Page 2 - Cricket's greatest comebacks - Sri Lanka vs. India: Only T20I, 2009

Brother in arms: Yusuf (L) and Irfan Pathan (R) celebrate India’s win in the only T20I vs. Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa in Colombo on February 10, 2009. (Getty Images)

Enter the Pathan brothers. The left-handed Irfan quickly got off the mark, pushing a single off Bandara’s second ball to get his brother on strike. And what followed can only be described as mayhem.

Yusuf smashed the next ball for a glorious boundary over extra cover. Bandara gave the next one some air, around the leg-stump, but the Baroda bomber responded with a massive hit over long-on, and finished the over with a huge six over deep mid-wicket. Those 17 runs changed the course of the game completely.

Suddenly the smiles were back in the Indian dressing room. They weren’t out of it yet.

Dilhara Fernando kept spraying the ball down the leg side as Sri Lanka kept bleeding extras left and right. Unnerved by Yusuf’s ferocious assault, Dilshan dispensed with the slow stuff and brought the dangerous Lasith Malinga back into the attack, hoping to knock over the remaining three wickets quickly. The equation was down to 28 runs from the last three overs.

His move backfired as Irfan joined the party, blasting Malinga for a boundary to take 10 runs off the 18th over. India crossed the 150-run mark in that over, and the Pathans had already added 40 runs in quick time; 18 were now needed from 12 balls.

In the very next over by Fernando, Irfan pulled him for a massive six over deep mid-wicket, followed by a murderous shot between long-off and deep cover that rolled into the fence. In all, they scored 13 runs off the hapless Fernando, taking the score to 167 with one over left.

Malinga took the ball, and Yusuf quickly got off strike, having dug out the yorker outside off. With four runs needed from five balls, it was still anybody’s game. Sri Lanka’s hopes were on the slinger with Irfan on strike. The partnership had crossed 50, and the entire stadium was on its feet, waiting with bated breath.

And then, Malinga did something that would haunt him for a considerable period of time.

He delivered a length ball, on leg stump, to a left-hander. Almost immediately, Irfan swung hard, connecting with the sweet spot on the bat. And the ball took off on its aerial journey, flying higher and higher, until it landed right into the crowd.

The umpire raised his arms, signalling a six. But Irfan didn’t need him, he already knew.

It was over. One moment of stunned silence, then the Indian spectators erupted with joy. Yusuf ran down the pitch to hug his brother and the two did a little victory jig. Dilshan was disconsolate, Malinga shell-shocked.

The Indian dressing room was jubilant as the entire team swarmed on to the ground, engulfing the brothers as they made their way back. It was one of the most thrilling games ever played, and cricket is all the richer for it.

And coincidentally, it was a day of brothers: Mike and David Hussey steered Australia to a win over New Zealand in the fourth ODI of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

But the night of February 10, 2009 will remain etched in gold for cricketing eternity. The Pathan household will savour this for generations to come.