"Still gives goosebumps" - Twitterati goes nostalgic over India's World Cup final win 10 years ago
April 2, 2011, is a red-letter day in Indian cricket history as the MS Dhoni-led Men in Blue ended a 28-year-old wait to bring the World Cup home. Two months of grueling cricket and years of hard work culminated in one 'magnificent' six by the Indian skipper.
India defeated Kumar Sangakkara's Sri Lanka by 6 wickets at the iconic Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai. In the first innings, Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh joined hands to pick 2 crucial wickets each to restrict the Lankans to 274-6 in their quota of 50 overs.
In reply, Lasith Malinga proved his mettle as a game-changer by removing Sachin Tendulkar, India's highest scorer in the tournament, and Virender Sehwag early on. Sri Lanka were sniffing victory, but the two Delhi boys, Gautam Gambhir and Kohli steadied the Indian ship.
The duo built a gritty 83-run stand to lay the foundation for India's chase. After Kohli's departure, MS Dhoni walked out ahead of Yuvraj Singh to take on Sri Lanka's legendary bowler Muttiah Muralitharan. He did it with some adroit and notched a 109-run stand with Gambhir.
The southpaw got out on 97 playing an uncharacteristic slog to record what is still regarded as one of the most important half centuries in Indian cricket.
MS Dhoni carried on along with Yuvraj Singh, clawing away at the massive target. Five runs were needed in the 49th over and the 2nd ball was dispatched over long-on by the skipper. Dhoni, calm as ever, watched it go all the way for a six along with a billion Indians to kick off one of the most celebrated nights in Indian history.
Ten years on, the euphoria remains. Fans vividly remember the iconic six, the ringing commentary by Ravi Shastri on air, the dirt on Gautam Gambhir's jersey, Yuvraj Singh's bear hug and many more memories.
It was an emotional night for many players on the pitch. One can hardly forget the moment of brotherhood between Kohli and co. to take a lap around the stadium with the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulder.
Yuvraj Singh, the man who seemed to have the Midas touch during the length of the tournament, could not hide his tears of joy after achieving a moment that will surely be etched in their memories for years to come.
The following are the best reactions from Twitter:
Twitter reacts to India's World Cup Final victory