SK Flashback: India-Pakistan semi-final clash in 2011 leads to mid-afternoon traffic jams

There were traffic jams in mid-afternoon as everyone headed home to watch the mighty India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final clash on television in a day-night encounter on a working day. And so, some fans might have missed Virender Sehwag’s pyrotechnics in the third over. He provided early fireworks, smashing Umar Gul for 5 fours, three on the on-side and two on the off. In the next over him and Sachin Tendulkar helped themselves to a boundary each.

As Gul continued, Sehwag rocketed him for two more fours. After 5 overs India were 47 for no loss, Sehwag on 38 off 23 deliveries with 9 boundaries. The left-arm bowler Wahab Riaz came on. He trapped Sehwag leg-before off the fifth ball. Gautam Gambhir strode in. That was the signal for Tendulkar to take charge as he stroked three boundaries in the next two overs.

As the ball lost its sheen and the wicket held up, runs became scarce. There was drama in the 11th over. Off the 4th delivery, umpire Ian Gould ruled Tendulkar leg-before to Saeed Ajmal. The little master invoked the Umpire Decision Review System, which ruled that the ball was missing leg-stump. Next ball Tendulkar was foxed by Ajmal’s doosra and Kamran Akmal whipped off the bails. The review showed that Tendulkar had got his foot down in the nick of time. This semi-final was going to be no sedate encounter.

Shahid Afridi dropped one short, Tendulkar pulled and Misbah-ul-Haq grassed a hot chance at mid-wicket. Next over Tendulkar swept Ajmal to the fine-leg boundary, but a last-ball doosra had the great man edging. The ball flew through the unmanned slip for another four. Mohammad Hafeez had Gambhir stumped, the pair having added 68 in 13 overs. Tendulkar drove Afridi, and Younis Khan floored him. Maintaining his composure in these high-pressure environs, Tendulkar struck Afridi for two splendid off-side boundaries, ushering his fifty off 67 balls.

Wahab Riaz dismissed Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh off successive deliveries. Amazingly, Tendulkar was dropped again as he edged Afridi, and Kamran failed to hold on. This was not the last of the errors. Tendulkar mistimed a pull off Hafeez and the other Akmal, Umar, leapt in the air only to spill the catch. Surely, Tendulkar had never had such a roller-coaster ride in his illustrious career.

Finally, as he drove Ajmal, skipper Afridi clutched the ball. It was an innings of grit and resilience rather than brilliance, but Tendulkar had ensured that India would post a defendable score on a wicket offering plenty of bite for bowlers of all hues. His 85 came off 115 deliveries, punctuated by 11 boundaries. Suresh Raina showed some aggression and India finished at 260 for nine. Riaz was splendid, wresting five wickets for 46.

As the Indian bowlers pegged away, most of the Pakistani batsmen got starts but failed to capitalize. They progressively fell behind the asking rate as the home team, egged on by the vociferous multitude, closed in. Umar Akmal showed enterprise, hitting Yuvraj Singh for a four and 2 sixes, but the visitors rarely looked likely to achieve the target.

As wickets fell around him, Misbah got bogged down, then tried to make a last charge. With 30 runs required off the last over, he was scoreless off four deliveries from the wily Zaheer Khan, then made a desperate swipe only to hole out at long-on. India held on to their World Cup winning streak over the arch-rivals, and marched into the final amid uproarious scenes as the prime ministers of the two nations looked on.

It seemed like Diwali night just eleven days after Holi! It was a record ninth man-of-the-match award for Tendulkar in the event, and probably the scrappiest.

India 260 for 9 (50 overs) beat Pakistan 231 all out (49.5 overs) by 29 runs