Reliving the moment.. India's triumph in World Cup 2011 Final!

News Bharati    02-Apr-2020 18:12:26 PM
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“Dhoni finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd! India lift the World Cup after 28 years!”

The stage was set! India and Sri Lanka were against each other in the final of ICC World Cup 2011 who were also the two hosts of the event. They faced off at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. India was playing in front of the home crowd where cricket is considered as nothing but a religion. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. Mahela Jayawardene’s brilliant knock of 88-ball 103, Sri Lanka had set a target of 275 for India. Men in Blue got off to a shocker in the start itself as Lasith Malinga knocked out Virender Sehwag off the second ball of the chase before silencing the Mumbai crowd by dismissing Sachin Tendulkar for 18. But, Gautam Gambhir and captain MS Dhoni were still on the crease. Both of them steadied the ship before Gambhir fell three runs short of a well-deserved 100.

 

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What a fairy-tale end it was for the crowd to watch with that majestic six from MS Dhoni. Dhoni held his pose as he watched the ball, Yuvraj began to celebrate before the ball had even gone for six and India had scripted history. Sachin’s dream of lifting the World Cup came true after 22 years. The nation erupted with joy. The teammates and staff started jumping. So many emotions at the same time!


It gives goose bumps whenever we hear that iconic line of Ravi Shastri after India won the World Cup on this very date 9 years ago. There was a rollercoaster of emotions that was experienced by every Indian and they lived it each and every moment because India had suffered major heartbreaks in the past. They were the favorites in every tournament they were involved in. They had the potential. Either it was the luck or they were not potent enough to cross that line in the past.

 
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The pain of 1996, the heartbreak of 2003 and the humiliation of 2007 India led them to their second title success on the back of Gautam Gambhir’s much-needed knock (97) and his alliance with Dhoni which shut Sri Lanka. It was a generation shift from the tournament towards which had changed the complete perspective regarding the technique, fitness and much more.

 
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India deserved to win that title at that time because they did not leave any stone unturned. They overcame every obstacle they had in their way. Yuvraj Singh shined against Australia, Zaheer Khan lethal bowling throughout the series and our beloved Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy. In addition to it, let's not forget that India had defeated each of the former champions. They already had the best batting side, and once the fielding improved, they looked a different unit altogether.

The legendary player, Sachin Tendulkar speaking about the World Cup win said, “I couldn’t have asked for anything more than this. Winning the World Cup is the proudest moment of my life. Thanks to my team-mates. Without them, nothing would have happened. I couldn’t control my tears of joy."

It was really an emotional moment for all the Indians witnessing that match.