‘World Cup win changed our lives’

 

'You will matter when it matters the most’ are the words Sachin Tendulkar told Yuvraj Singh and those words served as an inspiration for the dashing all-rounder during India’s World Cup triumph last year.

On the eve of India’s first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj, who is recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, revealed that Tendulkar had a crucial role to play in his man-of-the-series winning performance during last year’s mega-event.

Yuvraj recalled that he was not in the best of form and fitness coming into the World Cup, but Tendulkar and speedster Zaheer Khan’s pep talks motivated him to do something special in the quadrennial event.

“Couldn’t have asked for anything better. I didn’t expect myself to play as well as I did in the World Cup. I was coming in without form and I wasn’t timing the ball how I wanted to,” he said in a video interview posted on his twitter account about his thoughts on the World Cup anniversary. “In my tough times, I just spoke to Sachin about my issues with batting and form and fitness, and he told me that you will matter when it matters the most. That is a very special thought, it remains with me.

“I remember I have a picture of me and Tendulkar together which I have put in my locker. I used to have a look at that picture and go into bat. He is my inspiration,” Yuvraj said.

“Zaheer Khan also told me in Bangladesh before the World Cup about me doing something special in the World Cup. That time I was going through a bad wrist injury,” he added.

As India complete the first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj described the feat as a “cherished and special moment”.

“All you can remember is flying colours of the flag, Wankhede stadium (the host of the World Cup final) in joy and an Indian dream coming to reality. It was a great moment in history because winning the World Cup was everything to us and especially to do it for Sachin Tendulkar,” he recollects in the video. “It (World Cup triumph) will always be a very special memory for me and all the Indians. It is a cherished memory which we will always keep in our hearts,’’ he added. Post World Cup, Yuvraj went through the toughest phase of his life after he was diagnosed with cancer. But he is now recovering from fatal disease after having discharged from the hospital in Indianapolis in the US on March 18 following the completion of the third and final cycle of chemotherapy. “It (World Cup) did change everybody’s life. I didn’t expect that I would land up here after the World Cup but that’s life,” he said.

“I was at the peak of my career when I was diagnosed with cancer, but now I am treated and absolutely fine. I am thankful to my guruji, my mother. It has been a tough journey but I am lucky that the cancer was detected at an early stage and I got cured. Now I just want to live my life like a normal person, just want to celebrate life,” he said.

Yuvraj also thanked his fans for standing behind him in such a difficult phase of his life and said he is now raring to return to the ground. “I can’t thank everyone enough for all the prayers and wishes. I have been watching everyone praying across the cities back home for me. The support has been amazing, I couldn’t have asked for more. I actually realised how loved I am,” he said.

“I just want to tell all that I am good and will be back to normal health soon. I am looking forward to playing for India again,’’ Yuvraj concluded.

Live Score: India 71/0 as rain stops play

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India innings:
If the match gets going then it will help India in the chase with D/L coming into play. The match not happening will be a disappointment for both the teams, specially India to fly down for a one-off Twenty20.

8th over: Rain stops play at the Wanderers. India are 71 for no loss. But, India are currently behind on D/L by 11 runs. Hopefully the clouds will be blown away and the match will get underway soon.
7th over: No stopping Gambhir tonight. He is playing shots round the clock and boundaries are coming thick and fast for India. Lets see when is Uthappa going to shift gears.
6th over: Wayne Parnell bowls an economical over by giving away just four runs. This Parnell over might induce a wicket in the next over. India 51 for no loss.
4th over: 40 for 0. This is the kind of start India was looking for and the openers are doing their job well. Gambhir looks to be in fine touch and Uthappa just playing second fiddle to him.
2nd over: Gambhir takes the attack to Albie Morkel and plunders 16 runs from the over. In the second innings also the track is absolutely fine for batting.
1st over: Lonwabo Tsotsobe bowled a tight line and length, but the Indian openers Uthappa and Gambhir looked in no hurry. India are seven for no loss.
South Africa innings:
20th over: South Africa end up with a massive total of 219 for 4. 26 runs came from the last over of their innings. Three huge sixes, two boundaries and a wicket came off Raina's over. Justin Ontong was the man to depart in the last over after scoring 22. Meanwhile Albie Morkel hit two sixes and a boundary from his three balls.
Justin Ontong b Raina 22 (7)
18th over: Finally Ingram departs! Raina picked up the big wicket but is too little too late? Ingram walks back after a well-made 78 from just 50 balls. He slogged him and Rohit does really well to time his dive at deep midwicket and pluck it from the thin air. South Africa 179 for 3
C Ingram c Sharma b Raina 78 (50)
17th over: Big big over for South Africa. Twenty runs were scored with Ingram going berserk hitting two crisp boundaries and a big six over deep backward point. South Africa 168 for 2.
15th over: Finally a wicket for India! Kallis departs after a blinder. Kallis got on his knee and tried to slog it over deep midwicket, but failed to clear the boundary, Rohit took a smart catch. South Africa 141 for 2
J Kallis c Sharma b Ashwin 61(42)
14th over: Another expensive over, this time by part-time bowler Virat Kohli. Fifteen runs were scored and in the process Jacques Kallis and Colin Ingram brought up their respective fifties and a hundred-run stand.
12th over: No hiding for Indian bowlers at all. Rohit Sharma was brought into the attack but Kallis and Ingram smacked him all over the park. One huge six and a boundary came off the over. South Africa 108 for 1. Productive overs for South Africa with boundary or a six being scored every over.
11th over: This time it's Ingram who hits it for maximum. South Africans punishing Indian bowlers for loose and wayward stuff. It's an excellent batting surface. Eleven runs came off the over. South Africa 94 for 1.
8th over: Kallis not holding back as he gave a Full Monty to offspinner Yusuf Pathan. Yusuf tossed it up and Kallis took few paces forward and lofted the ball over long-on.
7th over: Ingram and Kallis look solid in the middle with the duo picking at least a boundary every over. Ten runs were scored from the over. Indian bowlers feeling the pressure in the middle. South Africa 65 for 1
6th over: Ashwin was brought in by MS Dhoni to put the break into the scoring rate. Eight runs came off the over with Ingram hitting one solid sweep shot for four at square leg area.
5th over: Runs coming at a brisk pace for South Africa. Kallis took charge to the Indian bowlers. Ten runs came from the over that included two classy boundaries off Vinay Kumar. South Africa progress to 47 for 1 after five overs.
4th over: Another good over for the home team as Ingram took charge of the proceedings this time around. Eight runs came form the over that included one crisp boundary off Pathan. South Africa reach 37 for 1
3rd over: Vinay Kumar was brought into the attack by MS Dhoni and he troubled the left-hander Colin Ingram with his gentle away wingers. Just two runs came from the over.
2nd over: Another expensive over by Team India but they picked up a crucial wicket of dangerous Levi who smacked back-to-back boundaries off Irfan Pathan before edging it straight to Rohit Sharma at first slip. South Africa 27 for 1 after 2.
Richard Levi c Sharma b Pathan 19 (7)
1st over: Richard Levi gave South Africa a flying start as he notched up two boundaries off Indian pacer Praveen Kumar, who was a bit wayward with his line and length. South Africa are 13 for 0.
South African opening pair of Jacques Kallis and Richard Levi start the proceedings for the hosts.
20:55: Farhaan Behardian and Dane Vilas will be making their debuts for South Africa, while for India Robin Uthappa makes a return to the team.
20:40: India's skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl against South Africa in the one-off Twenty20.
This match is being hosted to mark the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Indian settlement in South Africa.
Welcome to the one-off Twenty match between South Africa and India in Johannesburg.
Teams:
South Africa: Richard Levi, Jacques Kallis, Colin Ingram, Farhaan Behardien, Justin Ontong, Albie Morkel, Dane Vilas(w), Johan Botha(c), Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Juan Theron
India: Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar

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