T20 World Cup, 37 days to go: Top moments - Michael Hussey smashes Ajmal for 22 runs in final over to lead Australia to T20WC final

The T20 World Cup 2022 begins in Australia in 37 days. Sportstar will present one iconic moment/match from T20 WC history each day, leading up to October 16, 2022.

The T20 World Cup 2022 begins in Australia in 37 days. Sportstar will present one iconic moment/match from T20 WC history each day, leading up to October 16, 2022. 

May 14, 2010 - Hurricane Hussey helps Australia storm into final

The ICC World Twenty 20 semifinal between Australia and Pakistan will go down as a classic. This was a heart-stopping humdinger of several twists. Hussey had the final say. The left-hander’s 24-ball unbeaten 60 was as much about explosive strokeplay as placements, as much about aggression as a cool head.

Australia, pursuing a stiff 192 and losing wickets at regular intervals, seemed down for the count needing 34 runs from the last two overs with just three wickets remaining.

Hussey turned the contest on its head. He picked 16 runs off left-arm pacer Mohammed Aamir’s penultimate over with deft flicks, pushes and jabs into the open spaces and hard running.

Hussey has this knack of gathering runs without the opposition realising it. A nick here, a cut there and soon the adversary is bleeding.

Australia still needed 18 from the final over. Then, Mitchell Johnson took a single off the first ball of the final over delivered by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

With 17 runs needed off five deliveries, Michael Hussey smashed Saeed Ajmal’s next four deliveries for six, six, four and six to seal a spot in the final for Australia.

This took the Pakistani spinner’s bowling figures from 3-0-23-1 to 3.5-0-46-1. The southpaw’s performance in the match won him the man-of-the-match award.

(These excerpts have been taken from an article first published in Sportstar on May 27, 2010)