‘Greatest knock in World Cup history’ – Fans react to Dhoni’s knock and statement about the last minutes of the World Cup final
Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, India won their second 50-over World Cup in 2011.
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Apr 2, 2023 9:27 pm
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh (Source: Twitter)
India were led by MS Dhoni to victory in the maiden 20-20 World Cup in South Africa and the 2011 50-50 World Cup, which they hosted at Mumbai’s illustrious Wankhede Stadium. The burden of having been the only Indian skipper who captured the Cricket World Cup fell on Kapil Dev for 28 years. He obliged the nation for advancing Indian cricket. In 2011, a team commanded by Mahendra Singh Dhoni fulfilled Kapil’s ambition.
Dhoni decided to prove it to himself and the one billion people by moving up to number five as well as concluding the game with a six. The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman acknowledged that he felt pressure in earlier World Cup matches, which pushed and inspired himself to make amends on the biggest platform.
Let’s relive the happenings of this iconic game:
After deciding to bat first, Sri Lanka scored 274/6, thanks to Thisara Perera’s burst of 22* off nine deliveries and Mahela Jayawardene’s 103*. India’s response saw the worst of their openings as they quickly lost master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and aggressive opener Virender Sehwag.
India’s innings was rebuilt by Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, thanks to their important 83-run third-wicket partnership. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s catch and delivery of Kohli allowed Sri Lanka to re-enter the contest. Dhoni won the day while Sri Lanka sensed an opportunity.
Gambhir, who served as the focal point of India’s performance, was bowled by Perera, denying him the chance to reach a century. With his useful 21 not out at the finish, Yuvraj Singh stood strong and embraced Dhoni in celebration of India’s victory.
The Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Kulasekara’s bowling caused the “Captain Cool ” to colour the Stadium blue by sending the ball flying over long-on. Dhoni had a run of dismal performances at the World Cups. His worst performance was a 34. However, his 91 not out knock altered it profoundly.
Dhoni while speaking about the game said that,
“The best feeling was 15-20 minutes before the 2011 WC winning moment. The stadium started to sing Vande Mataram. That atmosphere is very difficult to recreate, maybe in 2023 WC, there is a similar scenario, once the stadium, the fans start contributing.”
Here’s how Fans reacted to Dhoni’s statement about the World Cup final :
MS Dhoni said, "The best feeling was 15-20 minutes before the 2011 WC winning moment. The stadium started to sing Vande Mataram. That atmosphere is very difficult to recreate, maybe in 2023 WC, there is a similar scenario, once the stadium, the fans start contributing".
