Cricketer Yuvraj Singh is remembered for his brilliant performance against England on September 19, 2007, when he smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in a T20 match. This famous cricket match is played in T20 format.
This is a narrative with multiple narratives which urges distinct flavour as culture defines what September 19 is every year. Its one of those myths concerning a trophy which all cricketers want to avoid, which is being hit for 6 sixes in an over.
Flintoff was one who regretted because he was the one who got Yuvraj riled up and Yuvi hit one more than what he was hit for as a bowler by Mascarenhas not so long ago. It was quite crazy because although it was a friendly meeting and none of us voluntarily went out to the rival team’s dugout, we were still very much aware of the rivalry.
“Iovoked Yuvi, letting him know that Mascarenhas was coming. Last year during the ICC event, Yuvi interviewed with pardon the cliché which he did use, ms. He was soon to become the winner of the ODI and the T20 World Cup.
THE VERBAL DUEL WITH FLINTOFF
Talking about his altercation with the big-frame England all-rounder, Yuvraj said: “Freddie (Flintoff) bowled two really good balls actually and on the last ball of the 18th over, I took a single (and the two exchanged a few words after Yuvi completed the run). I was like, ‘I am sorry, what did you say?’
“Obviously I was angry, then the umpire came in…I was so furious that I just wanted to hit every ball out of the ground”, he added.
“The first ball went out of the park. I remember hitting that one, without even realising that I have made one big hit.” But the duo left that altercation on the field. “The great thing about Freddie is he spoke about it after the game, shook hands and that is why I have lots of respect for Flintoff,” Yuvraj added.
‘I HAD FIVE SIXES ON MIND’
The records were there for the taking, and after hitting Broad on five occasions for strange reasons, Yuvraj stood on the precipice of history. But the southpaw had already taken his revenge and the smile was on his face. The sixth maximum was an extra one and a closer on the cake.
“That was the first time I actually scored 96 runs in the ODI and this term was in my mind because disgusting as it was I was hit for 5 sixes by Dimitri Mascarenhas in the last over of the 2007 Oval non-geist. ‘It was very demeaning as well.
You’re not supposed to concede 5 sixes. I was in this place of myself and been given 5 sixes and that is a bad place to be,’ he recounts.
“Rather, if you will see, there was a smile on my face at that moment five sixes on my face, and that was for Dimitri.’
He then described the events leading up to the last ball of Broad’s final over.”
“To me it seemed like Dimitri was posted at deep mid-wicket and Flintoff was at deep square leg. I know where he was standing. What actually transpired here was Broad actually changed to over the stumps at the last possible moment. When he did that in my mind, I am like that is where I know he is going to come. I was prepared that it is going to be a full yorker aimed around my legs and I just wanted to get my bat on it.”
However, it was not before Yuvraj Smashing his blistering innings, fell to a catch at long-on off the second last ball of the last over’s. He outscored the streak boys in a matter of 16 balls. Hitting fifty in the shortest time for any player at that time in 12 balls. That record stood for fourteen years until last year at the Asian Games Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal managed to break it, scoring a 50 in 9 balls against Mongolia.
Yuvraj’s assault came in the critical moments of the game as India won the match by 20 runs and went on to win the T20 World Cup by beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.
