Revisiting the 2011 World Cup
A look back at the iconic tournament that captivated every cricket fan.
Ten years ago, to this day, was the culmination of an epic story. A different kind of virus was spreading in the cricketing world – World Cup fever. From the seemingly ubiquitous De Ghuma Ke anthem to the six that fulfilled a billion dreams, here is to reliving some of those unforgettable moments.
Sachin Tendulkar edges a back of a length Lasith Malinga delivery to a diving Kumar Sangakkara and departs in the early stages of a mother of all high pressure chases. Wankhede stadium is rendered silent. India 31/2; 244 runs needed to win.
The global cricketing fraternity was keen on getting the 2011 World Cup started, especially since the previous edition was a long, drawn out disaster marred by mismanagement and tragedy (Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer’s death) in the Caribbean. This time the tournament began with a bang at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka. The opening ceremony in Bangladesh captivated the international audience; fireworks emphatically launched the beginning of the competition, like the fireworks off the bat of Virender Sehwag that launched the beginning of India’s World Cup campaign. India, as always, headed into the tournament under a mountain of pressure. The fact that it was being played on home soil, that it was to be Tendulkar’s last World Cup, and a 28 year wait to see the Cup come home heightened an already cricket crazy nation’s expectations to astronomical levels.
England were coming off of an Ashes high, the pinnacle of beating Australia in Australia. The considerably less indomitable Aussies had one last shot to win the Cup under skipper Ricky Ponting. South Africa, the pre-tournament favorites, were determined to discard their “chokers” tag. Pakistan, hoping to put the spot fixing scandals behind them, were captained by a bold Shahid Afridi who promised to lead his team to the semi-finals. Sri Lanka, also a co-host, looked good on paper to win it all and were being led by the ruthless Sangakkara and the magical Muralitharan. Bangladesh, the third co-host, were tipped this time to finally advance to the knockout round of the contest.
And so the championship began with India wanting to exact revenge on Bangladesh after the latter stunned the world in a David beats Goliath encounter that precipitated India’s eventual elimination in the 2007 World Cup.
The opening match turned out to be all about Virender Sehwag as he blazed away to a then career best 175 to lead India to a comfortable win. That his last innings of the World Cup was a two ball duck probably gave him more grief than the joy he received after the opening game hundred.
From the very start and throughout the tournament there were some outstanding individual performances and a few astonishing results. It began when Netherlands gave England a run for their money as the English won a nervy, high-scoring contest in the penultimate over. Ryan ten Doeschate proved his mettle as the biggest name in Associate cricket by scoring a brilliant century and giving his side a real chance at an upset.
However, eight days after that match shone the dazzling pyrotechnics of Kevin O’Brien against the same England team at Bangalore. The crowd was treated to a hell of a match that went down to the last over and to one of the greatest World Cup innings. England was assured a win after setting Ireland the daunting task of chasing 328 runs. The Irish top order managed to make a game of it before losing quick wickets and letting the required run rate touch eight and a half.
Then out strutted the ridiculous looking O’Brien with his died purple and bleach-blonde hair. He smashed 13 fours down the ground and clobbered six sixes all over the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium en route to 113 of 63 balls. Not only was it the fastest century in World Cup history, it proved to be a remarkable match-winning innings. The kind of innings which leaves you either speechless or in tears. Which is what the handful of Irish fans sitting in the crowd were brought to. The match was an instant classic and it immediately transformed O’Brien, Alex Cusack, and John Mooney, the other allrounders who made invaluable contributions lower down the order, into heroes back in Ireland for their hand in defeating the old enemy across the pond.
But this was just one of many extraordinary contests involving the English side, which was destined to have its heart rate tested vigorously right through the tournament.
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli put India back on track and some of the tension on the faces of Indian fans is alleviated as the two batsmen march to an 83 run partnership. India 114/2; 161 runs needed to win.
Before this World Cup, various cricketing boards around the world were engaging in discussions about changing up the 50 over format. One such board, Cricket Australia, wanted to experiment with a baseball type set up: two innings for each side - 20 then 25 overs. The Hundred ball idea also wasn’t too far off in the future. But the cricket played in this tournament almost made it a point to say that there was no need for such gimmicks.
Bangalore produced another thriller, a terrific advert for the ODI game. Only to be overdone by the even more ridiculous England-New Zealand final eight years later, the India versus England showdown resulted in an epic tie. Tendulkar showcased his class yet again and scored a sublime century, setting up a colossal score of 338. Andrew Strauss responded with a captain’s innings and turned the match around with a high quality 158. But then Zaheer Khan did some match turning of his own by picking up successive wickets of Ian Bell and Strauss in the 43rd over, breathing life into the match for India. India clawed their way back into the game as the English began to lose the plot.
Somehow England managed to drag the chase till the last over after the tail-enders heaved a few desperation slogs into the stands. In the end, the numbers 9 and 10 scrambled their way to a bittersweet tie. India’s death bowling was exposed; England’s unpredictability, slowly becoming its trademark, manifested itself. As flawed as the thriller was, the match had more twists at the end than the plot of The Sixth Sense. And there was no super over. No bowl out. No boundary count rule here. Just a point awarded to each team. It must have chagrined players on both sides to get just one lousy point in return after all that drama. But what drama it was.
Tillakaratne Dilshan takes an astounding catch off his own bowling to dismiss Virat Kohli, who goes for a gritty 35. The match hangs in the balance as Indian captain MS Dhoni walks out to the middle, promoting himself ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh. India 114/3; 161 runs needed to win.
Learning that the next World Cup would take place in the subcontinent should have come across as a warning to cricket fans that the tournament would consist of belters of pitches leading to loads of runs. Everyone assumed that it would be a batsman’s paradise with 300+ scores in every match. However, the bowlers garnered much respect and consequently, many wickets throughout the World Cup. The balance between bat and ball was just right.
Spin was a huge factor throughout the competition. In fact, spinners bowled about 47% of the total balls bowled. Tied at the top of the wickets chart was Shahid Afridi, who nabbed 21 scalps with an average of 12.9 and economy rate of 3.6. Although his batting was perplexing and too carefree even for him, Afridi more than made up for it with his devastating leg-spin. He emerged as Pakistan’s savior and enthralled the spectators with his trademark celebration after a wicket: the two index fingers pointing to the sky as the chest pumps out and the arms spread out at 45 degrees. This was only the second time a spinner had topped the wickets tally at a World Cup.
While Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez provided ample support for Afridi in Pakistan’s spin department, the South African trio of Imran Tahir, Robin Peterson and Johan Botha, a combined 33 wickets, also proved lethal. But it wasn’t all spin. The likes of Dale Steyn, Brett Lee, Tim Southee, and Umar Gul bowled their hearts out and took a combined 57 wickets with their unrelenting pace.
Steyn sparked an unbelievable Indian collapse, grabbing a five wicket haul as India slipped from 267 for 1 to 296 all out. Lee, Southee, and Gul emerged as their respective teams’ bowling attack spearheads and managed two four wicket hauls between them, their quickest deliveries reaching around 145 kilometers per hour. Then there was Lasith Malinga, with a bowling style more unorthodox than his hairstyle, who produced countless toe-crushing yorkers time after time. He destroyed the Kenyan batting line up with a hat-trick en route to 6/38.
Last but not the least, the man who tied Afridi to lead the wicket takers list was Zaheer Khan, who led the Indian bowling attack as a seasoned veteran. Zaheer exuded a zen-line confidence in every situation and nearly always outsmarted the batsman in front of him. He consistently picked up wickets whenever Dhoni turned to him and started off the World Cup final with a magnificent spell of 5-3-6-1. It was a far cry from the talented but jittery newcomer who conceded 15 runs in just his first over of the 2003 World Cup final vs Australia. The southpaw had come a long way.
Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni add 100 runs together as India reaches 200, Gambhir approaches a century, and Dhoni completes a half-century. India 221/3; 54 runs from 10 overs.
While in one group Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand advanced to the knockout stage without much fuss, Group B was blown wide open after a few upsets. Ireland was riding high after stunning the English, who would go on to lose to Bangladesh in another unbelievable thriller that the co-hosts won in the penultimate over. This, first of all, gave the Bangladeshi crowd a much needed reason to smile again after what had been a complete disaster against West Indies - crumbling for a paltry 58 runs. Also, this perpetuated the notion that England had become the new “Pakistan”- blowing hot and cold unpredictably but producing entertaining contests.
Bangladesh’s impressive win gave them hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals and gave England grief in what was turning out to be a roller coaster ride for them. The roller coaster was at an all time high before the Bangladesh upset. England had salvaged victory against South Africa from the depths of certain defeat. After England folded for a mere 171, the Proteas began steadily in pursuit of the modest target. Then four wickets fell for three runs. South Africa pressed the self-destruct button and lost that match by an agonizing six runs. The word “choke” paved its way into press conferences again. No credit would be taken away from the English though. Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, and James Anderson had bowled brilliantly, combining for seven wickets and an economy rate of less than three runs an over.
But being humbled by Bangladesh had dampened the English spirits again, leaving them to face West Indies in a must win game. West Indies restricted England to 243 and started their chase positively, always staying above the required run rate. England managed to get wickets at regular intervals but the Windies were firmly in control when only 20 runs were needed from nine overs.
So naturally, Andrew Strauss’s men stormed back into the match once again; the English roller coaster reached its apex for one last time as West Indies lost their last four wickets for three runs. England stayed alive in the World Cup.
Gambhir’s century is not to be; he is bowled for 97 trying to slog Thisara Perera. Sri Lanka still has a sliver of hope but Yuvraj Singh walks out to “Singh is King” blaring over the stadium speakers. India 227/4; 48 runs from 8 overs.
The knockouts began with utter domination as Pakistan steamrolled West Indies to book a place in the semi-finals. Afridi was the star once again, picking up a 4/30. The West Indies’ batsmen’s inability to play quality spin was put on display as they were held to just 112 runs. England also met their end at the hands of the brilliant Sri Lankans. Run machine Jonathan Trott scored 86 in vain as England put up a below par score. In response, both the Lankan openers cruised to a century and the team cruised to its fourth World Cup semi-final. Thus ended England’s roller coaster ride, in rather anti-climatic fashion, although it would be fair to say that the tournament wouldn’t have been half as exciting as it was if not for England’s flawed cricket.
In the third quarter-final, South Africa were halfway through what should have been a straightforward win, chasing 222 against New Zealand. But the Proteas managed to yet again crash out on cricket’s biggest stage. The Kiwis fought back and dismissed the last seven South African batsmen for 64 runs and scrapped their way to a remarkable win. Before the South African collapse, the other semi-final matchup had already been decided in the India-Australia quarter-final.
India versus Australia has always had a nice ring to it. Many of their battles in the ODI and Test arenas are part of cricketing lore. Australia’s last World Cup encounter against India had been the 2003 final, a monumentally one-sided affair. This riveting quarterfinal in Ahmedabad was anything but that. In the first innings, Ricky Ponting broke out of his slump and rose to the occasion with a classy 104. The Indian chase of 261 started well with a delightful 50 from Tendulkar and an equally important one from Gambhir. But both perished shortly afterwards, Dhoni came and went, and India were left at a precarious 187 for 5. Suresh Raina, the last specialist batsman, came out to join Yuvraj, with the required run rate slowly creeping up. Australia began to go for the kill as Ponting placed a slip in the 39th over.
Sports fans invariably get that gnawing feeling in their stomachs when they can sense that their team has lost all momentum and is about to limp to a painful loss. This felt like one of those times. Defeat seemed inevitable. Not many could have predicted that Yuvraj Singh would haul India to the finish line on the back of a breathtaking array of shots. Yuvraj and Raina were unflappable under enormous pressure, chasing down the target with 14 balls to spare.
Yuvraj ended Australia’s 12 year World Cup reign with an emphatic cover drive and celebrated like an uncaged beast, sliding down the pitch on his knees, his fists pumping and his bat waving in a burst of emotions. He had come off a terrible 2010, suffering loss of form, fitness, Test and ODI spots. We would later learn of his battle against cancer after the World Cup. But here he was, taking India past every obstacle in the tournament with bat and ball. Here he was, receiving his fourth Man of the Match trophy of the series. Here he was, eliminating the three-time defending champions. Here he was, winning matches for his team, his country. Here he was, in this moment, becoming a legend.
As the crowd in Ahmedabad rejoiced, fans all over India braced themselves for the next opponent, the mother of all rivals - Pakistan.
India approach the finish line on cricket’s biggest stage. Lasith Malinga storms in for one last hurrah and produces four straight dot balls in the 46th over. India 248/4; 27 runs from 24 balls.
Pakistan is a different beast. Sure, there’s a rivalry between India and Australia, but nothing tops India versus Pakistan. A contest between these two teams transcends the sport. The massive hype surrounding this encounter had overshadowed the other semi-final taking place in Sri Lanka. New Zealand, against the Lankans, could only muster a total of 217 runs.
Playing in his last game in Sri Lanka, Muttiah Muralitharan held the crowd spellbound with his magic till the very last ball of his spell. He finished his ODI career on home ground with yet another wicket, his 534th. Sri Lanka’s chase was rather straightforward although New Zealand once again fought hard to earn five wickets. It wasn’t enough as Sri Lanka marched to the final, the night ending with Muralitharan taking a lap of honor in front of the fans that adore him.
Back in India, the country was electrified ahead of the Pakistan semi-final. Both countries’ Prime Ministers were in attendance, meeting with the players, sitting side by side, a picture of surface-level tranquility under which simmers an unrelenting storm of nerves and tension. This fixture is almost always the biggest game of any cricketing tournament. For many, this was the final.
It began with a bang as Sehwag went berserk early, punishing the in-form Umar Gul for five boundaries in the third over. Pakistan threatened to stem the flow when Sehwag fell and Tendulkar was judged lbw to Saeed Ajmal. But a review overturned the on-field decision by the smallest of margins, the ball was projected to miss the leg stump in a call that remains controversial to this day. Ajmal kept spinning webs around Tendulkar; the very next delivery saw Sachin escape with another astonishingly close call. He didn’t pick the doosra, lunged out, and was nearly stumped only for the replays to show his foot landing back safely and barely in time. Tendulkar batted and battled on.
But Pakistan gifted him even more lives as four different fielders went on to drop him, two of them sitters. Tendulkar exploited this string of luck and top scored the Indian innings with 85 before skipper Shahid Afridi finally held on to a catch. In the last ten overs, Suresh Raina provided the late spark to lift India to an above average score of 260. His 36* off 39 was an immense contribution in the context of the match and the tournament. Pakistan set up their chase well enough but then curiously fell apart as the middle order took too long to get going, the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan scoring at underwhelming strike rates of 73 and 40.
Before the game, many had criticized Dhoni’s decision to play Ashish Nehra over Ashwin but it proved to be a master stroke. Nehra bowled superbly for his ten overs, conceding just 33 runs and snatching two wickets. Tendulkar was Man of the Match for his nervy, sloppy, uncharacteristic, yet vital innings, replete with drama, courage, patience, and class. It was a spectacle, it was unpredictable, it was India-Pakistan.
All of India is praying as Dhoni and Yuvraj inch closer to the target. A generation of fans who have witnessed splendid victories and equally stunning collapses from the Indian team is holding its breath in the waning moments of the chase. India 259/4; 16 runs from 18 balls.
Indian fans were still partying on the streets after beating Pakistan. But Dhoni and his men knew that the mission was yet to be accomplished. After forty eight matches in forty two days among fourteen nations, the final was here. A dream final for Tendulkar, who was playing on his home ground in Mumbai, in his last World Cup, with a chance to win the one trophy that had eluded him throughout his long and staggering career.
Zaheer Khan started the big game with a mesmerizing spell - three straight maidens. Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother before Mahela Jayawardene took over and scored an ethereal century in which all but one shot were proper cricketing strokes. His sublime 103* took Sri Lanka to a very formidable 274.
Victory is nearly there. Malinga comes on again but Dhoni hammers him this time for two boundaries. The noise is deafening, the crowd is jumping for joy. India 268/4; 7 runs from 15 balls.
All eyes were on the openers: Sachin and Sehwag. The duo strode to the pitch, a world of expectations resting on their shoulders. 275 will be a mountain to climb, claimed the commentators. Many wanted to see Sachin score his 100th 100 while some worried that if he scored a century, India would lose.
ICC tweets that Yuvraj Singh will be awarded Player of the Tournament, and rightly so. He has the strike now and India is just one shot away from achieving something special. 270/4; 5 runs from 12 balls. Easy enough, thinks the crowd in unison.
Sehwag perished to Malinga on the second ball of the innings. Malinga also cut short Tendulkar’s stay. The crowd had been silenced.
Yuvraj brings Dhoni on strike to finish it off. 4 runs to win. The crowd is on its feet.
Kulasekara to Dhoni - SIX
Mahendra Singh Dhoni dispatches Nuwan Kulasekara’s full delivery into the night sky, the white ball is a lightning bolt before crashing into the delirious Wankhede stadium. Yuvraj is at the other end, arms aloft. The Indian dressing room is about to empty out onto the pitch. The crowd is erupting. India are becoming world champions.
The pressure of a final, the pursuit of a big total, the lack of form, the fall of three wickets. None of these things fazed Dhoni when he took the decision to promote himself above Yuvraj. Dhoni played the innings of his life and one of the best ever World Cup knocks to take India home with minimum fuss.
Afterwards, Virat Kohli summed up an entire nation’s feelings when he said, “Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for over 21 years. It was time we carried him.” Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar finally got his hands on that elusive World Cup trophy. He was fittingly carried on the shoulders of the next generation of Indian cricketers as the team took a victory lap.
This iconic tournament breathed life into the 50 over format again and gave a cricket crazy nation with ridiculous expectations all that it could ask for. It signaled a transformation in Indian and world cricket. From the first ball to Dhoni’s six over long-on, this World Cup was unforgettable.