Yuvraj Singh destroys legendary Australia bowlers, blasts 5 sixes in semi-final; Irfan Pathan rubs salt into wounds
Yuvraj Singh rolled back the clock by slamming five sixes and four fours in a brutal display against Australia Champions in the semi-final.
Something happens to Yuvraj Singh when he is up against Australia in a must-win match. Be it his debut in the ICC Knockout in 2000, the semi-final of the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 or the 2011 ODI World Cup quarterfinal, a crunch game against Australia always brings out the best in Yuvraj Singh. It's been five years since his retirement from international cricket but the habit remains.
India Champions faced Australia Champions in the World Championship of Legends on Friday in Northampton. It was the semi-final of the tournament and the India Champions needed to come back strong after stuttering their way into the knockouts. And their captain led from the front.
Coming in to bat at No.4, Yuvraj blasted 59 off 28 balls with five sixes and four fours. He put every Australia Champions bowler to the cleaners but was particularly severe against Xavier Doherty. Yuvraj hit the left-arm spinner for two sixes and a boundary in the 13th over.
He used his trademark slog sweeps and booming lofted shots straight over the bowler's head against the spinners. Against the seamers, it was the short-arm pulls and the extra cover drives that got him runs as the crowd got a glimpse of vintage Yuvraj. He got to his half-century with a six over fine-leg off Peter Siddle.
The two-time World Champion was not in the best of forms in this tournament. Before this match, he had registered scores of 2, 38*, 14, 19 and 5. But the flamboyant left-hander found his touch when it mattered the most.
Yuvraj Singh destroys Australia with brutal hitting
Yuvraj was not the only one hitting boundaries on Friday. Robin Uthappa, Yusuf and Irfan Pathan also slammed quickfire half-centuries as India Champions posted a mammoth 254/6—their highest tournament total so far against the side that came into this match with four wins on the bounce.
Uthappa scored 65 off 35 balls. Irfan smashed 50 off just 19 balls with five sixes, and his elder brother, Yusuf, bludgeoned four sixes for his 51 off 23 balls.
Siddle picked up four wickets for Australia but he gave away 57 runs. Brett Lee went for 60 in his four overs for no wickets.
The Indian Champions bowlers were on song, too. Rahul Shukla and Dhawal Kulkarni started well with the new ball and they were well backed up by Vinay Kumar, Pawan Negi and Harbhajan Singh. None of the Indian bowlers went over 10 runs per over. Negi picked up two for only 35 in his four overs as Australia were restricted to 168/7. This was their first defeat of the tournament.
The big win by 86 runs took India Champions' into the final where they would face arch-rivals Pakistan.
