Mahendra Singh Dhoni's India took on Kumar Sangakkara's Sri Lanka in the final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup in Mumbai.
Interestingly, things got off to a dramatic start at the Wankhede. The toss had to be done twice. Lankan skipper Sangakkara’s call (Heads) wasn’t heard by match referee Jeff Crowe due to the noise from the stands, forcing the captains to do it again. Sanga called correctly (Heads, a second time too) and chose to bat.
Zaheer Khan and S.Sreeshanth were stingy right at the start, miserly giving away runs. The Sri Lankan innings saw bursts of stability but the Indian bowling arsenal was ever ready to punctuate the partnerships.
Sri Lanka stayed in the game thanks to a sublime innings from Mahela Jayawardene. His unbeaten 103* proved to the pivot around which a seemingly shaky batting order steadied itself.
While Nuwan Kulasekara and Kumar Sangakkara (in picture) tried to chip in with cameos, Jayawardene did the hardwork to take Sri Lanka to a good score. India was set a target 275 to win and clinch its second world title.
Lasith Malinga gave Sri Lanka just the start it needed, getting Virender Sehwag out lbw for a duck.
Sachin Tendulkar followed soon enough, leaving India a little shakier than it expected to be. That's when the Indian top and middle order came together for the rest of the innings.
Guatam Gambhir and Virat Kohli assumed anchoring responsibilities. Gambhir did for India what Mahela did for Sri Lanka, stitching crucial partnerships and closing in on the target.
Gambhir's 109-run stand with Mahendra Singh Dhoni could not have come at a better time. His 122-ball 97 was patient and calculated and he toiled to cancel out any advantage Sri Lanka could give itself in that innings.
After Gambhir's dismissal, Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni calmy got the side through to the finish line- with Dhoni finishing things off in style with a six over long-on off Kulasekara - the job in hand done with 10 balls to spare.
India made history, 28 years after winning its first title under Kapil Dev, registering another to its name under M.S.Dhoni. Having won the cup as the host nation, one would go on to see a similar trend continue in the tournament with Australia, the 2015 host, lifting the cup that year and England doing the same in 2019.
One of the most iconic images from this victory was this lap of honour around Wankhede for Sachin Tendulkar. This moment even won a Laureus Award for best sporting moment since the turn of the 2000s earlier this year.
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