‘Tension lene ka nahi, tension dene ka was our mantra’

I bear in mind operating in from long-on with my coronary heart in my mouth because the ball appeared to hold for an eternity earlier than it dropped into Sreesanth’s palms. I knew that Sreesanth had astigmatism (imperfection within the eye’s curvature), and had points along with his eyesight. I used to be screaming internally, “oh god, please let him catch it, let him catch it” and I feel I had virtually reached mid-on when the ball settled safely into his arms.
We have been the world champions!
It’s a sense that no language can describe. Not English, not my mom tongue, nothing. At the second it was like, ‘what have we done here!’ Even MS Dhoni was fairly expressive as you’ll recall. He would quickly calm down however I didn’t sleep for the following three nights. I used to be 21, residing a dream, and knew I used to be a part of one thing particular however what it precisely was, I couldn’t inform. I bear in mind Ajit Agarkar telling us repeatedly, “Do you guys know what we have done?! The enormity of it?” Nope, I didn’t then. But oh the reminiscences.
Where do I even begin? The Indian cricketing world would bear in mind me for that bowl-out, I assume. One of the closest worldwide T20 video games. For all sensible functions it was my T20 debut. The actual debut in opposition to Scotland had been a washout and so this large recreation was my first T20 recreation. And it was in opposition to Pakistan.
Joginder Sharma bowled the historic final over in T20 World Cup 2007 ultimate (Source: AP)
I had noticed the hype as a child and this was the time to expertise it. I had performed and performed nicely in opposition to Pakistan in U-19 video games and I had carried that with me. This was however the grown-ups’ world, however truthfully there wasn’t a lot discuss enjoying Pakistan from the coach Lalchand Rajput or from the gamers. The seniors all saved it easy. Perhaps consciously so, and it labored. Only on the sphere, after I noticed the depth within the physique language of Viru pa (Virender Sehwag), Yuvi pa (Yuvraj Singh), and Bhaji pa (Harbhajan Singh), did I sense that this was a giant recreation. They had all performed Pakistan many instances and maybe knew higher than us what it meant.
Ecstatic feeling
I bear in mind the ecstatic feeling in the course of the common recreation, earlier than the bowl out, once we tied it. For that over, it was operating in my head that we didn’t wish to be the primary Indian staff to lose to Pakistan in a World Cup recreation. Who desires that document?! I used to be at mid-off when Sreesanth ran in to bowl to Misbah-ul-Haq.
They wanted only one run from the ultimate two balls however Sree saved him quiet on the primary ball. And the final ball, ran off the sting off an tried pull to Yuvi pa at covers who calmly under-armed the ball in direction of Sree, who was operating again to the stumps. So was I. We each have been on prime of the stumps when Sree eliminated the bails and ecstasy flooded me as all of us began to run in direction of the pavilion. On our means, we realised it was going to be a bowl-out. I bear in mind extra pleasure and pleasure. Oh look, we are able to win this! The motive for that pleasure wasn’t only a boyish exuberance however as a result of we had really educated for it. The bowl-out wasn’t overseas to us. We have been prepared.
MS Dhoni with the 2007 T20 World Cup trophy. (FILE)
Who ought to bowl was not a spontaneous resolution. It was Venkatesh Prasad, our bowling coach and a sensible cricketing mind, who first mentioned that we must always apply the bowl-outs. Not lengthy after we had reached South Africa, Venky learn out the enjoying circumstances to us and mentioned ‘if there was ever a game that would tie, it would practically be a shootout’, so let’s apply.”
After most apply periods, we might prepare for this as nicely. They had us break up into batsmen vs bowlers. More usually than not, it was the batsmen who gained it. Viru pa, me, and Rohit (Sharma) have been the three batters who hit the stumps essentially the most.
That evening, as soon as the bowl-out was going to be on, I ran to MS Dhoni and mentioned, ‘I have to bowl, dude. You have to give me the ball’. Looking at my confidence and powerful emotion, he mentioned, ‘okay’. I used to be assured as a result of I hit the stumps essentially the most within the coaching.
Hand of “god”
And I had Sachin paaji with me. Let me clarify! In my thoughts, I used to be copying his seam-up motion. He would have that slight pause as he gathered himself on the popping crease earlier than the discharge. I had been aping it since I used to be a child. That motion gave me utmost management, essentially the most accuracy. I normally bowl with a extra round-arm motion. During the coaching periods, I noticed that paaji’s motion gave me extra hits. So, I made a decision, why not keep it up. It by no means hurts to have that ever-lasting hand of god, eh?
It was Viru pa who went first. I don’t bear in mind whether or not it was consciously determined or just because he picked the ball first and was all able to bowl. He is like that. Always excessive on confidence. There is rarely a critical chat with him—he’s both pulling your leg or doing one thing that chills down everyone. So he went first and hit the stumps; none of us have been stunned. I bear in mind lots of laughter in our line. Pakistan missed their first. They appeared confused. I feel Umar Gul had first stepped as much as bowl earlier than Yasir Arafat was given the ball. Neither Arafat nor Gul would bowl with their correct run-ups. I felt they regarded extra tense, visibly. You can watch the movies to verify it.
When Bhaji pa hit the stumps, I went and bear-hugged him. I all the time did it with him, usually. He was that sort of character. Gul missed.

Another factor we did, even in coaching, was how Mahi stood behind the stumps. The good cookie that he’s, he had determined the very best place for him was to face proper behind the stumps. Not round off, however proper behind it. “You guys type of intention for me while you bowl’ he would say. In the coaching periods, he wouldn’t usually keep there even. He could be within the batters’ staff, bowling with us. I assume to make us get used to bowling on the stumps. In my view, the explanation for batsmen hitting the stumps extra was that we had simplified the method.
For us, goal kya hai? To hit the stumps, na. Okay, right here goes, fling the ball at it. The bowlers have been confronted with much more difficulties. The run-up, the discharge, the soar, and the urge to do one thing with the fingers on the launch. They need to tinker with all that. So, in coaching, the batsmen did nicely. I’m not certain whether or not Pakistan practised or not, however they went with the bowlers but additionally had their pacers bowling instantly with a lowered run-up. Maybe, it was the stress. Whatever the explanation was, they didn’t hit and it got here to me to bowl the third ball.
I simply went with the Sachin paaji motion and increase, bull’s eye! Then I doffed my cap first in direction of Mahi. Then it struck me, ‘why just stop there? Why not doff and bowl in all directions to the crowd, to my team behind me. I was a fan of Shaun Pollock’s celebration. I had seen him take a catch and doff to the group. It introduced them into the motion, virtually. I favored it and I’d do it at any time when I caught a catch. This was the proper time to do it. Who knew it might be for posterity? I hugged Viru pa first. I don’t bear in mind any phrases, if any, with my teammates. What have we performed right here? That unreal feeling kicked in.
***
“Tension lene ka nahi, rigidity dene ka’ was our mantra. It had began as a joke between gamers and it grew into a stunning tradition. Lalu ji, our coach, would inform it to the gamers.
I fondly bear in mind the non-match evenings we spent collectively. We would go to native Nandos and I’d all the time order half rooster and peri-peri fries. Most nights, six-seven of us would collect in a room—it may very well be Mahi’s room one evening, Yuvi pa’s or mine or that of Piyush (Chawla) or RP Singh the opposite evening. Players would preserve dropping out and in.
There was a pleasant Indian restaurant in Durban and most nights our meals was the bread basket—roti, naan and so forth— and dal makhani, aloo jeera and butter rooster. It was pre-social media time. Heck, pre-WhatsApp time. The instances of BBM messenger and the previous Nokia 6110. No Playstations both. Chatting with different human beings was nonetheless in vogue! We did loads of that. They had instructed us to not wander to the seashores after 6 pm and we didn’t need to as we had nice enjoyable being collectively on the resort.
Yuvraj Singh’s particular person brilliance was instrumental to India’s 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup triumphs.
It was all the time about taking only one recreation at a time till we reached the semifinals. Then we knew we have been simply two video games away from successful this. It was then, not less than to me, that it sank in us that we might win this. I used to be pleased that I might contribute correctly in lots of matches.
There was a fifty in opposition to Pakistan in that bowl-out recreation, the 80+ partnership [84] with Yuvi pa within the semifinal in opposition to Australia, and an necessary run out of Imran Nazir, who was threatening to run away with the sport, within the ultimate.
Blessing in disguise
I can’t even say I used to be anxious in regards to the ultimate or enjoying Pakistan as I used to be actually anxious whether or not I’d be match to play that recreation. I had sprained my left leg within the semifinal and if it weren’t for the arduous work of our physio John Gloster, I wouldn’t have made it despite the fact that I wished to play with one leg if they’d enable me. That harm would play its half in that run-out. Chasing 158, Pakistan had rushed previous fifty in simply over 5 overs when Younis Khan drove the ball to me at mid-off.
I knew I couldn’t put my weight on the left foot in addition to I’d have performed with a match leg and that I needed to drive the facility from my higher physique. Funny, what ideas run by the thoughts in a split-second of frenetic motion. Luckily, I did that and fired a direct hit on the striker’s finish to catch Nazir simply in need of the crease. The match turned our means however Misbah, simply as he did within the first recreation, would flip it once more from the fifteenth over onwards. It wasn’t a shock that Mahi gave Joginder Sharma the final over as Misbah had received some runs in Bhaji pa’s ultimate over. I used to be praying by the match and supplied slightly prayer earlier than that ultimate over. Jogi bowled the best over of his life.
Other reminiscences prop up. A humorous one concerned Yuvi pa and Lalit Modi. Yuvraj had been telling Modi that he would hit six sixes and Modi mentioned that if he pulled it off, he would present him a flowery automobile, BMW or one thing. And Modi would humorously tease Yuvraj about that six sixes factor for a number of days. Yuvi pa instructed him, ‘you just wait and watch, I will hit six sixes.’ When he mind-bogglingly pulled it off in opposition to England, I used to be like ‘whoa what a player’. And I bear in mind Modi screaming in pleasure and hugging him.

One ultimate reminiscence, and this may stick with me without end. The celebrations on the open-top bus journey in Mumbai. It was surreal. I used to be singing, dancing, and blowing kisses to the group. There have been 150,000 individuals inside and outdoors the stadium that evening. And so many lined up all alongside the way in which—it took us five-and-half hours to succeed in the stadium. We received moist within the rain, we sweated because the solar got here out, it was loopy. People saved throwing meals at us—apples, sandwiches, smooth drinks. “Khao khao, kitna time ho gaya, you guys must be hungry!” And we ate it. There was a Cadbury manufacturing unit between Worli and Peddar Road they usually threw Cadbury at us. It was so cool.
I’ll always remember the evening. Only a handful on the planet get to expertise that indescribable feeling of being cherished by hundreds of thousands. I really feel blessed that I received to style that. It was a stupendous second that I’d all the time bear in mind. Tension lene ka nahi, rigidity dena ka and love paane ka!
(As instructed to Sriram Veera)