April 2nd, 2011 was a day to be remembered by all Bharat-vasis. For any random non-Indian, it was just a normal day. But that was the day when the whole of the sub-continent held their breaths, crossed all of their ten fingers, and prayed to the gods for the one thing that we Indians yearned the most...a cricket World cup win.
Nine years ago on this day, the men in blue faced the Sri Lankans on the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai with the expectations of a whole nation riding on their shoulders. The captain of the Indian cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost the toss against Kumar Sangakkara, the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team who didn’t hesitate to immediately choose to bat. Fortunately, our Indian bowlers managed to put up a good show and limit the Sri Lankans to a score of 274 runs for 6 wickets. The Indian team was required to attain a tight target of 275 runs in 50 overs.
When the opening batsmen walked into the field, the crowd went hysterical as it was last and final match for the God of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar. India lifting the World cup trophy after a long span of 28 years was Tendulkar’s biggest dream and he was just hours away from realizing it. The pace bowler Lasith Malinga gave India a tough start and the men in blue were already down to 31 for 2. Kohli and Gambhir together scored a much needed 83 runs before Kohli was caught out. With young talent like Kohli gone, India was expecting Yuvraj Singh to walk into the stadium as he was up next in the order. But instead, the captain himself walked in to save his team from crumbling under the Sri Lankans.
Both Dhoni and Gambhir played magnificent innings but unfortunately, Gambhir ended up losing his off-stump and walked away with a valiant 97 making a mark in the World cup history. Dhoni, despite battling a stiff back, batted with determination and his innings were interspersed with timely boundaries. In the 48th over, India needed 5 runs from 12 balls. Yuvraj took a single and Dhoni reached the striker’s end. Now the men in blue were just 4 runs away from making history.
“Dhoni finishes off in style! A magnificent strike into the crowd. India lifts the World cup after 28 years!” was the iconic line by Ravi Shastri (player turned commentator turned coach) when Dhoni hit the final six that is still etched in the minds of all Indians. The captain, now a hero, took the stumps as a souvenir while the whole team rushed towards him for a big hug.
The victory parade around the ground with Sachin on the shoulders of his beloved teammates and an Indian flag hoisted up in his hands are moments that are worth living for. Our men in blue proved their worth to the world by not just winning the trophy, but also by winning the hearts of billions around the world. Until we lay our hands on another World cup trophy, this day, this win will be cherished in our hearts forever.
Well expressed article. This was the first match I had actually witness and it changed my life. I had joined the cricket team in Dubai and this is the match that inspired me to. Thank you for enlightening us with such an iconic day
So true...... that day was iconic and that amazing feeling holds true for each and every