T20 World Cup Top Moments: Michael Hussey takes apart Saeed Ajmal in famous takedown

Six, six, four, six…Game, set and match It left the Australian fans elated, Pakistan fans stunned, and the neutral fans in awe. Michael Hussey’s assault on Saeed Ajmal was one of the most famous takedowns in the history of T20 cricket. This was the artist taking down the master. It was brutal. It was exhilarating. It was stunning. Fourteen May 2014 witnessed one of the great innings from Michael Hussey as he powered Australia into the final of the T20 World Cup. Australian captain Michael Clarke put Pakistan in to bat after winning the toss in overcast conditions. The Pakistan openers - Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt - got off to a good start adding 82 for the first wicket from 9.4 overs. Akmal got to his fifty from 32 balls but couldn’t last long. Butt (32), too, departed an over later and Pakistan seemed to have lost their way when skipper Shahid Afridi (8) walked back to the hut two overs later. But then Umar Akmal took over the mantle and hit a brisk, unbeaten 35-ball 56. Some quick runs in the lower order from Khalid Latif and Abdul Razzak helped Akmal as Pakistan posted a competitive 191/6. [caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Mike Hussey and Mitchell Johnson celebrate after winning the ICC World Twenty20 second semifinal match between Australia and Pakistan at the Beausejour Cricket Ground on May 14, 2010 in Gros Islet, St Lucia. AFP[/caption] Mohammad Amir then got Pakistan off to a flier sending back openers David Warner and Shane Watson inside the first three overs. Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke steadied the ship, adding 32 for the third wicket but Abdur Rehman had the former stumped. Clarke departed an over later. Australia had to rebuild again with David Hussey and Cameron White adding 43 runs. White was the aggressor as he interlaced singles and twos with big hits. From 11 to 13th over, he hit four of them and Hussey hit one. Just when it looked like Australia had gained momentum, Rehman snapped up Hussey. In walked his brother Michael Hussey. At 105/5. Australia needed 87 off 45 balls. White had kept the scoreboard ticking but the regular fall of wickets at the other end wasn’t helping. With the required rate creeping above 14, Hussey, who had started slowly, showed first signs of aggression. Afridi dropped a couple short and Hussey pulled them over deep mid-wicket for back-to-back sixes. But the next two overs saw a set White and Steve Smith walk back to the hut as the required run rate shot over 16. Ajmal had bowled a frugal spell up until then: 2.1-0-11-1 with the doosra foxing Smith. Mitchell Johnson then smacked one for four through mid-wicket before Hussey swung one over backward square leg for a six to keep the momentum going. The equation had bulged to 34 required in the last two overs. With Hussey being the only recognised batsman remaining the task seemed all the more daunting. Amir, the best bowler, of the innings so far with figures of 3-0-21-3, was brought on to bowl the penultimate over. This is when Hussey started to show his range. He scooped the first one for four to fine leg. Then followed up with some brilliant gap-finding and running as they registered four twos, one of those being leg byes. The humidity was getting to him. He was down on his knees every now and then. He huffing and puffing. But he still had that energy to find those gaps. He flicked a low full toss off the last ball through mid-wicket to score a much-needed boundary. 16 came off the over. The equation read 18 off the last over. Crucially for Pakistan, Hussey wasn’t on strike. Hussey dropped his bat, helmet and gloves and called for drinks as Afridi called on Ajmal to bowl the final over. The tension in both camps was palpable. Ajmal fired in a yorker first up, Johnson charged and looked to flick but got an inside edge to short fine leg for a single. Importantly, it brought Hussey on strike. And what followed was stunning. Ajmal dropped the next one short, Hussey got down and carted it over deep mid-wicket for a six. 11 were now needed off four. Ajmal this time went full, Hussey lifted it over long on for a 94m six to register his 50 off just 22 balls. With 5 needed off 3, Ajmal went a touch wide, Hussey slashed at it and ended up slicing it over backward point for a four. The Australian dugout got up in a mini huddle in elation. Warner jumped off from his seat in the stands. Afridi, who’s left biting his nails, and Pakistan dugout couldn’t fathom what was happening. Scores were level with two balls to go. He could just tuck it around, take a single and walk off with a win. But what does Hussey do? He gets down and smacks a length delivery outside off over the cow corner stands to finish it in style. He charges down arms lifted in the air and then provided a tight hug to Mitchell Johnson. The Australian dugout erupts in a huddle. The Australian fans go wild in the stands. Ajmal is down on his knees. Pakistan fans are stunned. Australia register a famous win to romp into the final. One of the great T20 innings - 60 off 21 balls - is scripted in Gros Islet.

Australia went on to lose in the final against England as England chased down 148 with seven wickets and three overs to spare. The pain of that loss and that over didn’t subside even after four days. “When Hussey hit the last six I was absolutely heartbroken, I am still heartbroken,” Ajmal told PakPassion.net. “It was a very emotional and difficult time for me. My team-mates all came up to me and consoled me and told me not to worry, but I was very upset. The pain is there, when you lose a game of this magnitude it hurts really badly”. “The first delivery was perfect, it was what I had planned, it was a perfect yorker to Mitchell Johnson and it only went for a single,” he said. “However, then the wind seemed to pick up and I was bowling into the wind which made me lose my line and length. I dragged the next delivery down and instead of bowling yorkers into the blockhole for the remaining deliveries as I tried to fire the ball in at the batsman, the deliveries ended up being quick and became length deliveries, which was what Hussey was hoping for. He was then able to get the elevation on the deliveries, instead of having to dig them out”.