World Cup unites India: The frenzy that followed the spectacular victory
2011 will be cherished by all Indians for a long, long time to come, thanks to Dhoni and his men in blue… India not only co-hosted the Cricket World Cup but also achieved the record of being the host nation in win it for the first time. India had previously won the Cricket World Cup in 1983.
In 2003, India managed to put on a brilliant show and reach the final only to be beaten by Australia and lose the world cup.
February 19, 2011 saw the opening match between two host nations India and Bangladesh where India put on a great show with batting and getting a good total on the scoreboard. What should have been an easy win soon turned into a scramble for the Indians who were struggling to contain Bangladesh and somehow win the match. India then managed to win every single game except for an unexpected draw with England (who were beaten by not one but two minnows: Bangladesh and Ireland) and a loss to South Africa (who in turn were beaten by England). . India reached the quarterfinals to face defending world champions Australia. Some lost all hope when the Australian Captain suddenly lined up to hit a century against India and put up an all out fight. But the Men in Blue for once did a wonderful job on the field, bowling and batting and entered the semi-finals in style… The 2003 final loss was avenged with style and splendor…!
The semi-final match generated more headlines and news than anything else as it was between arch rivals India and Pakistan. The Indians went wild, the whole nation came to a standstill when the match started, it was not just a match, it was a war where both teams were under immense pressure. What else could justify four missed sacks by the Pakistani team of master bowler Sachin Tendulkar, who made 85 runs before his good luck ran out? The Indians put up a decent total and did an amazing job on the pitch and in the line bowling to restrain Pakistan and win the world cup semi-final against the arch-rivals to enter the Finals. For many Indians, that was the time when the World Cup was already at home and some did not care about what happened in the finals, everything that mattered to them was already taken care of.
Then came D-Day on April 2, when India went head-to-head with Sri-Lanka, the third host country of the Final. A match many said was rigged, many said the Indians would collapse under the pressure and looked lost as Sehwag & Sachin came out in quick succession. But Gambhir & Dhoni played wonderful innings to ensure that India won the World Cup final in style and brought home the highly anticipated cup. The wait is finally over after 28 years!
India saw its most spectacular celebrations on the night of April 2, when all the Indians were on the roads, dancing, shouting, drinking and exploding cookies to show the world that cricket is a religion in India and for most Sachin is the God. ! Congratulations to the Indian team for bringing so much happiness to our lives…