Top ten T20 matches of all time: Part 1

Read Part 2 here: Top ten T20 matches of all time: Part 2

The advent of T20 has transformed the face of cricket not just by being a separate, more popular, and shorter format of the game, but also by unleashing a new set of skills and a new generation of cricketers.

The origin of the format takes us back to the T20 Cup played between English counties in 2003 organized by the ECB. July 19 marked the 10th anniversary of that first T20 game played at Trent Bridge between Surrey Lions and Warwickshire Bears. The format was soon adopted by the ICC into the international cricketing calendar, whereas numerous cash-rich domestic T20 leagues have also emerged – the most prominent being the Indian Premier League.

The ICC organized a T20 World Cup in 2007 that has been contested every two years since, but will be played once every four years after the 2014 edition. Some have perceived the format to be a threat to Test Cricket and, in fact, was conceived due to dwindling audiences that could not afford to spend an entire day at the ground, leave aside five. The popularity of the game has also prompted a revamp of the ODI format in which power-plays and free hits have been incorporated.

The larger impact of the game will only be visible to us in a longer span of time as we will be able to assess if the new format has brought greater number of countries to this great game, and if it has the longevity of the Test match format. It is certainly feasible to TV audiences and people looking for an enthralling evening. Here we will compile a list of ten closely-contested T20 games that are an endorsement to the format played all around the world in the brief but rich history of T20 cricket:

New Zealand vs. West Indies, 2006

This was only the fifth T20 International contested in the history of the game. The venue was Auckland and the low-scoring match surprisingly ended in a tie.

It was a special match for many reasons. This was the first exposure to T20 cricket for both the teams, and the first match to be decided (only unofficially) by a bowl-out, and also a farewell to New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns. Chris Gayle, who would become the ultimate T20 batsman over the next few years, was dismissed cheaply in the game as unimpressive performances led West Indies to a total of 126 runs.

The highlight of the innings was a sensational run out that Chris Cairns effected to dismiss Dwayne Smith. Lou Vincent scored a characteristic T20 knock of 42 runs in 27 balls in a format in which quickfire 30s would attain the status of a half-century. Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle pulled the game back with the ball to leave NZ requiring 5 runs off the last ball with Franklin managing a boundary to tie the match. A football style bowl-out ensued that saw NZ triumph 3-0.

South Africa vs. Australia, 2006

The rivals went head to head in the new format to delight the audiences in a high-scoring contest that ended with Australia falling just two runs short of SA’s total of 201 runs.

The match established a template of playing the format as there was no mindless hitting, but maximization of runs through elegant cricketing shots and witty innovation. Graeme Smith anchored the innings, facing almost half the deliveries for a magnificent innings of 89 runs. He was well complemented by Herschelle Gibbs, who scored a half-century.

Australia wobbled early in their chase apart from a Simon Katich blitzkrieg, but Brad Hogg and Brett Lee emerged unlikely heroes as they scored some quick runs. Brett Lee hit Mkhaya Ntini for a six off the last ball, but still failed to meet the target as South Africa won the match by two runs.

10th Match, ICC T20 World Cup, India vs. Pakistan, 2007

This was the first of two encounters between the arch-rivals in the inaugural T20 World Cup. It was a critical encounter for both the teams, but both teams managed to qualify for the next stage of the competition to eventually meet in the finals once again.

Robin Uthappa and MS Dhoni starred for India as the team put up 141 runs on board. It was never going to be a match-winning total, but two miserly spells of bowling from RP Singh and Irfan Pathan allowed the Indian team to take the upper hand with 3 overs remaining.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who had been rather conservative during his innings, blasted Harbhajan Singh for 10 runs off two balls after the dismissal of Shahid Afridi. The match went into the last over with Pakistan requiring only 12 runs, but they failed to hold their nerve as Misbah was run out on the last ball. The match ended in a sensational tie. India nominated unlikely candidates for the bowl-out, but Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh were on target as India won the bowl out 3-0.

Final, India vs. Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup 2007

India and Pakistan met once again in the final of the 2007 World Cup to produce yet another enthralling contest that involved familiar protagonists from the last match that ended as a tie.

The match propelled MS Dhoni to the limelight as the young Indian captain with the ‘Midas touch’. For the reputation of slam-bang that T20 has acquired over the years, it is interesting to note that low-scoring encounters can be equally interesting (perhaps even more). Yusuf Pathan, making his debut, gave the initial bit of excitement hitting a six in the first over. His brief cameo was backed up by Gautam Gambhir, who starred at the top of the order for India, scoring 75 runs 54 balls.

Pakistan needed to 158 runs to win the cup and got off to a shaky start as the tournament’s find – RP Singh – landed a massive blow, picking up two quick wickets. Pakistan needed 13 runs off the last over, and the all-too-familiar figure of Misbah-ul-Haq was holding guard once again.

He smashed a six off the second ball of Joginder Sharma’s over, and it seemed that Dhoni’s decision to back the inexperienced bowler was going to give him nightmares; but at that critical moment, Misbah was tempted by the devil as he tried to scoop a full-length delivery, holing out to Sreesanth at fine leg. India won the match by 5 runs.

Chennai Super Kings vs. Rajasthan Royals, 2008 IPL Final

The first edition of the Indian Premier League had a fitting finale when underdogs Rajasthan Royals, led by Shane Warne, met heavyweights Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni, in the final.

The match went right down to the wire after Chennai put up a moderate total of 163 runs, with Suresh Raina top-scoring with 43 runs. Yusuf Pathan had a dream tournament and he continued his purple patch in the match, picking up 3 wickets to restrict Chennai and scored a half-century with the bat.

However, he did not finish it off, leaving Shane Warne and Sohail Tanvir to get eight runs off the last over. Warne was instrumental throughout the tournament as a leader, but it was Tanvir who managed to get bat on ball for the required final run off the last ball to take the team to a deserved title victory.

To be continued in Part 2