India vs Sri Lanka 2011 World Cup Final Scorecard

A true Indian cricket team fan might watch numerous wins taken ahead by team India, but one of the major and spine-chilling wins of India vs Sri Lanka 2011 World Cup Final will never be forgotten. Twenty-eight years after the game that changed the course of global cricket, India regained the title that Kapil Dev and his team first raised at Lord’s in 1983, and this time they achieved it on their home ground. The best captain’s innings since Ricky Ponting in Johannesburg eight years earlier was as intense as Gautam Gambhir’s resolute 97. MS Dhoni (91 not out) outscored Mahela Jayawardene’s outstanding century to achieve the highest run chase in a World Cup final.

2011 World Cup Final Match Details

2011 World Cup Final Scorecard

In a victorious setting at the Wankhede Stadium, a win was clinched by six wickets with 10 balls remaining, as Dhoni – who moved himself up to No. 5 to take on more responsibility – accelerated as the target for victory approached. Needing 15 runs off 17 balls, he shot Sri Lanka’s main danger, Lasith Malinga, through midwicket for back-to-back boundaries, then launched Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on to end with 91 not out from 79 balls by MS Dhoni, igniting the most ecstatic celebrations ever witnessed on the subcontinent. 

Yet spectators could see little justice to the tissue that preceded. Despite winning the toss and batting first things by the end turned out to be fateful. The initial call of Kumar Sangakkara was drowned by the crowd, but it was the ebb of Zaher Khan and Upul that led to 5-3-6-1 only to be clobbered for 17 and 18 runs. Overall leading Sri Lanka to post the challenge of 274 for 6. During that time both the team consisted of numerous veterans of today. The term then had almost five of the members who felt the loss of 2003 at the hands of Australia. So, we can definitely call this match the consequence of that defeat that this 2011 World Cup Final was so compact and adventurous. 

2011 World Cup Final Scorecard

Sri Lanka’s Batting

Didn’t Bat: Lasith Malings, Suraj Randiv, Muthiah Muralidaran

India’s Bowling 

India’s Batting

Didn’t Bat: Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh. Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth

Sri Lanka’s Bowling

Second Innings Details of 2011 World Cup Final Scorecard

Early Disappointment

The 2011 World Cup final began with Virender Sehwag hitting a boundary from the first ball of six of India’s previous eight innings in the tournament, but this time Malinga’s slingers got him out for a second-ball duck, as he awkwardly deflected a full delivery onto his back pad. Then, Sachin Tendulkar, for whom the narrative appeared to be crafted, was lured into a casual drive by a quick Malinga outswinger, after having put the stadium on alert for imminent history with 18 brilliantly amassed runs from his initial 12 balls. 

Stabilizing the Innings

People saw India struggling at 31 for 2 to keep up with the hope and people were almost ready to turn their backs to the stadium and set home. But then Gambir and Viral Kohli led the third wicket only to be pulled at 83. The aggressive batting of Kulasekara and Thisara Perera played a key role in elevating Sri Lanka’s score, yet in their main job as leading seamers, they were not threatening and could be easily attacked, yielding 119 runs from their total of 17.2 overs. The new addition to the team, Suraj Randiv, created a brief scare with his sharply spinning off-breaks when Gambhir, who was on 30, was missed by a leaping Kulasekara at long-off, but as the innings moved forward, his lack of finesse became a drawback.

Memorable World Cup Win after 28 years

Still, the victory was a far away team India still needed to take fast breaths until to take a deep breath. Then definitely comes in Virat Kohli after Tendulkar was replaced at 35 from 49 balls with an outstanding catch by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Then comes the highest pairing run secured by Dhoni and Gambhir together, of 109 among all the past three World Cup final appearances ever made. This excellent duet highlighted the performance, as Gambhir struck nine fours in 122 balls and complied with the shots of Dhoni making the entire Mumbai blazing hot. 

Definitely, the shots of Jayawardene of 13 fours was a classy drive of Zaheer trademark out-swinging yorkers, as he premeditated the movement. Yet team India secured the figures of challenge with speedy strikes which was completely astonishing. The winning helicopter shot 6 of Dhoni became special with the chants of Vande Mataram by the audience spread all across the stadium. Finally, India Lifted the World Cup after 28 years (after the 1983 World Cup win). Overall, team India made a count of every moment, each passing period. This match proved to the new players, to the new rising talents, and many more. This match not simply remained a cricket rivalry but was entangled with lots and lots of emotion and love for the team and audience

Winning Celebration

But run by run, over by over, minute by minute, India picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and turned the screw on Sri Lanka with a determination that a lesser group of men could not have begun to muster, amid the sure knowledge that several billion countrymen were investing all their hopes in their actions. And though he himself played just a walk-on part in the wider drama, it was Tendulkar who was chaired from the field as the celebrations began in earnest. “He’s carried the burden of our nation for 21 years,” said the youngster, Kohli. “It was time to carry him on our shoulders today.” After the Win the whole India team Put Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders and made laps of the whole Wankhede Stadium to pay Sachin tribute for his contributions to multiple World Cups & finally achieving his dream of lifting the World Cup.

2011 World Cup Final Players List 

Also read about: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Cricket History, IPL Action, & Iconic Matches, Pitch Report, Records, Stats