist for 22 off 13 balls, reducing Australia to 36/1. To maintain the flow of runs, Brad Hodge was promoted up the order.
Meanwhile, Hayden continued his aggressive approach, punishing the Indian bowlers. By the 8th over, Australia had reached 64/1, needing 125 runs from 12 overs. Recognizing the urgency, Dhoni introduced Irfan Pathan into the attack. Pathan didn’t disappoint, deceiving Brad Hodge and dismissing him for 11 off 10 balls. This brought Andrew Symonds to the crease, and he wasted no time taking the attack to India. Symonds and Hayden forged a dangerous partnership, bringing Australia to 120/2 by the end of the 13th over. With just 68 runs required from 42 balls and Hayden already completing his half-century, the match was delicately poised.
Seeing the need for another breakthrough, Dhoni turned to Sreesanth again. The decision paid off as Sreesanth produced a gem of a delivery, uprooting Hayden’s off stump. His animated celebration reverberated across the stadium. Hayden departed for a well-made 62 off 47 balls, leaving Australia at 134/3. They still needed 55 runs from 32 balls, setting up a nail-biting finish as Michael Hussey came out in the middle. But this was where the Indian team turned the tide and applied immense pressure on Australia. It paid off as the dangerous Andrew Symonds fell for 43 off 26 balls in the 17th over, leaving Australia at 156/4.
Sensing the moment, MS Dhoni brought Harbhajan Singh back into the attack for the crucial 18th over. Harbhajan bowled a perfect yorker to dismiss Michael Clarke for just 3 runs, tightening India’s grip on the game. The equation was now 27 runs needed off 12 balls, and the task seemed monumental for Australia. For the penultimate over, Dhoni handed the ball to RP Singh. With Brad Haddin and Michael Hussey at the crease, the pressure was on RP to deliver. He started brilliantly with two consecutive dot balls, creating tension in the Australian camp.
Although a no-ball followed, RP recovered quickly, conceding just 5 runs in the over. His remarkable control left Australia needing 22 runs off the final over. The responsibility of defending the total in the last over fell to Joginder Sharma. The crowd at Kingsmead held its breath as Joginder ran in. His first two deliveries were full and outside off, both of which Michael Hussey missed, resulting in dot balls. On the third delivery, Hussey miscued a full toss straight to Yuvraj Singh, who made no mistake.
Hussey was dismissed for 13 off 12 balls, and Australia was reduced to 167/6, now requiring 22 runs off 3 balls. With the pressure mounting, Joginder bowled the fifth delivery, and Brett Lee, attempting a big hit, was caught for just 2 runs. The dismissal sealed Australia’s fate as India knocked them out of the tournament. The final ball saw Mitchell Johnson hitting a boundary, but it was inconsequential as India secured a thrilling 15-run victory.
As the Indian players celebrated in a jubilant huddle, the Australian camp looked dejected, their hopes of holding all three ICC trophies simultaneously dashed. Yuvraj Singh was deservedly awarded the Player of the Match for his game-changing knock of 70 off 30 balls. It was a historic win, one that propelled India to the inaugural T20 World Cup final.