This Day, That Year: 12 Years Ago, MS Dhoni's India Won Their 2nd ODI World Cup; Relive The MSD Classic - Watch

Captain MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir stitched a previous 109-run stand for the fouth wicket to set up India's historic win vs Sri Lanka in the final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2011. The country celebrates the winning moment's 12th anniversary today.

Source: Twitter

12 years ago, on this day (April 2), India lifted their second ODI World Cup trophy at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai and what a night that was for this cricket-mad country. A confident MS Dhoni, who was going through a rough patch, stepped up at the right time while a gutsy and fiery Gautam Gambhir showed why he was a big-match player again as India beat Sri Lanka in the final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2011 to write history. The history makers were celebrated for months as this was India's first ODI World Cup trophy in 28 years.

Paddy Upton, who was India's meantal conditioning coach in that World Cup, had told this writer in 2019 about the moment that changed the final. With India 3 down for 114 in the chase of 275, the in-form Yuvraj Singh was expected to walk out at No 5. But Dhoni asked him to wait, a call that surprised everyone. Captain Cool walked out himself, in the same way he has done over the years. Looking at the skies while wearing his gloves, he reached the middle of the ground at a brisk speed. Upton said that the moment Dhoni decided to make changes in batting order, he knew something special was coming their way. MSD's decision to promote himself in the batting order was to do with the right-hand left-hand comibination in the middle. Dhoni knew Yuvraj struggled vs off-spin bowling. With a genius like Muthiah Muralidaran operating in the middle, MSD decided to take him on himself.  

"When Dhoni tapped on the glass window and indicated to Gary (Kirsten) that he was batting ahead of Yuvraj and then when he walked down the stairs at Wankhede, I turned to Gary and said that MS is going to win us the World Cup. These were my exact words," said Upton. Dhoni struck an unbeaten 91 and with big help from Gambhir (97), helped India cross the line with 6 wickets in hand. 

Relive the classic Dhoni knock below:

#ThrowbackThursday as he plays his 300th ODI, re-live one of @msdhoni's finest moments, leading India to the 2011 World Cup title! #Dhoni300 pic.twitter.com/J8PJokKye1 — ICC (@ICC) August 31, 2017

The 2011 moment is etched in memory of all fans who witnessed the match, either on TV or at the ground. The fact that Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar had finally won his elusive World Cup medal made it even more special. When Sachin got out to Lasith Malinga in the seventh over, the whole Wankhede had gone quiet. But on the 2nd ball of the 49th over, everything changed as Dhoni tonked Nuwan Kulasekara to 'finish it off in style'. Ravi Shastri, on air, had his greatest moment in cricket broadcast and a billion fans took to roads with Indian flags in their hand, tears in the eyes and pride in their chest.