VIDEO| This day that year: Yuvraj Singh clobbered Stuard Broad for six sixes in an over
Mumbai: England speedster Stuart Broad might have been instrumental in helping his side clinch the urn in this year’s Ashes series against Australia but he will find it a Herculean task to forget what India’s star all-rounder Yuvraj Singh did to him eight years ago when the latter smashed Broad for six magnificent sixes in an over in a group game of the ICC World T20 in 2007.
It was an unforgettable moment in history when Yuvi etched his name into the record books off a hapless Broad during the India-England match. With the six sixes in the over, Yuvraj also raced away to his fifty in just 12 balls, a record that is yet to be broken. However, there were similar innings by three other batsmen — Gary Sobers vs Malcolm Nash (Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan in 1968), Ravi Shastri against Tilak Raj (Mumbai vs Baorda in 1985) and Herschelle Gibbs became the first batsman to score six sixes in ODIs when he hammered Netherlands’ Dan Van Bunge in the World Cup earlier in 2007.
India won the toss and elected to bat first at Kingsmead. Team India’s then openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave India a flying start, sharing a 136-run opening stand.
But when Yuvraj entered the crease, all hell broke loose. Before the 19th over of the innings, Andrew Flintoff had come over to have a chat with Yuvi and that might have just given the latter that impetus to fire all guns. It was the fourth time in the history of cricket, but first in Twenty20 internationals that a batsman hit a six off each of the six balls of an over.
The first ball of the 19th over saw Broad bowl a fullish delivery that was dispatched over the mid-wicket fence for a maximum. The son of former England opener Chris Broad tried to rectify his line but this time Yuvraj flicked it over fine-leg for another huge hit. Two in a row and he was not done!
This time around, for the third ball, Broad tried a fuller one wide outside off and Yuvraj easily carved it over cover for another maximum. The disturbed England bowler was helpless and thought changing the angle would help but his efforts went in vain when Yuvi sliced this one over point for a maximum.
The last two balls also were smashed for huge ones, much to the ecstasy of Shastri, who was commentating and went berserk along with the Indian camp in the dugout.
