Pathans take flight as India win

Growing up in Baroda, Yusuf and Irfan Pathan would have dreamt, perhaps, of winning a match for the country, against all odds. On Tuesday, as they leapt, pumped their fists and hugged deliriously after engineering a thrilling three wicket win, it seemed they were celebrating more than just a Twenty20 victory.

It was Yusuf who made an impact first, with the ball, when he stemmed the flow of runs with a couple of wickets just as Lanka were getting ready for a mighty assault. But there was work to be done still. Chasing 172, India were looking down the barrel after a flurry of wickets left them at 115 for 7 in 15.1 overs. However, Irfan unleashed a flurry of big shots to power the team past the finish line.

The win had looked unlikely after a horrid start saw them slip to 14 for two with both Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir back in the hut.

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