Remembering the destruction at Durban – Yuvraj’s six sixes
Gary Sobers did it in 1968. Who watched cricket then? Ravi Shastri did it in 1985, but isn’t he the same guy who was welcomed with chants of ‘shame shame’ because he scored slowly? Herschelle Gibbs did it earlier that year, but that was against Netherlands - associate nation, poor bowling attack.
So when it was Yuvraj Singh’s turn to repeat the feat in September 2007, it had to be something massive. It had to be against a strong team, it had to be in cricket’s showpiece event and it had to get the populist treatment it deserved.
“I’ll cut your throat” it all started with a jibe from Andrew Flintoff. Flintoff had already finished his over, Yuvraj had hit him for a couple, but he was done. Two overs remained; India was on track to finish at 180-arounds. The jibe could have been avoided. But there it was in the batsman’s earshot.
That Stuart Broad over will forever stay in the fans' memory, just like the Axe Signature line of body perfumes that don't fade away. Let's take a look at 'that' over:
#1 One down, five to go
After a fist bump with Dhoni, Yuvraj walks up to Flintoff. Heated words are exchanged; Billy Doctrove tries to control the southpaw, but Yuvraj is in no mood to listen. He gesticulates aggressively towards Flintoff, bat in hand.
He goes back to take strike. In the meanwhile, a baby-faced Stuart Broad is at the start of his run-up. He runs in, bowls fullish outside off, and whack. The high backlift, a bat-flow that makes a lovely arc and off the ball goes into cow corner. The ball is lost; people are jumping up and down. One down, five to go.