5 best Indian bowling performances in World T20s

India are clear favourites for the upcoming ICC World T20 2016While India as a cricketing nation have traditionally been known for their batting prowess, many a time it has been their bowling that has saved the day for the team.The Asia Cup 2016 is a prime example of that, where the Indian bowlers made full use of the helpful conditions on offer and bamboozled the opposition with both pace and spin bowling.Over the years, there have been several such instances when the bowlers have risen to the occasion after the batsmen failed to do their part or have restricted the opposition early in the innings to make it easy for the batsmen to chase.Many of these performances have come during the World T20s, and keeping in mind the next edition of the marquee tournament set to begin in four days in India, let’s have a look at the 5 best Indian bowling performances from the previous editions of the T20 World Cup.

#5 Ravichandran Ashwin: 3/22 (4) vs South Africa, 2014 World T20 semi-final

Ashwin dismissed three of South Africa’s best batsmen in the all-important semi-final of the 2014 World T20

In the 2014 World T20 held in Bangladesh, India had looked invincible throughout the league stages. But unlike their semi-final opponents, South Africa, they hadn’t quite tasted defeat in the knockouts of ICC tournaments on a regular basis.

Ravichandran Ashwin made sure that the Proteas’ torrid run when it comes to knockouts in world tournaments continued as he bamboozled their top batsmen to stop the SA run-fest at 172, whereas it had once looked like crossing 200.

Ashwin perhaps bowled the ball of the tournament to dismiss Hashim Amla, a carrom-ball that pitched outside leg and turned prodigiously to knock over the off-stump, leaving little time for one of the world’s best batsmen to react.

He then removed Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers at crucial junctures of the match to interrupt the momentum that the Proteas had created throughout their innings.

India, helped by a 44-ball 72 by Virat Kohli, cruised home in the end with 6 wickets in hand and 5 balls to spare.

#4 Harbhajan Singh: 4/12 (4) vs England, 2012 World T20

Harbhajan’s comeback was a comeback to remember in the 2012 World T20

Harbhajan Singh, throughout his career, has made many a comeback, and on this occasion, it was a comeback to remember. It was a 2012 World T20 match against England and India had put up 170 on the board batting first.

Harbhajan was brought into the attack in the 6th over and off the second ball that he bowled in international cricket in almost a year, he bowled Eoin Morgan.

There was nothing that could stop Harbhajan Singh from there on, especially after getting a wicket, and he ran through the English middle-order dismissing Jos Buttler, Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann.

The off-spinner finished with figures of 4-2-12-4, and helped India bowl England out for a measly 80, thereby winning the game by 90 runs.

No wonder the cricketer from Punjab was adjudged as the man of the match. It was a comeback to savour and a comeback to remember.

#3 S Sreesanth: 2/12 (4) vs Australia, 2007 World T20 Semi-final

Sreesanth conceded just 12 runs off his 4 overs in a match that saw Australia making 173 runs

He may not be playing for India now, but for the time he played, he put up some crucial performances for his team. One such performance came during the semi-final of the ICC World T20 2007 against Australia.

India had put up a formidable total of 188/5, thanks to Yuvraj Singh’s 30-ball 70, but the Australian line-up too boasted of stalwarts like Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, and Michael Clarke.

Gilchrist, in no time, raced away to 22 off 12 with two fours and as many sixes and it became evident that India had to get his wicket to come back into the game.

That job was done by Sreesanth who bowled Gilchrist in the last over of the powerplay to reduce Australia to 36/1.

But the Australian run-juggernaut didn’t stop there, as Hayden combined with Symonds for a 64-run 4th wicket stand, and the couple looked like running away with the game at one stage.

It was then that Sreesanth returned to dismantle Hayden’s stumps to bring India back into the game. Also, in a game that saw bowlers from either side disappearing into the stands, Sreesanth conceded just 12 runs from his 4 overs.

India eventually held their nerves and won the game by 15 runs and booked their berth into the final of the tournament.

#2 RP Singh: 4/13 (4) vs South Africa, 2007 World T20

RP Singh’s opening burst decisively shifted the game in India’s favour

It was a crunch game against South Africa in the Super Six stages of the ICC World T20 2007. India had lost against New Zealand in their first game of the stage, while Yuvraj Singh’s 6 sixes in an over off Stuart Broad had propelled them to a victory against England.

The game against South Africa was a must win one for India, and Rudra Pratap Singh rose to the occasion to seal India’s berth in the semi-final.

Chasing 154 to win, the South African top order was dismantled by RP Singh, as he sent back both the openers, Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs.

Smith was caught brilliantly by Dinesh Karthik at second slip while Gibbs was trapped leg-before. Thereafter, Singh bowled Shaun Pollock for a first ball duck in 6th over to reduce SA to 31/5.

The final rituals, after the game was all but over, were completed by Singh partly, when he dismissed Albie Morkel, who was the 8th South African wicket to fall. The home side was eventually restricted to 116/9 in 20 overs to give India a win by 37 runs.

#1 Irfan Pathan: 3/16 (4) vs Pakistan, 2007 World T20 Final

Pathan’s three wickets turned the match on its head and inched India closer to victory

Perhaps the best performance under pressure by an Indian fast bowler came in the final of the inaugural ICC World T20, 2007 held in South Africa.

Both India and Pakistan, who were eliminated in the first round itself from the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup held earlier in the year, had played some exceptional cricket to reach the final of the T20 World Cup.

The stakes were high, as they always are in an India vs Pakistan encounter, and India, batting first, posted a par yet challenging total of 157/5, riding on Gautam Gambhir’s 75.

If the batsmen had faltered in their attempt, the bowlers made up for them, and the man who led the counter-attack was Irfan Pathan. Having been brought into the attack as late as in the 10th over with Pakistan at 65/4, Pathan got rid of Shoaib Malik in his second over, by getting him caught at mid-on by Rohit Sharma.

He then dismissed the dangerous Shahid Afridi off the very next ball, barring the wide in between, to shift the game comfortably in India’s favour by reducing Pakistan to 77/6.

Pathan then returned in the 15th over to clean up Yasir Arafat, who had looked threatening thus far with two boundaries, to break his partnership with Misbah-ul-Haq, and once again swing the game in India’s favour.

Misbah’s heroics were overpowered by Joginder Sharma’s courage in the last over, and India, eventually, were crowned as the World T20 champions.

For taking three successive wickets at crucial junctures, Pathan was adjudged as the man of the match.