5 best T20 World Cup matches of all-time

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are the authors own. They do not reflect those of the website as a whole.Right then, the statutory disclaimer is out of the way, and I can fully focus on the subject at hand.Seven years ago, a relatively lesser-known form of cricket made its first presence (arguably) on the world stage, with South Africa hosting the inaugural edition and witnessing many sparkling achievements be it Yuvraj Singhs six sixes in one over or Misbah ul Haqs rash scoop in a nerve-wracking final and thus the World Twenty20 championships came into existence.Since then, it has become a wonderful biennial event, surpassed only by the immense popularity of the cash-rich extravaganza called the Indian Premier League, and more often than not, one of the sub-continental powerhouses invariably makes it to the semi-finals. If India bagged the silverware in the first edition, Pakistan conquered all in 2009, with England and the West Indies being the other two non-Asian teams to have annexed the title in 2010 and 2012, respectively.Here is a list of the five best games of the World T20 championships over the years:

#5 Thunderbolt Raina - India vs South Africa, Gros Islet, St Lucia (2010 World T20)

His struggles with the short-pitched stuff are a regular feature now, but for a brief while, it looked as though Suresh Raina was well and truly on top of those dangerous deliveries. In that short span of time, he did what he was sent out there to do: whack the stuffing out of the white ball.

And he did in grand style, against a Protean attack consisting of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Rory Kleinveldt and Jacques Kallis – all of whom were hitting the deck hard, troubling the Indians with back-of-length deliveries – thus steering the Men in Blue out of troubled waters with an audacity now sorely missing in his game.

He was jittery, to begin with. Mis-hits in the initial part of his innings belied the carnage he was going to unfold later. Surviving two run-out attempts, Raina and the equally out-of-form Yuvraj Singh then began to attack, plundering runs off Roelof van der Merwe before turning on the pacers. One stand-out stroke was Raina’s well-timed hit off an Albie Morkel yorker past point for four.

In the process, the UP left-hander became the third player and the first Indian to get a Twenty20 International century, and despite valiant efforts from Kallis, skipper Graeme Smith & AB de Villiers, India coasted to their second straight win by 14 runs.

#4 G for Grand - South Africa vs West Indies, New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (2007 World T20)

It takes immense strength of will, focus and a fierce determination to win a game after you are down and out. When the fearsome blade of Chris Gayle begins to wreak havoc on your bowling, you know you’re in for a fight – a long, hard, bloody, brutal scrap that can end in victory or defeat. You must, therefore, have men who enjoy a good brawl.

The Proteas found their Man Friday in Herschelle Gibbs, with all-rounder Justin Kemp conjuring some fireworks of his own, as they went about chasing a 200-plus target in the first-ever match of the inaugural World Twenty20 championships. They had no other choice but to go for their shots from the outset; such was the brutality that Gayle unleashed on the hosts in the first innings.

The SA bowlers were cut down to pieces by the Jamaican’s uninhibited strokeplay. By the time he was dismissed, he had already scored more than half of the team’s eventual total, becoming the first player to get to three figures in a T20 international. An eerie silence loomed over the Wanderers – memories of the 2003 World Cup opener had come back to haunt the hosts.

But Gibbs, the architect of SA’s record-breaking successful chase against Australia a year before, was having none of that. Skipper Graeme Smith was the initial aggressor, despite suffering a broken hand (courtesy Daren Powell) and he laid the platform for his fellow opener to destroy the Caribbean attack completely.

After AB de Villiers’ nine-ball cameo provided added impetus, Kemp stepped up to the plate, smashing Ravi Rampaul for two huge sixes in the 15th over of the chase, effectively snuffing out the West Indian challenge. South Africa rocketed to victory two and a half overs later, thus exorcising the ghosts of 2003.

#3 Bowl-Out Blowout India vs Pakistan, Kingsmead, Durban (2007 World T20)

It was the first of two nail-biting finishes that made the World T20 tournament a permanent fixture on the ICC’s calendar. When two sub-continental heavyweights face off, there are bound to be plenty of emotions running high, along with some extremely high-quality cricket on display as neither side wants to give the other an inch.

What unfolded that night was just another indication of how evenly matched India and Pakistan were during the game. Neither side wanted to throw in the towel because the fickle-minded fans back home wouldn’t forgive or forget easily. The uncertainty that Twenty20 provides was felt in full measure as the game hung precariously in the balance.

Mohammad Asif, who would later suffer the ultimate disgrace of conviction and imprisonment, delivered a fast, controlled spell that reduced the 1983 WC winners to 36/4 under overcast conditions. But Robin Uthappa then led a recovery, belting India’s first ever T20 half century, with skipper Dhoni and Irfan Pathan conjuring crucial cameos to steer the side to 141.

In reply, Pakistan stuttered towards the target, before making a sudden charge with Misbah scoring the huge hits. Sreesanth, however, held his nerve and managed to end the game in a tie.

Then came the bowl-out – in a style reminiscent of the shootout between India and Australia in Chak De India! - and Sehwag, Uthappa and Harbhajan Singh joined the party as they hit the stumps in turn. Pakistan faltered; Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi and Yasir Arafat couldn’t conjure their magic, and India ran out winners by a 3-0 margin. Terrific Stuff!

#2 Hussey the Finisher Australia vs Pakistan, Gros Islet, St Lucia (Semi Final 2, 2010 World T20)

Sometimes, I am befuddled by Australia’s rather peculiar selection policies. They handed the Baggy Green to a 29-year old veteran of the domestic setup in 2004, never doubting his credentials or skills with the willow for a moment. Six years later, their choice proved to be the difference between victory and defeat in the T20 World Championships in 2010 – the only trophy missing from Australia’s overflowing cabinet – against defending champions Pakistan in the second semi final.

Chasing 192 for a place in the summit clash against England, the Aussies were precariously placed at 102 in the 13th over, with only five wickets in hand. Only a miracle could prevent the Men in Green from reaching the final – the Akmal brothers had struck blazing half centuries to get Pakistan to a challenging total.

That miracle, or “freak”, turned out to be a guy called Mike Hussey. Pairing up with Cameron White, he paced the remainder of the chase well, evoking myriad comparisons with the legendary Michael Bevan. He snuck in the ones and twos, with White slamming sixes almost at will.

Pakistan, not yet cowed, struck back with a vengeance – White and Steve Smith fell in quick succession, bringing the equation down to 34 runs off the final two overs of the game. It seemed all but over.

Hussey had had enough. He pulled Shahid Afridi for two massive sixes, stunning the maverick all-rounder with the ferociousness of his move. Running out of ideas, Afridi tossed the ball to the wily Saeed Ajmal, who had been a thorn in Australia’s flesh, for the final over.

Mitchell Johnson, on strike, pushed Ajmal’s first delivery for a single, scampering across for dear life. And the next four balls sounded the death-knell for Pakistan: 6,6,4,6 – the last one getting Australia across the finish line. Pakistan's title defence lay in ruins, and the victorious Kangaroos made it to the final of the World T20 for the first time.

Moral of the Story – Never Under-Estimate the Power of a No. 7 Batsman!

#1 Dutch Courage England vs The Netherlands, Lords Cricket Ground, London (2009 World T20)

Any fears that the second edition of the Twenty20 World Cup would be consigned to a watery grave (it was staged during the monsoon season, of all times!) were allayed by a stunner of a game that brought the excitement of 2007 back into fans around the world. It was indeed a tournament of upsets, but none so stirring as the tale that unfolded at that most hallowed of all cricket grounds: Lord’s.

There were no such indications at the outset – England had got off on the wrong foot, initially, with the maverick Kevin Pietersen ruled out due to a recurrence of his Achilles injury. However, Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright put up a century stand for the first wicket. Strangely, none of the remaining batsmen were in the mood to finish the innings well – not one six was hit at the time – and the Dutch took their chances, with all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate picking up both openers with his skiddy medium pace. Despite a powerful start, England could only manage 162.

James Anderson broke through in the first over, removing Alexei Kervezee for 1, but then the hosts were shocked when the other batsmen unfurled their shots. Darron Reekers clouted two huge sixes in his 20-run knock, and the momentum swung back to the Dutch with Tom de Grooth and Peter Borren also joining the party.

Anderson continued to plug away at the other end, picking up three wickets, but ten Doeschate and Edgar Schiferli held their nerves in the final over to steal the remaining two runs off the final ball bowled by Stuart Broad – the tall pacer must have been reliving Durban 2007 when Yuvraj Singh viciously assaulted him for 36 runs in a single over – thus completing a famous win and getting the tournament off to a flier!

For one day, all that Holland’s natives could talk about was cricket!