On Yuvraj Singh’s 33rd birthday, let’s look at his top 5 knocks in international cricket.
1) 118 AGAINST ENGLAND IN INDORE (2008)
Yuvraj Singh played one of his finest ODI innings against England in Indore, in 2008. Yuvraj Singh came out to bat when India were struggling on 29 for 3 on a pitch that offered a lot of help to the fast bowlers. Yuvraj, who is not known for his technique against the moving ball, showed a lot of patience and played a very balanced innings. Yuvraj built a good partnership with Gautam Gambhir and scored 118 runs off 122 balls. This knock will always remain a very special ‘Yuvraj Singh knock’ because of the manner in which he counter-attacked a very good English attack while showing a lot of maturity in the shot selection, put India into a strong position. India won the match by 54 runs and Yuvraj Singh was given the man of the match award.
2) 110 AGAINST WEST INDIES IN COLOMBO (2006)
India were again in a spot of bother at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, when Yuvraj Singh came in to bat at No. 5. The West Indies pacers had reduced India to 51/3. Yuvraj built a very good partnership with Mohammad Kaif and reconstructed Indian innings. Yuvraj batted very cautiously and rotated the strike brilliantly. Later in the slog overs, he changed the gears and smashed West Indian bowlers all around the park. Yuvraj Singh scored 110 runs off 114 balls. India won the match by 7 runs and Yuvraj Singh was given the man of the match award for his match-winning hundred.
3) 169 AGAINST PAKISTAN IN BANGALORE (2007)
Yuvraj Singh will never be remembered as a Test match player, but his knock against Pakistan in Bangalore is one of the finest knocks he has ever played. While the fans will always remember this match for Sourav Ganguly’s double hundred, Yuvraj’s performance got him a place in the Test side for the following Australia series. He played a brilliant knock against a good Pakistani bowling attack. Yuvraj Singh has scored three hundreds and all of them have come against Pakistan. But, this hundred which he scored in Bangalore, is arguably his best Test hundred.
4) 113 AGAINST WEST INDIES IN ICC WORLD CUP 2011
Yuvraj Singh was the man of the tournament in ICC World Cup 2011. He played an instrumental role in India’s triumph. In the 42nd match of the tournament, Yuvraj Singh scored a very memorable hundred which no Indian cricket fan will ever forget. It was an innings of courage, class and aggression. Yuvraj scored 113 runs off 123 balls including 10 fours and 2 sixes. India won the match by 80 runs and once again Yuvraj Singh was given the man of the match award for his all-round performance that included a match-winning hundred and two wickets.
5) 69 AGAINST ENGLAND (2002)
Chasing a mammoth total of 325 runs, India were tottering at 146 for 5 when Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh got into a partnership and anchored which will always remain a very special victory for Indian fans. Although, Yuvraj got out leaving his team in a spot of bother, his 69 runs made a big impact on the match. It was his attacking stroke play that turned on the chase after losing five quick wickets.
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By The Cricket Lounge
