Yuvraj Singh was not just a hero after guiding India to a stupendous victory over Australia at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Motera.
On Thursday he became the King of Motera with thousands of fans screaming "Singh is King." He conquered the Australians who ruled the World Cup since 1999 with an unforgettable allround display.
To a question from Gulf News on how he felt after his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni departed, he spoke at length about his performance, explaining in detail as to what all went on in the middle during the stupendous chase.
GULF NEWS: What went through your mind after the fall of Dhoni's wicket, and what did you tell yourself at that moment?
YUVRAJ SINGH: Dhoni getting out was a shock because we have together batted well on many such occasions. I knew, with Suresh Raina still to come and even Harbhajan Singh, I had the opportunity to build a 30 to 40 runs partnership and stretch till the end.
How is it to emerge as the hero, especially after being written off? Don't you think that everything you touch is turning into gold?
Yes, everything I'm trying to do is turning into gold now; but last year it was all turning into mud (laughs). By the grace of God, I've been batting well. I am batting really well since the England game. I have been working hard playing my shots all along the ground and into the gaps. It helped. I owe my success to a special person. I've been playing for a special person. He always comes to my mind in pressure situations. That helps me to perform. It has worked very well for me so far. I will tell you about him only if we reach the final.
How emotional is this moment?
My emotions.... I really can't explain them, because it was tough out there. From last year I have been dreaming of playing Australia in a crucial game. I don't know why Australia.... probably because they are three-time world champions. I have been thinking about this moment for the last 365 days and it actually came true.
How did you handle the pressure of this match?
It was very difficult to control the emotions because my heartbeat was racing in the pressure situation. One mistake and we would be out of the World Cup. Various thoughts ran through your mind, but I decided that I would only watch the ball, keep it simple and as far as possible not hit in the air. Unless the asking rate peaked to seven-and-a-half, only then, I told myself, I would go for the big hits; till then I would hold back.
Can we say that India has reached this stage because of the single-handed effort from you?
If it was not for me, it would have been someone else. It's never possible to achieve success without team effort. The innings both Sachin (Tendulkar) and (Gautam) Gambhir played were exceptional. Yeah, my contribution helped, but the team effort clinched it in the end.
Was it sweet revenge since it was Australia than ended India's dream of winning the World Cup in 2003?
We cannot see it as sweet revenge as yet because we are yet to win the World Cup. I don't want to speak about what all happened in the past. One thing that has happened is the presence of Gary Kirsten as coach. He has made us believe in ourselves, and kept us all like a family.
So what do you say are India's chances against Pakistan?
We've just come out of a high-pressure game. It has taken a lot out of us… We need to take a break and then start thinking about the Pakistan game… We have played each other so many times that we know each other pretty well.
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