On this day in 2007: India defeat Pakistan by 5 runs to win inaugural ICC T20 World Cup

India won the final against Pakistan by five runs to win inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007.

Team India made history on this day as they defeated Pakistan in the high-voltage finals of the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa to become the first team to win the T20 World Cup. It was just an unexpected moment that made MS Dhoni the captain we know. Indian team that suffered a horrible exit in the 2007 ODI World Cup in West Indies were the underdogs in the T20 World Cup.

Most of the senior players didn't take part in the competition, and MS Dhoni was chosen to lead the team in the tournament. India was full of new faces that didn't play many games. Not many would have thought that India would reach the finals after their first game was washed out. The second game against Pakistan ended in a tie, which saw an exciting bowl-out, and India won it by a 3-0 margin.

Watch: Winning moments of Team India vs Pakistan in the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup

India didn't have a great start to the next round as they lost the first game to New Zealand. But then, India bounced back well with an 18-runs win over England. It was the game when Yuvraj Singh hit Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes and hit the fastest T20I fifty off 12 balls. In the next must-win match, India beat South Africa by 37 runs. India beat Australia in the semi-finals by 15 runs to qualify for the finals.

It was a high-voltage finals between India and Pakistan in Johannesburg. Batting first, India lost a few quick wickets in the middle. But Gautam Gambhir stood firm and scored a valuable half-century. He made 75 runs off 54 balls, with eight fours and two sixes. Rohit Sharma made an unbeaten 30 off 16, and India finished with 157/5.

Watch the match highlights here:

Chasing the score, Pakistan also lost regular wickets, but Misbah-ul-Haq took the game deep. He hit three sixes off Harbhajan Singh in the 18th over to pull things back. Pakistan required 13 runs off the final over, and Dhoni gave the ball to Joginder Sharma. Misbah deposited the second ball of the over for a six, and Pakistan needed just six to win. But then he tried to play a cheeky shot and got out by Sreesanth, and India registered a five-runs win. With that, India, which played with a young side, went on to become the champions.