Ind vs Aus: Semifinal against Pakistan a dream match: Yuvraj

His dream of guiding India to a win over Australia in the World Cup realised, star batsman Yuvraj Singh is now focussing on the semifinal clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, saying the much-anticipated game would be a battle of equals.

Yuvraj struck an unbeaten half century after claiming two wickets last night to collect his fourth man of the match trophy in the ongoing World Cup.

Looking ahead to the semifinal clash against Pakistan at Mohali on March 30, Yuvraj said it would be another dream game.

"The India-Pakistan game is going to be another dream game after India-Australia. It's a great victory for India today. We would be playing our best cricket against Pakistan. They know our game we know theirs both teams are equal. They have had a very good tournament and have beaten West Indies and Australia," Yuvraj told reporters after India's five-wicket win over the defending champions.

"We don't want to think about the Pakistan game now. It has been a high-pressure game for us (against Australia) and lot of our system has been drained. We would like to relax for a couple of days and then make plans about Pakistan game," he added.

It was very difficult to keep his emotions in check in the high-octane quarterfinal match.

"Over the last one year I have been dreaming of staying till the end and taking the team to victory against Australia in the World Cup and the moment has come. This is the moment I have lived for as a cricketer," he said.

He admitted that it was a tough situation with enormous pressure on him and any small mistake on his part could have thrown India out of the World Cup.

"It was very hard to control emotions. It was difficult to control oneself in such a situation as one mistake and you will be out of the World Cup. I tried to just watch the ball, play down the ground and not lift the ball in the air," said the left-handed batsman.

Yuvraj said he was playing in the tournament with the thought of someone special in his life, though he did not specify the person.

"I am playing for a very special person that comes in my mind and whenever things are not going well I think of that person and things work out," he remarked.

Yuvraj conceded that the dismissal of Gautam Gambhir, who was run out due to a misunderstanding with him, and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in quick succession had put the team under pressure but Suresh Raina lived up to the challenge in crucial stages.

"When Gambhir got out I thought I will get a good partnership going with MS (Dhoni) but when MS got out I knew I was in trouble. When Raina came in I told him to take his time and let's get 20-30 run partnership. He has shown nerves in a crucial stage and this will boost his confidence also," he said.

He said he had already apologised to Gambhir for the mix-up that resulted in his partner getting run out.

"I have apologised to Gautam for the miscommunication on the field. We have not played together much. I think it was probably my fault," said Yuvraj.

Though he got his fourth man-of-the-match award in the tournament, Yuvraj sounded modest and said the team effort was crucial.

"I feel good to have contributed to the team but the victory cannot be achieved by one person, it's a team effort," he said.

He said though he cherished the centuries he had scored in his career, even scores like his 52 not out last night were special as they resulted in the team winning a crucial tie.

"Though centuries are very special for a player, when you are able to contribute 20 or 30 runs which help the team win crucial matches they also become special," he said.

Looking back at the past one year which had seen him being axed from both the ODI and Test teams, Yuvraj said he was very happy that things have turned around for him.

"Last year everything I touched turned into mud. This year it has been a good year," he said.

Praising coach Gary Kirsten for the contribution he has been making, Yuvraj said that was the vital difference from 2007 when the team was knocked out in the first round of the World Cup.

"In 2003, the team was very great (when it made the final). I don't want to talk about 2007. In 2011 with Gary coming in, our confidence in each other has grown. Players confide in each other and the way Gary keeps the team like a family that shows in our performance," he pointed out.

Boria Majumdar Said in ICC Cricket World Cup: Legacy of Yuvraj Singh

People had started questioning his ability to win India matches. So much so that his spot in the side was also under the scanner. Questions were asked if Yuvraj Singh should be replaced by Suresh Raina in the lower middle order. I am sure it hurt. It should. From being India's best one day player and one who was instrumental in winning India the T-20 world cup to almost being discarded, Yuvraj Singh had seen it all.

He had seen the high and witnessed the pain. Perhaps more than some of his contemporaries. Questions were asked of his lifestyle, his sense of responsibility, his mental state, fitness and finally discipline. Many even suggested that he is a spent force and one who is past his prime. But as with real champions, Yuvraj too made the biggest stage his own. Three back to back fifties, two consecutive man of the match awards, the first player ever to pick up five wickets and score a half century and suddenly making himself India's best part time go to bowler, Yuvraj has already made the world cup his own.

What stands out for me in the Yuvraj on view in this tournament is his determination to finish off games. At 99-4 against Ireland, India was just about to press the panic button when Yuvraj steadied the ship with his skipper. An encore happened against the Dutch in Delhi. On both occasions he stayed there till the end, calm and composed, determined and focused, to finish the game and ensure India was the first team to seal a quarter final berth. This is a mature Yuvraj Singh on view, one who understands his responsibility and continues to be a game changer for his country. It is a Yuvraj Singh we have only seen in patches but have craved for all this while and what better stage than the world cup than to stand up and get counted.

Yes India has perhaps not played to potential so far in the world cup. Yes the tournament is just about to reach its business end and the tougher matches are now all at hand. One slip and the dream of winning the world cup after 28 long years will be over. Yes there are plenty of questions to be asked of the Indian bowling. But none of this takes away from the fact that Yuvraj is making the dependable tag his own. He is no longer a swash buckling bundle of talent who could not be invested upon. Rather he is the blue chip share whose value remains constant more often than not even at moments of recession.

Many maverick champions in the past have decided to show their talent at the biggest stage of all. From Paolo Rossi to Jimmy Conors to Goran Ivanisevic, the list of these champions can go on and on. None of them have the discipline to become a Maradona or a Tendulkar but each of them on their day can take the best of the best apart for in terms of talent they are right up there in the highest echelons of sporting greats. Yuvraj is one such. Bending down on one knee, eyes right on top of the ball as that high backlift comes down on it, Yuvraj can certainly make CLR James' description of sport as art. It is art of the highest caliber, shots that remain etched in people's memories for a long long time.

Yes he will never be able to repeat his feat of hitting six sixes in an over. Perhaps he can never score a 27 ball 70 against Australia in a T-20 encounter. But what the new Yuvraj on view can surely do is win India games and regularly so. He is the new age Bevan who is flamboyant yet responsible, focused yet charismatic. This is Yuvraj we have been searching for. We have just seen glimpses of it in the two back to back man of the match awards. Perhaps it is time to see it far more regularly as the tournament reaches a climax.

To quote his mother, "Give him the responsibility and see what he does. I am confident he will do it for the country." He has already proved her right on two occasions. Time he fulfills the dreams of a billion plus now in the next two weeks. So much so that in Indian cricket history a new chapter be added: 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup: The legacy of Yuvraj Singh. 

Yuvraj to lead Pune Warriors in IPL 2011

India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was on Tuesday named captain of the Pune Warriors squad for the fourth season of the Indian Premier League starting April 8.

The new entrant in the hugely successful league also announced its 30-member squad that includes, among others, Graeme Smith, Nathan McCullum, Wayne Parnell, Tim Paine, Jesse Ryder and Angelo Mathews.

Besides Yuvraj, Ashish Nehra, Robin Uthappa and Murali Karthik are the other capped players from India.

Callum Ferguson, Mitchelle Marsh, Jerome Taylor and Alfonso Thomas are also part of the squad.

“Sahara’s Pune Warriors squad has been constituted with an intention to strike a balance between experience, exuberance, international expertise and promising talent of present and future. We are confident of making a mark on the league,” said Abhijit Sarkar, Sahara’s head of Corporate Communications.

“The enviable support and guidance from chief coach Geoff Marsh and assistant coaches Dermot Reeve and Praveen Amre together leverage their vast and complementing experience in international cricket to make the team a force to reckon with,” he added.

India vs Netherlands: Shuffle on the cards

It was unclear if it was Sachin Tendulkar's history with left-arm spinners or Yuvraj Singh's magic arm that wouldn't allow the ball to hit the middle of the bat. But for a change, Tendulkar loved every celebration of his 'dismissal', as much as his Team India mates, who watched an amused Yuvraj circling the spot, waving his hand animatedly to commemorate his prized victim.

Yuvraj certainly has given this team an opportunity to afford big smiles, be it while scoring goals in football practice and striking Usain Bolt's To di World pose, or on the cricket field by winning matches with both bat and ball. But it wasn't just Yuvraj's antics that had the Indians in a good mood a day before their clash against the Dutchmen.

With India having planted one big toe in the quarterfinals, the next opponent being a weak Netherlands, and the usual hype surrounding a Ferozeshah Kotla pitch missing, the team warmed up with more smiles than stress-related creases on Tuesday.