India VS Sri Lanka
28 years after Kapil Dev & his Team lifted the World Cup: An event which changed the history & dynamics of World Cricket, India recaptured the crown in their own backyard to scenes of Delirium previously unforeseen in the sub-continent.
The final began amid scenes of confusion, with the toss having to be re-taken after the match referee, Jeff Crowe, said he hadn't heard Kumar Sangakkara's call the first time around. Replays of the first toss suggested Sangakkara had called heads, correctly, but Dhoni seemed to have misheard it and thought he had won the toss, turning to the commentator Ravi Shastri and saying, "We'll bat." In the end, Sangakkara called heads again, won the toss, and chose to bat.
Sri Lanka though were quickly in trouble against a mesmeric first spell from Zaheer Khan. The first ten overs yielded Sri Lanka an underwhelming 31 runs. Mahela Jayawardene turned the tide, using the pace and bounce of the pitch to find the third-man boundary repeatedly, with exquisite late cuts and glides. His unbeaten 103, and some spectacular hitting at the death from Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera, lifted Sri Lanka to 274.
India needed to pull off the highest ever chase in a World Cup final to lift the World Cup & their hopes were dealt a crushing blow when Malinga slid one on to the back pad of Sehwag off the 2nd delivery of the innings. Tendulkar had the crowd on their feet with a sumptuously accumulated 17 off 12 deliveries & it seemed as though the script was written for him but when Malinga had him drawn in to a loose drive from a gentle outswinger, the decibel levels at the Wankhede had plummeted. Kohli replaced Sachin at the crease & instantly showed all the mettle for the big occasion as he eased along to 35 from 49 balls before falling to an outstanding return catch by Tillakaratne Dilshan, who dived full-length across the crease to intercept a leading edge. Then came the captain's masterstroke. MS Dhoni chose to promote himself ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh, with India needing 160 from 28 overs. Dhoni did so to avoid two left Handers at the crease against Murali & Randiv & also having played with Murali through the years at CSK, he felt he read the Doosra better than anyone in the team. Never the less it was a decision fraught with risk.
Dhoni started cautiously but soon pummelled the extra cover boundary hitting 6 boundaries in that region with drives & punches off Muralitharan & the erratic Randiv. Gambhir hit 9 fours in his 97 & it was his sheer grit & indomitable spirit that shone through. Their 109-run stand was the highest by an Indian pairing in three World Cup final appearances, and even when Gambhir gave away the chance for an unforgettable century with a tired charge and slash at Perera, the result was no longer in doubt. Yuvraj Singh joined Dhoni and the pair snatched all hope for the visitors with a flurry of boundaries. Dhoni's winning six over long-on, followed by a stylish bat twirl that rested under his arm pit, became the tournament's snapshot as India won the World Cup after 28 years.
Yuvraj Singh was the best performer in the 2011 World Cup by the proverbial mile. With a tally of 362 runs, 15 wickets - most of which were of top-order batsmen - and three catches, he secured the Man of the Tournament & deservedly so.
