The Indian Cricket Team won its 2nd ODI World Cup in 2011 on this day, April 2. This is one historic moment for all Indians and the voice of Ravi Shastri remains in the ears of every Indian, the voice that says, “And Dhoni finishes things off in style, a magnificent strike into the crowd!”. It was a fairytale. A fairytale with many characters, not just characters, but heroes. Heroes like Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Zaheer Khan, and Virender Sehwag. It was a saga of a much-awaited victory. Here is a look at all the special moments and special players from the 2011 World Cup:
Indian Cricket Team Captain MS Dhoni Walks into Bat at Number 5 in the Final:
The masterstroke or the “MS Dhoni Moment” came when MS Dhoni came out to bat at number 5 for the Indian cricket team in the final. India was struck by quick breakthroughs in the initial stage of the innings. India was struggling at 32-2. But Virat Kohli walked in and stitched up a good partnership with Gautam Gambhir. TM Dilshan dismissed him for a great catch and had to walk back. The fans anticipated India’s best batter of the tournament, Yuvraj Singh to walk in but it was MS Dhoni who came in out instead.
The ideology behind this move was that MS is a better player of spin and he had played with Muralitharan and Suraj Randiv in the CSK camps in the IPL. And the move paid off. One can never forget that 91* by MS Dhoni. And that hit into the crowd is etched into the mind of every Indian.
Zaheer Khan’s Dream Spell for the Indian Cricket Team Against England in the Group Stage:
Zaheer Khan is a lesser-known hero of the 2011 World Cup. But he was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament alongside Shahid Afridi. His spell in the game against England was crucial. England was comfortable while chasing 330 against India. But when Zaheer Khan came to bowl in his second spell, he left the opposition spellbound with his reverse swing. He took the wicket of a well-settled Andrew Strauss and dismissed Paul Collingwood on the first ball. This is precisely why Zak is regarded as the best left-arm bowler to play for the Indian cricket team.
Gautam Gambhir’s Unsung 97:
Gautam Gambhir’s 97 was certainly overshadowed by MS Dhoni’s impactful 91*. But it deserves equal recognition. Gambhir was once asked in an interview, “Did you lose hope when you saw Sehwag and Tendulkar walk back as all of India did?”. He answered, “I never lost hope. I was at the crease and it was like a regular day at a job for me. My job is to win the game for my country and I believed I could do it.”
And his innings is one of the most crucial in Indian cricket history. His interview showed that he was always confident about taking India home. He stitched crucial partnerships with MS and Virat and ensured India are in the safe zone.
Yuvraj Singh, Indian Cricket Team’s World Cup Hero:
The true hero of the Indian cricket team and all of India in 2011 was Yuvraj Singh. Not every cricketer can play for the nation knowing that his or her life is in danger. But Yuvraj Singh did. He played and played with the class. His 5 wickets against Ireland will never be forgotten. His 100 against the West Indies, while vomiting blood will go down as one of the best knocks for the Indian cricket team. Yuvraj also hit two crucial 50s while playing against Ireland and Netherlands. He was awarded “Player of the Tournament.”
Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, and Ashish Nehra, the Smaller But Significant Contributors:
Suresh Raina and his contributions in the quarterfinals against Australia and in the semi-finals against Pakistan are equally important. One must not disregard the great innings of 175 by Virender Sehwag against Bangladesh. He ensured that the opposition feared the Indian batting. And finally, the spells of Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel in the semi-finals were very crucial. The spells were economical, and the bowlers troubled the Pakistani batters.
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