India Vs Australia 2007 Semi-Final Highlights

First time world cricket has started believing that even Australia can be eliminated in the knockout stages.
No doubt it was semi-final but beating that side of Invincible Australia it meant you have conquered everything no matter you have played the final after.
Story of the underdogs to the world champions.
Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson it was the dream fast bowling pair. I have a fair choice of thoughts when it comes to the fast bowling over medium line and length action. Destroying the attitude of batsman with fast bowling is a feeling of another level.

Story of underdogs to the world champions.

22nd September 2007, was one of those days when a young team went on to destroy the best sides of the world cricket. It is still so vivid in my mind that most of my friends were not watching this game as they have stated India has somehow reached to the semi-final, but they will not be cross the line today and what was happening after it was all history. It was Saturday and no better feeling to have an epic semi-final game on that day.

Indian innings

After winning the toss Indian Captain has decided to bat first as he has no choice to bat first, and you can’t let Australia to post a big total on the board for you.

Both the openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag went onto the crease to give India a good start.

Getting the boundary on the 3rd ball of the first over of the match by Gautam Ghambir. It was looking like this pair will give the India a good start. But after reaching the 30 runs Mark India losses the explosive opener Sehwag while trying to pull the ball over the Gilchrist head. The score was somehow reached while here goes the another opener Gautam Ghambir who was looking perfect. 41/2 with that man of match of last game was at the crease. Yuvraj and Robin were in the pressure after two quick wickets. But as always Punjabi dasher looked in aggressive touch with his clean hitting. But that Six to Brett Lee with just flick was top-notch.

Yuvraj Singh was in no mood to stop as both went onto to take India score over 100 with some clean hitting over the ropes. 14 overs with 114/2 on the board team India looked to have some good total on the board. Just the next over one twist came into the light, when Andrew Symonds run out robin from nowhere. With this wicket the young Dhoni was on crease with those cool hairs. Both took the score over 150 but there comes the end of flamboyant Yuvraj innings while trying to clear the ball over the ropes of Clarke spell. From there it was not that easy for Australia to chase the target but Rohit Sharma and Dhoni took the final score to 188/5 in 20 overs.

Fans knew at least team India have something on the board to fight for and against that star-studded side of Australia.

Australian innings

When these two invincible openers Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist was coming to the crease.

I don’t know about others, but I have started imagining there earlier destructive opening partnership how they have destroyed the opposition teams in just few overs. With 189 to chase I was still guessing maybe 30 more runs from here. It would have been the better score to defend when these two will come to chase. But first time everyone seen when these two started chasing the total both the batsman looked in difficulty to play shots against the Indian inexperience bowlers.

At the score of 36 everyone was expecting the breakthrough, and there comes the wicket when Sreesanth ripped the middle stump of Adam Gilchrist with the in swinging delivery. Ponting was not playing the game I don’t know why in that crucial game with that wicket Brad Hodge comes to crease to join Mathew Hayden. I think with the Gilchrist wicket Hayden changed his gears and started playing his ideal game and that mighty six to Joginder Sharma which was out of the park.

For a while it looked this man will spoil India dreams today for sure, and he was stopping to play those big sixes into the stands and out of the park. With the scoreboard moving fast at the score of 68 runs there come an another breakthrough when Irfan Pathan removed Brad Hodge but that catch at a moment looked dropped when Joginder Sharma threw it backs towards Dhoni. Everyone was like what wrong with this guy but hopefully it was out. Looked like Clarke will join Hayden but it was Symonds I was like Australia, you can’t do this.

With 11 more overs to go who will stop this tornado and with the first ball Symonds faced they have cleared the intentions India you have to beat us to reach the finals. I can’t forget with every hit which these were smashing to the boundary line. Fans were predicting match will over before 20th over. They way these two teased India fans were just epic. It was required 55 runs in 33, balls no one was expecting anything at the stage as it was cleared Australia will go to play the another final.

4th ball of 15th over Sreesanth out of nowhere cleaned the stumps of Hayden and that epic way to sledge back from the Sreesanth was the signs to world cricket.

Stay Tuned underdogs are on the way. With Hayden wicket another left-hander comes to crease Michael Hussey and still Australia side had that depth in batting line up to cross the line. At the score 156/3 it was cleared Australia will clear the line. First Symonds and then in addition to 3 runs on the scoreboard Harbhajan Singh ripped off the wickets of Clarke. That wicket of Clarke and the reaction of Dhoni and Harbhajan was Australia we will let not you cross the line but sending you back home from knockout game.

With the arrival of Brett Lee still it was not very clear as Michael Hussey was still at the crease. With 22 runs required in final 6 balls. I don’t know why it was Joginder Sharma in these crucial times. It was still 22 runs in 4 balls fans were predicting back to back sixes are coming up and that 3rd ball of final over which Hussey smashed into the air for a while it looked it is going over the boundary line and out of nowhere Yuvraj Singh was moving to take the catch and his excitement was cleared after the catch with those slang words that team India has crossed the line and into the finals.

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India Vs Australia 2007 Semi-Final Highlights | T20 World Cup 2007