WINNING THE ICC WORLD CUP 2011
Perhaps the biggest win in India’s ODI history in recent times has been the 2011 World Cup, as it was the first time a host had won the tournament.
India co-hosted the World Cup 2011 with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and started off well, pummeling Bangladesh in the first match in Dhaka, with Virender Sehwag making 175 and Virat Kohli scoring a century on World Cup debut as well.
India lost just one match in the league stage, to South Africa, while one match against England ended up in an exciting tie. But they defeated West Indies, Irelands, and the Netherlands to book a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
“I think Suresh, it's your day”, Raina recalls Tendulkar’s words during 2011 World Cup quarterfinal
Sachin Tendulkar playing his 6th and last World Cup, scored two centuries in the league stage, while Yuvraj Singh made one century and picked a fifer as well.
India beat Australia in the quarter-finals in an exciting match in Ahmedabad, despite Ricky Ponting scoring a brilliant century on a difficult pitch. Tendulkar, Gambhir, and Yuvraj scored half-centuries as India qualified for the semi-finals with a 5-wicket win.
In the semi-final, which was played in Mohali, India clashed with Pakistan and beat them by 29 runs with Sachin Tendulkar starring with a brilliant 85-run knock.
Team India met Sri Lanka in the finals of the tournament in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Mahela Jayawardene’s 103* took Sri Lanka to 274/6 in 50 overs. In reply, Sehwag and Tendulkar were dismissed by Lasith Malinga for cheap, but then Gautam Gambhir (97), along with Virat Kohli and then MS Dhoni, rebuilt the innings.
MS Dhoni remained unbeaten on 91 as India won the final by 6 wickets after he hit Nuwan Kulasekara for a six to seal the victory and made Team India world champions for the second time after 28 years of wait.
