Even the England support staff came running in to discuss what needs to be done: Ravichandran Ashwin on Yuvraj Singh's 6 sixes
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently recalled how the England team got rattled when Yuvraj Singh struck Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Ravichandran Ashwin reflected on Yuvraj Singh's moment of glory, which is one of the many memorable achievements in Indian cricket, during an interaction on his YouTube show 'Reminisce with Ash'.
The tall Indian spinner recollected that T20 cricket was not considered to be a serious version of the game at the time, with some of the prominent Indian cricketers even opting out of the tournament.
"One thing about the 2007 T20 World Cup. During the time of the 2007 T20 World Cup, I remember very well, there was Test cricket and there was one-day cricket. When T20 came suddenly, many greats said that it was timepass cricket and didn't want to come. 'Is T20 cricket even cricket?' was what seemed to be their opinion."
Ravichandran Ashwin mentioned that the MS Dhoni-led Indian team gained instant stardom with their display in the tournament. He pointed out that he had never seen Stuart Broad in such a helpless situation, after having been struck for those monumental sixes by Yuvraj Singh.
"And when the entire nation was watching it, that's when that MS Dhoni team really hit it out of the park. And Yuvraj Singh was the ace up their sleeve. He smashed Broad for six sixes. Never had I seen Broad in such a situation before."
Ravichandran Ashwin on the England players' frame of mind
Ravichandran Ashwin recalled how the England team was taken aback by what had struck them, with even the support staff rushing onto the ground to offer their advice after Yuvraj Singh had struck the fourth six.
"After four sixes, the captain and bowler had a discussion. Three, four players joined in. Then all the 11 joined in. And after that, 17. Even the support staff came running in. They kept talking."
The wily spinner observed that the advice doesn't matter in such instances, with the bowler already shaken by the harrowing experience.
"But what was the point of talking? If you are smashed around like that, I am saying this as a bowler, you are really rattled. You don't know what you are going to do next."
Ravichandran Ashwin said that he felt sorry for Stuart Broad, with whom he played county cricket subsequently for Nottinghamshire.
"Even Broad, he was my teammate at Nottingham. Very good person. But he got hit for six sixes and Yuvi won that battle."
Yuvraj Singh had been struck for 5 consecutive sixes in an over by Dimitri Mascarenhas in a One-Day International during India's tour to England prior to the 2007 T20 World Cup. The gifted left-handed batsman exacted revenge on the same English side by going one better, dispatching Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over.