#1 India v Sri Lanka, 2011 ODI World Cup Final
When it comes to India v Sri Lanka, the most iconic clash has to be the final of the 2011 ODI World Cup. Once again, the 2 nations were the co-hosts along with Pakistan and Bangladesh. Both had done wonderfully well in the tournament thus far. On paper, the two were comparable and it could have been anyone’s game on the day.
The Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai witnessed Sri Lanka batting first after the skipper Kumar Sangakkara won the toss. Indian bowlers made it hard for the batsmen initially. The MS Dhoni-led side was in control of the game until Mahela Jayawardene took center stage. He slammed a magnificent 103 off just 88 balls and carried the team to 274/6.
Even though the target doesn’t look staggering now, in the context of the event, it was worth 30 more than the actual. Lasith Malinga trapped Virender Sehwag in front off just the 2nd ball of the innings. All eyes were on Sachin Tendulkar who was playing his last World Cup. He struck a couple of delightful boundaries but Malinga struck gold when he sent the Master Blaster back for just 18.
Sachin’s dream of winning a World Cup seemed to be crashing and Sri Lanka had their eyes firmly set on their second title. Gautam Gambhir rose to the occasion and along with Virat Kohli, brought some solidity to the chase. When Kohli departed after scoring 35, India were down to 114/3 in the 22nd over. The target was still afar but the man-in-form Yuvraj Singh was scheduled to come in next.
The Dhoni show
All of a sudden, instead of Yuvraj, it was MS Dhoni who walked out to bat. The tactic was to tackle Muttiah Muralitharan and absorb the pressure. He looked like a man on a mission and he did exactly what was needed. Gambhir went back after a superb 97 and brought India on the cusp of a famous win.
But it was Dhoni who stole the show and sealed a historic victory for his side. The winning runs came off his bat when he smashed Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on for a maximum. India became the World Champions after 28 years and Dhoni’s knock was perhaps the most important knock in India’s cricketing history.
Match Summary
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first
Sri Lanka:Â 274/6 in 50 overs
Mahela Jayawardene 103 (88), Kumar Sangakkara 48 (67)
Yuvraj Singh 49/2 (10), Zaheer Khan 60/2 (10)
India:Â 277/4 in 48.2 overs
Gautam Gambhir 97 (122), MS Dhoni 91* (79)
Lasith Malinga 42/2 (9), Tillakaratne Dilshan 27/1 (5)
India won by 6 wickets
Player of the Match: MS Dhoni
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