ICC Cricket World Cup Final - India vs. Sri Lanka: Expert Analysis
India have beaten Sri Lanka in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 by six wickets to become the first team ever to clinch the world title at home soil. This is an emphatic victory by India as they chased down a big total set by the Islanders under pressure and proved that they are rightly called the most dangerous batting lineup in the world.
The star for India was none other than their captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-c73820 who played a dream innings to guide his team towards victory. He was having a bad tournament with the bat but he came good at the biggest stage of them all and silenced his critics in style.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 on the other hand should not be disappointed with their performance in the mega event as they played superb cricket throughout the World Cup and were beaten in the final by a better team.
Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat first without any hesitation. Mahela Jayawardene played a great innings under pressure, otherwise his team would have been in trouble. However, the Sri Lankan management would be extremely disappointed that Mahela did not find good support from the other end as it was a classic batting track with a quick outfield and the Islanders should have posted a score in access of 300 on the board.
Sangakkara was looking dangerous before he was dismissed for 48 at a crucial juncture of the game.
Sri Lankan bowlers were able to put the Indian batting under pressure at the start of the innings but the middle order came to the party and made sure that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 does not waste this opportunity to be crowned as the World Champions at home.
This was a memorable day in more ways than one as two legends Sachin Tendulkar and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Muttiah-Muralitharan-c78157 were playing their last World Cup. The later had earlier announced the retirement from international cricket after the World Cup and this was his last appearance at the highest stage of the game. Tendulkar is also expected to retire from limited overs cricket very soon.
Indian players carried Tendulkar on their shoulders after the match and young http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Virat-Kohli-c95424 rightly said that, “Sachin has carried the burden of Indian batting since last two decades so it is time that we carry him on our shoulders.”
The credit goes to Dhoni as he led his team from the front and took off all the pressure from others through some magnificent stroke-play. For a captain to play an innings like this on such a huge stage is just like a dream come true. He was rightly named as the Player of the Match for his unforgettable innings.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gautam-Gambhir-c58623 proved once again that he is a big match player and usually gets the runs when his country needs them the most. The left hander was unlucky not to complete his hundred as he played a rash shot on 97.
Indian players were ecstatic after the match and rightly so as it is a great achievement and something these players will cherish for the rest of their lives. The combination of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gary-Kirsten-c58527 has definitely changed the fortunes of Indian cricket.
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