Pathan brothers snatches away T20 match from Sri Lanka

(Copyright:AFP)

Cricket is not just a game in India, it is a religion, it is a passion, a way of life. Cricket is a part of Indian culture.

Over 100 crores Indians, every one of them wants to play for national Indian Cricket Team. It’s a dream they live. Cricket provokes the innerself of every Indian.

It’s hard to find people who do not like Cricket in India. But comparing to total Indian population which is now over 100 crores, getting selected in the Indian National Team, is something like Vasco-de-Gama finding India way back.

Pathan brothers, Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan are such cricketers from India. In the history of Indian cricket, they have made their mark by crushing Sri Lanka in T20 match on February 10, 2009. It’s a day that their parents, their entire family, themselves and entire India will cherish for the years to come. Not only because they fought back vitally against Sri Lanka in a T20 match and snatched it from the mouth of Sri Lankan cricketers, but also because two brothers played it together till the end giving millions of Indian faces a chance to smile.

No one had thought that two brothers will play together side by side, and not just play but fight with their bats, zapping the bowls of Sri Lankan bowlers when India had lost her early wickets and chances of winning were in the pocket of Sri Lanka.

They scored 59 runs just out of 25 balls rendering India the world champions a master-stroking three-wicket win over Sri Lanka. While they came on to pitch to play, India was struggling badly with score of 115 runs with fall of 7 wickets while the winning target was 172 runs, having. Not an easy task to accomplish when you have 7 wickets fallen and target remains tough and not many balls in hand to reach the target.

It was a day for Yusuf Pathan, for few reasons. He also took 2 important wickets with his off-spin bowling and remained unbeaten at personal score of 22 runs just of 10 balls.

And when he came to bat, all eyes were gazing upon him, a hope on his shoulders, a last hope may be. He was on the crease. Tension had covered Indian team and the entire nation of India.

There was a great hope from Yusuf Pathan, looking at his performance in 2008 IPL season.

But you never know, it’s cricket. But Yusuf, straight away showed his temperament by hitting two sixes and one boundary in one over. That was a starter, which Irfan Pathan joined without wasting any bowls.

For few bowls Irfan Pathan seemed to trying to give strike to brother Yusuf, as he is known to hit long boundaries. But Sri Lankan bowler Malinga seemed to be knowing Yusuf’s weakness and bowled accordingly, tightly that Yusuf seemed to be little caged. Knowing this Irfan took charge himself, and started hitting boundaries, rather increasing the bits of Indian cricket fans.

Irfan Pathan, scored 22 runs off 16 balls, hitting boundaries to Malinga. And finished the match by hitting a huge six out of the ground, giving a huge cheer in Indian fans.

“There are a lot of youngsters in our team and stiff matches like these are a great learning experience. Their spinners bowled really well and made our batsmen struggle,” said India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

For Tillakratne Dilshan, this was his first match as a skipper. He batted well too by scoring important 61 runs. But Sri Lankan bowlers couldn’t perform to his expectations as he said in presentation ceremony post-match “Giving extras played a big role in today’s loss’.

I wonder, how happy parents of Pathan Brothers would be! A dream come true. They must have felt that “Yes, this is the moment I’ve my sons for India.”

A match to remember for the years to come in the history of Cricket. I thank Pathan brothers for giving a meaning to every Indian spectator. Hats off to you brothers.