Yuvraj Singh, India’s double World Cup-winner showed his old form with his big vintage hits at Northampton on Friday as he entertained the fans scoring a rapid fifty in India’s victory over Australia in the 2nd semi-finals of the World Championship of Legends.
India won by 86 runs and will face arch rivals Pakistan in Saturday’s final after they defeated West Indies by 20 runs in a match that was decided on Saturday.
Batting at number four, Yuvraj (Champions) scored 59 runs from just 28 balls smashing five sixes and four fours along the way.
In addition, Yuvraj contributed along with Yusuf Pathan to another record for the highest number of runs ever scored off just four overs (54) before being castled by Peter Siddle off whom the skipper had hit two fours and one six. All told, India made a huge total of 254/6.
For this knock, he received “Man of the Match” award.
First sent into bat by Australia; Robin Uthappa played an innings that set up India’s lower middle order; his fiery knock of 65 came off only 35 deliveries including four sixes and six boundaries.
Though Ambati Rayudu (14) and Suresh Raina (5) were quickly dismissed, Uthappa did not stop as he hammered a more aggressive Yuvraj during their fifty plus partnership for wicket number three.
On top of that was also showcased a show put by Pathan brothers where Irfan joined elder brother Yusuf in making Aussie bowlers lick nine balls out of sixty which yielded ninety-five runs at one end while scoring just fifty off nineteen balls himself which was more than Yusuf could make not out score off twenty-three balls.
Yusuf remained unbeaten on fifty-one from twenty three balls.
Both Shaun Marsh (2) and Aaron Finch (16), neither the Australian openers, failed to establish themselves as any form of a base for their side in terms of run-chase such that the top three batsmen were out within the first six overs after Ben Dunk (10) was sent back. This left Australia at a precarious 42/3.
The Australian batting line-up crumbled further till Tim Paine (40* off 32 balls) and Nathan Coulter-Nile who also played a quick cameo innings of 30 runs from just 13 balls tried to get Australia out of trouble. However, they could not save their side which finished on 168/7.
Indian bowlers’ collective efforts led to this success. Pawan Negi led the attack with figures of 2/35 and Dhawal Kulakarni (2/43) also picked up two wickets. Each of Rahul Shukla (1/25), Harbhajan Singh (1/16), and Irfan (1/18) took one wicket apiece rounding off a comprehensive bowling performance.
