On this day in 2006, India clinched victory in the last over of the first World T20 final played in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

The two sides had come into the final after an effective run in the tournament -- they had topped their respective groups, India had defeated Australia in the final by 15 runs and Pakistan had won against New Zealand by 6 wickets. The stage was set for the final clash. 

India won the toss and opted to bat first. Backed by Gautam Gambhir’s 75 (54), the Indian side set a target of 158. Infamous for being tentative chasers, a reputation that the side has since then attempted to shed off, Pakistan found themselves 6 wickets down at a measly 77. 

When Pakistan seemed to be well out of reach with 54 needed from 24 balls and just three wickets in hand, Misbah ul Haq, in an attempt to hoist his side back into the game, hit three sixes in a Harbhajan Singh over. From the other end, Sohail Tanvir chipped in with a 12 off four balls. Suddenly, the improbable seemed to be in reach for the men in green.

Having turned it around, with the result at Misbah’s mercy, when Pakistan needed just 13 from the final over. After a great deal of thought, the Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni gambled on the inexperienced Joginder Sharma. He started with a wide, and then got pummeled for a long-off six on a full toss he bowled. 

With just six runs required, Misbah chose the wrong shot. Shanthakumaran Sreesanth caught the attempted scoop shot, and the Indian side had their first global title since 1983. 

Irfan Pathan, the Indian left-arm pacer, was declared the player of the match, for restricting the chase with his fiery spell, going for just 16 in his four overs, and grabbing the wickets of the Pakistani captain Shoaib Malik, the trump card Shahid Afridi and the allrounder Yasir Arafat. 

Coming into the tournament with just a single T20I game, and without Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, India was a tentative contender for the title. But when Misbah’s wicket fell, celebrations erupted in Johannesburg and all of India alike–the men in blue had won the first T20 World Final. Pakistan went onto win the second edition of the World T20. The two teams have yet to win their second titles in the format.