INDIA v SRI LANKA (FINAL)
WANKHEDE STADIUM, MUMBAI, 2 APRIL 2011
 |
| Gautam Gambhir |
 |
| Mahendra Singh Dhoni |
 |
| Sachin Tendulkar |
A
supremely confident Indian team appeared to be peaking at the right time. Such
was the din at the Wankhede Stadium that none at the toss heard skipper Kumar
Sangakkara’s call correctly, and the coin had to be flipped again. The Sri
Lankan innings was built around a superb hundred by Mahela Jayawardene. Even as
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sangakkara forged a 43-run second-wicket stand in just
over 10 overs, the innings got impetus when the classy Jayawardene walked in.
He put on 62 with Sangakkara at a-run-per-ball, and another 57 with Thilan
Samaraweera at about the same rate, bringing up his own fifty off 49
balls.
Sri
Lanka took the Powerplay only in the 46th over at 211 for five. Nine
runs came off Zaheer Khan’s over and eleven off Munaf Patel with 2 fours. Nuwan
Kulasekara slammed Zaheer over mid-wicket for a six, and Jayawardene hit two
cracking boundaries to raise his century off 84 deliveries. But Kulasekara was
run out. In the final over Thisara Perera smashed Zaheer for 2 fours and then a
six off the last ball. The final 5 overs yielded 63 runs. Jayawardene leapt in
joy. Sri Lanka had equalled the highest losing total of 274 in a World Cup
final. No team batting second had scored so many in a World Cup final, but
every team with a centurion in the final had won the Cup. This was not for the
fain-hearted!
‘Slinger’
Malinga trapped Virender Sehwag leg-before second-ball. The stunned silence
turned into a mighty roar as Gautam Gambhir glided his first delivery to the
boundary. After a couple on the off-side, Sachin Tendulkar drove Kulasekara
straight in trademark fashion and then cut him for boundaries, to bring the
house down. He then lost strike for a while. Sure enough he nicked Malinga, and
Sangakkara grabbed it, flinging himself to his right. Tendulkar was not to
score his 100th hundred in the World Cup final. The crowd gave him
an extended standing ovation. But there was despondency too as India were 31
for two, with a mountain to climb. Gambhir and Virat Kohli regrouped, rotating
the strike, coupled with the odd boundary. They then struck Kulasekara for a
four each in the 12th over. India started to breathe easier, but
this was an all-or-nothing game with lots of serious work to be done. The pair
batted with maturity, bereft of histrionics. The left-hander clocked his
half-century in 56 balls. Kohli was beginning to open out when he drove hard at
Dilshan who took a brilliant return catch. They had put on 83 in 15.3 overs,
priceless in this situation.
Dhoni
resolutely promoted himself, perhaps intending to retain the left-right pairing
too. He began studiously, striking a boundary only off his 25th
ball. Progress was steady; Dhoni hammered one through the covers to reach fifty
off 52 deliveries. Gambhir by now was 90, and India 204 for three after 38
overs. Runs now came easily but Gambhir sent shock-waves, trying to smash one,
only to be bowled for 97. He had played anchor in the high-voltage game, his
122-ball knock comprising 9 boundaries. Yuvraj Singh joined in with 52 required
off 52 balls. Dhoni rocketed one over point for a six. They raised the tempo in
the 47th over with a boundary each. Dhoni hit Malinga for two more
fours in the next over. With 5 runs to get in two overs, Dhoni nonchalantly
lofted the ball above long-on into the stands. He returned triumphant with 91
off 79 balls studded with 8 fours and 2 sixes. Dhoni lifted the Cup; the joyous
teammates hoisted Tendulkar. Kohli remarked famously: “He has carried the
burden of the nation for 21 years. It was time we carried him.” Dreams do come
true.
Sri
Lanka 274 for 6 wickets (50 overs)
India 277 for 4 wickets (48.2 overs)
(Author Indra Vikram Singh
can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).
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The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011
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Crowning Glory
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Don’s Century
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A Maharaja’s Turf
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Indra Vikram Singh’s latest books:
Indian Spring, on India’s triumph in the cricket World Cup 2011
Wonder Down Under,
special souvenir on the cricket World Cup 2015
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