India was staring down the barrel at 115 for seven in 15.1 overs; leg-spinner Malinga Bandara had just castled an advancing Ravindra Jadeja with a fuller length ball.
There was an astonishing turnaround in the same over. Yusuf, among the cleanest strikers of the ball, picks the length early and hits through the line.
In a bludgeoning strike, Yusuf hit Bandara over covers. He, then, smashed the spinner over the long-on boundary and finished the over, slog-sweeping the leggie for six more. India was back in the hunt.
This was a night when Irfan matched his elder brother in unleashing the big blows. The left-hander virtually nailed the contest in the 19th over.
He put away a short one from paceman Dilhara Fernando over mid-wicket for the maximum, opened the face of the blade for a brace and finished the over with a free-flowing lofted boundary over covers.
India required just five from the final over. After Yusuf stroked a single off the first ball, Irfan dismissed the second delivery from Lasith Malinga over the mid-wicket fence. Yusuf was named Man-of-the-Match.
Inexperienced skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan blundered by ignoring Sanath Jayasuriya — the wily left-arm spinner had sent down three overs for 10 runs while picking up Rohit Sharma's wicket — in the end overs. The Lankans lost the plot in the final stretch.
Superb throw
It began differently for Sri Lanka though. A flying Chamara Kapugedera hit the stumps from point to run out Virender Sehwag; it was a stupendous combination of anticipation, athleticism, and aim.
Soon Gautam Gambhir top-edged a pull off left-arm paceman Thilan Thushara. The in-form Yuvraj Singh whipped up some booming drives and lofted hits. The left-hander picked Thushara from the leg-stump to dump the ball over the fine-leg boundary.
At the other end, Fernando bounced at Suresh Raina; this was followed by an exchange of words. Raina responded well, pulling Fernando to the fence and then striking the paceman over mid-off.
The introduction of spin broke the partnership. Jehan Mubarak nailed Yuvraj on the cut.
Dilshan soon dropped one when Raina nicked a wrong 'un from Bandara. He, soon, nailed Raina on the sweep.
Bandara bowled Dhoni with a flighted good length delivery — the Indian skipper attempted to strike against the spin — and then removed Jadeja. The Indian batsmen were getting increasingly desperate.
The Pathan brothers, then, turned things around.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers came back well to restrict Sri Lanka to 171 four four after the host won the toss.
Dilshan survived a confident leg-before from Zaheer Khan and was then dropped at mid-off — Irfan grassed a skier — in an eventful first over.
Dilshan made the Indians pay for the lapse. It was a spunky innings (61, 47b, 7x4, 1x6) from the captain.
India, however, pulled the game back in the middle stage through off-spinner Yusuf and left-arm spinner Jadeja.
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka: T. Dilshan c Raina b Ishant 61, S. Jayasuriya c Ishant b Irfan 33, J. Mubarak c and b Yusuf 13, C. Kapugedera c Sehwag b Yusuf 16, C. Silva (not out) 21, K. Weeraratne (not out) 10; Extras (b-1, lb-10, w-6) 17. Total (for four wkts. in 20 overs): 171.
Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Jayasuriya), 2-87 (Mubarak), 3-107 (Kapugedera), 4-152 (Dilshan).
India bowling: Zaheer 4-0-34-0, Ishant 4-0-40-1, Irfan 4-0-34-1, Yusuf 4-0-23-2, Jadeja 4-0-29-0.
India: G. Gambhir c Weeraratne b Thushara 13, V. Sehwag (run out) 1, S. Raina c de Saram b Bandara 35, Yuvraj c Dilshan b Mubarak 32, M.S. Dhoni b Bandara 13, Rohit c Mubarak b Jayasuriya 4, R. Jadeja b Bandara 5, Yusuf (not out) 22, Irfan (not out) 33; Extras (lb-2, w-14) 16. Total (for seven wkts. in 19.2 overs): 174.
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Sehwag), 2-14 (Gambhir), 3-81 (Yuvraj), 4-99 (Raina), 5-108 (Dhoni), 6-110 (Rohit), 7-115 (Jadeja).
Sri Lanka bowling: Malinga 3.2-0-38-0, Thushara 3-0-27-1, Fernando 4-0-44-0, Weeraratne 1-0-12-0, Mubarak 1-0-9-1, Bandara 4-0-32-3, Jayasuriya 3-0-10-1.
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8:57
The Best T20 match ever - RCB chased 215 vs SAR - Last ball Six CLT20 2011 - 3/3by asifnaushad4u15,036 views
BCCI has been unfair to these two players. India really needs someone like Yusuf Pathan to bat at the depth who is capable of changing the game. Jadeja should be chucked out and replaced with Yusuf.
parvezing 5 days ago
indian cricket selectors and whole board are assholes why they dont pick yusaf he is better then rohit sharma but indian cricket board is headed by a bussinessman not by a sports person who know what sports means bussinessmen look after only where money is ..thats why indian cricket team getting bad day by day .today they loose against sl.who stood only irfan swehwag ko to pahir se gali me ja k shelna chahihe... is se acha to ma is umar me bhi khel sakta hu....SHAM ON SEHWAG
kumar95258 6 days ago
oooohhhhoooooooohooooohooo Dhoom Dhoom Pathans ... These Are The Indians.. waaaooo
Dil Khush ho gya aaj kya match tha yaar and look at the celebration after hit the last 6
The Real React Of Real India ... celebrate
raj12ss 2 months ago
Thats a perfect example for a Pathan
Qazi4000 2 months ago
isey kehte hai baawa
nitinkumar189 2 months ago
ThE pOwEr Of pAtHaNs :) !! uf uf
Lala4475 6 months ago
dat girls... suck balls...
sachingamer559 8 months ago
super match
achu20008 10 months ago
what a match
adityavikram1000 10 months ago
Fucking AMAZING match!!
abudabu200 11 months ago