Former Pakistan cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq recently reminisced about his nation’s narrow defeat against India in the 2007 T20 World Cup final in Johannesburg. Misbah, who played a crucial role in the high-stakes match, scoring 43 off 38 balls with four sixes, brought Pakistan within touching distance of victory.
With 13 runs needed off the last over, the equation boiled down to six off the last four balls. However, Misbah’s ramp shot ended in S. Sreesanth‘s hands at short fine leg, handing India the inaugural T20 World Cup title.
Anticipating the last over bowler
In a candid interview on Star Sports, Misbah revealed that he anticipated Joginder Sharma would bowl the final over instead of a spinner. He explained that given the short boundary on one side, it would have been risky for India to use a spinner in the crucial final over. Misbah believed it would be easier to hit a spinner for boundaries, making a medium pacer like Joginder a safer choice for India.
“I think I knew who is going to bowl the over and it wouldn’t be spin. The only option they had at the moment is Joginder Sharma. I knew it wouldn’t be a spinner because the side’s boundary was very short. It would be tough for a spinner to bowl that over. I could easily hit them towards the side boundary,” said Misbah.
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Praising MS Dhoni’s strategic decision
Misbah lauded then-India captain MS Dhoni for his decision to choose Joginder over Harbhajan Singh for the final over. He acknowledged the tactical acumen behind the move, noting that Dhoni’s decision was influenced by the possibility of Misbah hitting a spinner for a boundary given the short side of the ground.
Misbah pointed out that Dhoni likely recognized that the final outcome depended heavily on fielding as it was Pakistan’s last wicket. By opting for a medium pacer, Dhoni minimized the risk of conceding a boundary and Misbah appreciated the calculated risk taken by Dhoni
“So I had this idea from before, and I think it was the right call from MS Dhoni. There was a chance, an outside chance that you could clear a medium pacer if you watched him closely and they also had the idea that it was the last wicket so even the final runs depend on the fielding team. If you get out, the match is over. So I was mentally prepared that who was going to bowl that over,” he added.
