2007 ICC World T20: Final
It was the 2007 ICC World T20 final between India and Pakistan at Johannesburg (24th September 2007). The Indian captain MS Dhoni decided to bat first after winning the toss in this match. While many of the Indian batsmen struggled in the first innings, the opener Gautam Gambhir played a brilliant innings. The left-handed batsman scored 75 runs off 54 balls, and it helped India to manage a respectable first innings total of 157/5 (20 overs). Also, the middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma played an important cameo of unbeaten 30 runs (16 balls).
Pakistan pacer Umar Gul had the superb bowling figures of 4-0-28-3.
In reply, Pakistan lost their wickets at regular intervals, and they were once battling on 104/7 in 16 overs. Misbah-ul-Haq once again tried to save Pakistan while the tail-ender Sohail Tanvir (12 runs off 4 balls) played a small but crucial cameo. Pakistan needed to score 13 more runs (with just one wicket in hand) in the final over to win that exciting game while Indian captain appointed Joginder Sharma for the final-over bowling.
After conceding a sixer on his second legal delivery of that over, Joginder dismissed Misbah on the next ball and secured that inaugural World T20 trophy. Going to play a risky scoop shot over the short fine-leg, Misbah gifted a catch to S Sreesanth who made no mistake at the end. It was the iconic moment of that match.
While Pakistan was all out for 152 runs (19.3 overs), Misbah (43 runs) was the highest run-scorer in that innings. India won that match by five runs.
Among the Indian bowlers, RP Singh (3/26) and Irfan Pathan (3/16) both claimed three wickets each.