ICC World Cup 2011 – an event that will be cherished by every Indian cricket fan forever. The Men in Blue had clinched the world title after 28 years and the victory handed former wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni the stature of a legendary captain in the history of Indian cricket.
India defeated Sri Lanka in the finals to lift the cup but the semi-final clash against Pakistan in Mohali was the game that was most talked about. The IS Bindra International stadium was full house and celebrities from both countries, including film stars and top politicians like then PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, were in attendance.
An India vs Pakistan cricket is mouth-watering on any given day but if it’s a World Cup knockout, the intensity is unmatchable.
After defeating the defending champion Australia in the quarter-final, India locked horns with Pakistan in the semis. After winning the toss, India opted to bat and set a challenging 261-run target for the arch-nemesis to chase, riding on Sachin Tendulkar’s 115-ball 85.
In reply, Pakistan suffered a few early losses as they were reduced to 106 for 4 in 25 overs. It was Misbah-ul-Haq who started to build a dangerous-looking partnership with Umar Akmal. The latter too looked in fine touch as he smashed a couple of sixes during his stay at the crease.
When the Pakistan duo looked set, captain cool – MS Dhoni – came up with the master plan which helped Harbhajan Singh to breach the partnership. Recalling the incident on Star Sports’ show ‘Dil Se India’, the former off-spinner said he executed the plan and got Akmal’s wicket right away.
“It was one of those games where I felt I was getting a bit numb. I had bowled five overs, conceded around 26-27 runs. It was a water break, and Dhoni told me, ‘Bhajju pa, aap vahan se daaloge‘ (around the wicket). Kamran (Umar) was playing well, and so was Misbah. And they were scoring runs and the partnership was getting dangerous," said Harbhajan.
“So, I came to bowl, I remembered God. I just prayed for a win. And God did listen to me. On the very first ball, I got the wicket of Kamran (Umar) Akmal as I bowled around the wicket. He completely missed the ball," he added.
After Umar Akmal’s fall, the Pakistan batting was scattered. Misbah top-scored with a 56-run knock off 76 balls but that wasn’t enough to take the team through as they bowled out for 231. India won the game by 29 runs and were through to the finals.
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