Posts tagged world cup 2011
Images: A year later, the memories of a World Cup triumph
Apr 2nd
In 11 games before the final, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni averaged a paltry 22.38. So when he pushed himself up the order, in the final, ahead of in-form Yuvraj Singh, it was a do-or-die gamble, the kind that could redefine careers. But it came off and how. During the 91-run innings off 79 balls, Dhoni hit two sixes. But we remember just one; the one he hit to finish the match. As the crowd went wild, Yuvraj Singh raised his arms but Dhoni, seemingly oblivious to it all, twirled his bat and kept his eyes fixed on the ball as it sailed into the stands. That was that, India were world champions and the celebrations didn’t stop for a long time to come. Here’s a look at India’s moment of glory; one that will stand the test of time itself.
‘Kohli, Pathan shouldering Sachin a defining moment’
Apr 4th
Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan shouldered the burden of carrying a tricolour-wielding Sachin Tendulkar on a spontaneous victory lap around the Wankhede Stadium the night India clinched World Cup 2011.
Balwinder Sandhu, member of the 1983 WC-winning squad, describes that act as one of two defining moments for Indian cricket. He reasons: “Kohli and Pathan showed young India’s appreciation of the contribution by Sachin Tendulkar to Indian cricket. It was a way of demonstrating respect to a senior, older player who has done so much for the nation. The scene of the two carrying him on shoulders is one of two defining moments for Indian cricket, after Kapil Dev lifting the 1983 World Cup at Lord’s.”
Sandhu explains the implications of the two highs, 1983 and 2011, for India as a nation. “The win under Kapil gave Indians an attitude. He showed all of us that if you put heart and soul into any work, any profession, excellence can be achieved. It inspired a generation. Now MS Dhoni’s achievement will show a generation of young Indians the way to becoming best in the world.”
Tendulkar deserved to be on a World Cup-winning squad, says the ex-India seamer who watched the India vs Sri Lanka finale in a television studio. “Sachin had a dream of being part of a World Cup-winning team. He worked over the years towards it, now he can enjoy the feeling,” said Sandhu, for whom the significance of a World Cup triumph in 1983 sunk in on landing.
The 2011 World Cup final was held in Mumbai and live television coverage multiplied the euphoria effect across the nation. “We realised how important a World Cup victory was for Indians, how each one felt proud and happy. The feeling is the same now after the second World Cup win, cricket setting off celebrations is a pleasant sight for people stressed out due to scams exposed daily.”
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World Cup 2011 – Top 10 Batsmen
Apr 2nd
| Player | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
| TM Dilshan (SL) | 8 | 8 | 1 | 467 | 144 | 66.71 | 502 | 93.02 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 58 | 4 |
| SR Tendulkar (India) | 8 | 8 | 0 | 464 | 120 | 58.00 | 510 | 90.98 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 8 |
| IJL Trott (Eng) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 422 | 92 | 60.28 | 522 | 80.84 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| KC Sangakkara (SL) | 8 | 7 | 3 | 417 | 111 | 104.25 | 488 | 85.45 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 5 |
| WU Tharanga (SL) | 8 | 8 | 2 | 393 | 133 | 65.50 | 452 | 86.94 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 2 |
| V Sehwag (India) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 380 | 175 | 54.28 | 308 | 123.37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 7 |
| AB de Villiers (SA) | 5 | 5 | 1 | 353 | 134 | 88.25 | 326 | 108.28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 7 |
| Yuvraj Singh (India) | 8 | 7 | 3 | 341 | 113 | 85.25 | 396 | 86.11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 37 | 3 |
| AJ Strauss (Eng) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 334 | 158 | 47.71 | 357 | 93.55 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 3 |
| BJ Haddin (Aus) | 7 | 6 | 0 | 332 | 88 | 55.33 | 421 | 78.85 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 5 |
Ind vs Pak: New bats for Sachin Tendulkar?
Mar 28th
MOHALI: Sachin Tendulkar is known to prepare assiduously before any match. He never leaves anything to chance and covers all bases before getting into the thick of the battle. Now that India are just two wins away from one of his most cherished goals – the World Cup crown – the batting maestro must be preparing even harder.
On Sunday, one got a sneak peak into his plans for the semifinal against Pakistan, and possibly the final on April 2, when he brought to the ground a fresh supply of bats. Tendulkar is very fastidious about his willows and wants them to be in perfect shape so that he can heap maximum damage on the bowlers.
The gleaming new bats needed some breaking up so he, after doing a few knock-downs himself, asked the yoga trainer Manoj Kumar to give them some hits.
Thus, while Tendulkar played football with teammates, Kumar kept hitting balls with the bats for close to an hour.
Tendulkar came back to continue the routine himself before Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli also got a taste of the master’s new weapons of mass destruction.
Will Tendulkar be employing one of these new bats in the semifinal against Pakistan? We will know shortly. Maybe, his 100th international century (he is just one short) will come through a brand new bat.
PCA officials go into hiding
The tickets for India-Pakistan matches always come at a premium but if it happens to be a World Cup match and that too a semifinal clash the stakes are bound to rise.
And with it rises the expectations from the host association to oblige as many people as it can. But as far as Punjab Cricket Association is concerned, it has thrown in the towel.
Such is the demand for tickets and passes that a majority of the PCA officials have gone into hiding for the past two-three days and are surfacing just to keep the operational activities going.
The mobile phones have been switched off for the last two days and hardly anyone knows from where they were operating during that time.
Expectant visitors to PCA joint secretary GS Walia’s office are greeted by a huge lock. Unable to bear the pressure, PCA officials have gone to the extent of even requesting some of its members to voluntarily return the tickets so as to accommodate more number of guests and promised that they will be accommodated somewhere else. Not surprisingly, no one has come forward till now.
India vs Pakistan: Calm before the storm
Mar 28th
Mohali Despite a World Cup semifinal looming over them, the Indian players took a relaxed approach to training at the VCA Stadium on Sunday. Their schedule comprised a football game, a light fielding session and then a game of volleyball, but no intense cricket drills.
It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that the way they trained was reminiscent of their lead-up to the game against Ireland in the group stages. A high-stakes India-Pakistan knockout is a world away from a match against an associate team, but as was the case in that match, the Indians have a long gap before Wednesday’s encounter. The Indian team, throughout the tournament, has trained precisely according to their requirements, even if this makes them look — to the casual viewer — like they are casual about practice.
As MS Dhoni engaged in an animated discussion with chief curator Daljit Singh, pointing at a patch of grass on a good-length area, Sachin Tendulkar walked in with four brand new bats, and began knocking them in. “Call me if you are in trouble, I will be there,” he announced as the rest of his teammates chased a football around the outfield.
Tendulkar’s services were soon required to counter the over-aggressive Suresh Raina on the left flank and he left yoga instructor Manoj Kumar with precise instructions on knocking the bats in.
Keeping pressure at bay
Another man, wearing a white bib, was making his presence felt. Mike Horn, the famous motivational speaker who worked with the team during its preparatory camp ahead of the World Cup, was asked to address the team again ahead of its semifinal clash, a game bound to test their nerve even more than their skill. Horn had one-on-one chats with several players before he played fielder while Virat Kohli and Dhoni
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Excellent Yuvraj steers India to exciting win
Mar 24th
Yuvraj Singh’s excellent unbeaten half-century steered India to an exciting five-wicket win with 14 balls to spare over exiting champions Australia in their World Cup quarterfinal in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
48th over – Yuvraj blasts a full ball from Brett Lee through the covers for four and India have won! Yuvraj goes down on his knees and roars, and then he and Suresh Raina almost get gridlock on their helmets in a prolonged hug.
47th over – Australia have bowled too short to Suresh Raina, whatever his reputation, and the left-hander hops inside an attempted bouncer from Mitchell Johnson and tucks it to fine leg for four.
46th over – Raina starts the batting powerplay in imperious fashion as he launches Lee over long-on for six.
45th over – Yuvraj Singh goes to a tremendous half-century off 54 balls and the fifty partnership with Raina is also up, off just 43 deliveries.
43rd over – Shane Watson drops short and Yuvraj swivels on his hook shot, getting the ball fine. Lee, who has been superb on the boundary all innings, sprints across, dives, but can only deflect the ball on to his eyebrow and away for four. Lee’s eyebrow his split, blood is pouring and he has to leave the field for medical attention.
40th over – Lee bounces Raina, the left-hander waits for it well and a muscular pull then sends the ball racing away for four. Yuvraj then digs out a yorker and manages to steer it wide of third man for four. Yuvraj then ends the over in style with a superb square-drive for four, it went like a bullet.
39th over – Yuvraj cracks a short ball from Shaun Tait over point for a powerful boundary.
38th over – Lee returns and claims a key wicket as Mahendra Singh Dhoni (7) slams a cut uppishly to backward point, where Michael Clarke hangs on to a sharp catch.
37th over – Yuvraj unfurls a magnificent on-drive for four off Johnson.
36th over – A long hop from David Hussey and Dhoni smashes it through the covers and through the hands of a diving Ricky Ponting for four. That hurt the Australian captain’s injured left hand … and looks damn sore.
34th over – Gautam Gambhir is nearly run out on the first ball of the next over as the ball deflects off Yuvraj’s pads and there is utter confusion over the calling. Australia fortunately throw to the wrong end. Gambhir eventually succeeds in committing suicide on the next ball. Yuvraj steers off-spinner David Hussey to short third man and Gambhir charges down the pitch like a lunatic. But the single was never on and Yuvraj stays put, allowing Cameron White to throw the ball to Hussey and run out India”s anchor for 50.
33rd over – Gambhir completes his half-century off 63 balls but then completely loses his head with some crazy running between the wickets. It starts in this over when Yuvraj flicks Johnson strongly off his toes, but Ponting makes a brilliant stop at midwicket. Gambhir has charged off from the non-striker’s end, is stranded and is only saved because Ponting, unusually, misses his shy at the stumps.
30th over – Jason Krejza pitches outside leg to Yuvraj and the left-hander shovels the ball fine for four.
29th over – India are cruising but Kohli then gifts his wicket to a terrible high full-toss from part-time off-spinner David Hussey, belting it straight to a straight midwicket. Kohli scored 24. Hussey’s next ball, after the drinks break, is another full toss and new batsman Yuvraj pulls it, just clearing midwicket to get off the mark with a boundary first ball.
28th over – Left-arm spinner Michael Clarke over-pitches outside off stump and Kohli lashes him through the covers for four.
19th over – A great knock by Tendulkar is nipped in the bud by Tait! Tendulkar is out for 53 off 68 balls as he edges a back-foot drive at a short delivery through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
18th over – Off-spinner Krejza comes on and gets away with three short balls, before Gambhir eventually swats one through wide mid-on for four.
17th over – Tendulkar reaches his half-century off 62 balls, with seven fours, as he flicks Tait off his pads for a couple of runs.
15th over – Gambhir shuffles down the pitch, keeping leg-side of the ball, and lashes Watson over the covers for four.
12th over – Tendulkar starts the over with an incredible shot, whipping a perfectly good ball from Johnson from outside off stump in front of midwicket for four. The bowler has a look of grudging respect. The next ball leaves Johnson openly scratching his head as Tendulkar waits on the back foot to a slightly shorter delivery and cuts it with supreme timing and placement for four.
9th over – An out-of-sorts Virender Sehwag is out for 15 off 22 balls as Watson starts his second over with a nippy bouncer. Sehwag tries to hook from outside off stump, is late on the shot and top-edges it to midwicket. Tendulkar then drives Watson classically through the covers for four though.
8th over – Johnson tries a short-pitched delivery at Tendulkar, but the Little Master handles it with ease, pull-driving it with disdain in front of midwicket for four.
4th over – Tait strays on to Sehwag’s pads and is whipped through square-leg for four.
2nd over – Tait makes an awful start. His first ball is outside off stump and Tendulkar leans on it, steering it through point and racing away to the boundary. Tait then bowls a wide down the leg side and follows up with a short, wide delivery which Tendulkar upper-cuts for a one-bounce four.
1st over – Sehwag gets off the mark in magnificent fashion as he blazes Lee through the covers for four. Lee ends the over with a superb delivery that nips away late, leaving Sehwag groping. The bowler and the wicketkeeper think there’s an edge, ask for a review, but there it is clear the delivery was too good for Sehwag! Just one review left for Australia in 49 overs …
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This is the most important tournament of my life: Sachin
Mar 23rd
AHMEDABAD: Finally, the word is out. Sachin Tendulkar has conceded that this is the most important tournament of his life.
Typical of the man, though, he has made sure that his feelings have remained in the private domain. TOI had to dig deep to find out how much importance he attaches to this World Cup.
Having started his WC career in 1992, he has featured in as many as six World Cups, including the ongoing one. By 1996, he had not only become the bulwark of the Indian batting but also the most feared player as far as the opposition went.
While he has broken virtually every record out there, he has always longed for the one missing crown: the World Cup title. He missed out the T20 world title when he, and Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, withdrew from the tournament in South Africa and Mahendra Singh Dhoni scripted a memorable victory.
At 37, he knows it’s a now or never opportunity. It’s generally believed this could be his farewell World Cup and he realizes nothing could be sweeter than winning it at home. It would complete his mission in cricket and make him the greatest player the game has seen, if he already isn’t that.
“Yes, it is the most important tournament of my life,” Tendulkar had told his closest friends, and most in the team are also aware of his determination.
Like always, though, he is making sure that it doesn’t become a self-before-team cause. “Everyone wants the team to do well,” he has told his mates. “I need to focus all my energies on how to go about doing my job.”
What remains unsaid is that this is the perfect setting not only for him but also the team. India, of course, take on mighty Australia in the quarterfinals on Thursday. If they get past them, they might well face Pakistan in the semis. And then South Africa (if form and odds don’t go awry). Seems daunting.
Tendulkar, though, is clearly driven. He has worked hard for the tournament and you could see him straining every sinew on Tuesday too, here at the Motera. He happily spent a few hours under the blazing sun so that his body is not caught napping on match day.
That’s not all. He has watched most of the other games closely, in the sanctity of his hotel room. He has been doing his homework and devising his own strategies.
Zaheer strike turned match – Dhoni
Mar 21st
Chennai: MS Dhoni, the India captain, identified Zaheer Khan’s dismissal of Devon Smith in the first over of his second spell as the turning point of the match at Chepauk. Zaheer had only bowled two overs in his first spell and was, presumably, being saved for when the ball got a bit older and reverse-swing came into play. He struck with the older ball, in the 31st over, with a slower ball that bowled Smith, who had anchored West Indies’ chase with a well-compiled 81.
“The game really changed once Zaheer gave us the breakthrough; until then Devon was batting really well,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation. “After that we could apply pressure from both ends, and eventually we got more wickets than we needed and we seized the game in the end.”
Prior to Zaheer’s strike, West Indies had eased their way to 154 for 2 with first Darren Bravo and then Ramnaresh Sarwan building fifty partnerships with Smith. The game seemed to be slipping away from India, but the fall of Smith’s wicket allowed Dhoni to attack – at one point he had three close-in fielders for Harbhajan Singh – and West Indies crumbled under the pressure.
India’s performance with the bat had been reminiscent of the performance against South Africa in Nagpur. This time it was Yuvraj Singh’s turn to score a century, only to see the position he had brought India to squandered by a late collapse. India lost their last seven wickets for 50 runs, with four falling for just 28 after Yuvraj’s dismissal in the 45th over.
Against South Africa, the collapse had been 9 for 29, and Dhoni recognised that losing wickets in a flurry at the end of the innings was becoming a problem for India, particularly because it wasn’t allowing them to take advantage of the batting Powerplay.
“It [losing wickets] is a concern. But there is a gradual improvement and I am sure we will be at our best in the quarters. That’s the positive I will take out of this.”
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