India lifted the World Cup trophy of 2011, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2 and even after a lapse of four days, the streets continued to witness rapturous crowds in celebration.
The country’s dream of enhancing its reputation as a major force in the world game found glorious realisation after 28 years ridden by jinx, anxiety, agony and often ridicule.
The Final Match was a treat, with two equally balanced sides fighting for the coveted Trophy. The Indian side kept its cool as Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni rose to the occasion with a well-deserved 91 not out and saw his team through victory with a winning shot.
Before that, the Indian dressing room and the fans got the jitters when India’s blaster batsman Virendra Sehwag was out for a duck and India’s master batsman Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for 18 with the scoreboard reading 31/2.
Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga was breathing fire.
Gambhir’s bravery
Gautam Gambhir, aware of Malinga’s first spell, took calculated risks against the other seamers to ensure that India kept pace with the asking rate. It was brave, intelligent batting under duress.
Virat Kohli applied himself to the task of rebuilding the innings, helping raise 83 runs for the third wicket before he fell to a brilliant one-handed return catch by Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Dhoni promoted himself above Yuvraj Singh to join Gambhir. Together, the two set about controlling the run chase, guarding against Muttiah Muralitharan, who posed a threat despite not being fully fit, and Malinga, whose pace and unique action merited careful handling.
Mahela Jayawardene started the World Cup Final with a century (103 not out) of rare radiance and grace, enabling Sri Lanka to score 274 for six in 50 overs.
But Gambhir’s innings of 97 was just as masterful.
The Toss Drama
The Final Match was not without drama even before the first ball was bowled over a challenging pitch. The toss had to be taken twice after referee Jeff Crowe said he had not heard Sri Lankan Captain Kumar Sangakkara’s call the first time.
India swiftly put the disappointment of losing the toss, as Zaheer Khan produced an exceptional first spell, bowling three successive maidens before having Upul Tharanga smartly caught at slip by Sehwag. The fielding was of high quality, with Yuvraj Singh and Suresh deserving a special mention.
Sri Lanka managed only 31 runs in the first ten overs.
Tilakaratne Dilshan (33) and Sangakkara (48) looked to hasten the rate. They targeted Sreesanth Dhoni, who was preferred over Ravichandran Ashwin to replace an injured Ashish Nehra in the Indian team. The pair added 43 for the second wicket before Dilshan, who became the first batsman to reach 500 runs in the 2011 edition, dragged a sweep off Harbhajan Singh onto the stumps.
Jayawardene timed and placed the ball adeptly to rotate the strike before accelerating, often with stylish, orthodox cricket strokes in the end overs.
He was involved in partnerships of 62 with Sangakkara for the third wicket and 57 with Thilan Samaraweera for the fourth wicket.
Unstoppable India
Despite heavy odds, the Sri Lankan team managed to score 275 runs, which was not enough to stop the Indian juggernaut. After defeating defending champions Australia by five wickets at the quarterfinals, thanks to a brilliant half-century by Yuvraj (‘Player of the Tournament’), India was unstoppable.
Yuvraj and his team dedicated the Trophy to Tendulkar, who was carried around the Stadium. It was a moment charged with emotion and euphoria for the Indian Cricket team and the fans.
The joy multiplied with the celebrities, politicians and tycoons witnessing the Final, while the semifinals between India and Pakistan played at Mohali Stadium, brought the Prime Ministers of the two countries through Cricket Diplomacy.
Chandramohan Balaji is our Correspondent based in Delhi.
