India wanted it the most
There's no holding MS Dhoni back when the situation demands nerves of steel writes Ian Chappell in the Hindustan Times
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
There's no holding MS Dhoni back when the situation demands nerves of steel writes Ian Chappell in the Hindustan Times. He's the most determined batsman and saved his best innings of the tournament for the biggest game, to help India seal a famous World Cup win.
Dhoni had spoken about peaking at the right time at the start of the tournament and he was as good as his word on the last day of the mega event. It took a great chase to neutralise Jayawardene's century and India were worthy champions in a final that did credit to a well-organised tournament.
Mikey Selvey in the Guardian writes that though Sachin Tendulkar failed to live up to expectations in the final, caught behind off Lasith Malinga, making only 18, the win meant that 21 years of glory still gained high reward.
As Malinga performed an exultant celebration, even as far as deep square leg, the crowd was stunned into disbelieving silence. Men held their heads in their hands, women put hands over mouths as if they had seen a ghost. On the big screen, they played replay after replay as if hoping that eventually he might middle the ball and send it skimming through the covers. But it always went to Sangakkara.
In the Daily Telegraph Geoffrey Boycott writes that before the final everyone was talking about the big two, Muttiah Muralitharan and Sachin Tendulkar. But this match wasn’t about individuals. It was about the team and it was a fantastic effort by India.
Dhoni’s performance and the whole day was a great advert for 50-over cricket, especially as some countries want the next World Cup to revert to a 40-over format. Well, you can forget that now.
In the same newspaper, Simon Hughes lauds MS Dhoni and writes that Dhoni timed India's World Cup campaign to perfection.
With total conviction and complete self-assurance he clipped and chipped, occasionally carved, and ultimately clubbed, his side to handsome victory with a massive six over long on to finish 91 not out. The prolific Tendulkar may be India’s national treasure but Dhoni is their modern icon.
India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in Mumbai on Saturday to win the World Cup and Andrew Alderson in the New Zealand Herald writes that India demonstrated "want" more than Sri Lanka to win their second World Cup.
The players channelled - or possibly ignored - the endless endorsements and hype surrounding the tournament. They needed to. The chase of 275 was the highest completed at a World Cup final, a record haul on this ground and just the third time a team batting second had won in 10 tournament finales. Getting that took courage.
Nirmal Shekhar in the Hindu writes that while MS Dhoni's men deserve their success every bit, what Kapil's Devils achieved in 1983 was a pioneering triumph that can never be matched.
India first won the World Cup in 1983 and now again in 2011. The Hindustan Times looks at how life and times have changed in the last 28 years.
Ranchi: MSD was two years old in 1983. Since then his home town went from being a provincial town of 5 lakh people to a state capital housing 8.6 lakh. Last year, it was picked by Asssocham as the highest employment generating Tier-III city in the country.
BCCI: Back then the Indian board was a minnow in the cricketing fraternity dominated by England and Australia. The 1983 win started a shift. Now it’s the richest cricketing body — with more than 70% of the sport’s revenues coming from India.
First India beat Pakistan, the old sporting enemy, and then trumped Sri Lanka in the final – a win that is being tied to a national coming of age, writes Gethin Chamberlain in the Guardian.
MS Dhoni's captaincy, in an almost ironic way, mirrors his batting say Shamik Chakrabarty and Karthik Krishnaswamy, writing in the Indian Express.
Dhoni has led undemonstratively ... and given everyone the feeling that he is always in control. His captaincy, many thought, would mirror his batting. In an almost ironic way, it does — both his batting, formerly free-spirited and aggressive, and his captaincy are now pragmatic, calculated and largely risk-free.
Akhila Ranganna is assistant editor (Audio) at ESPNcricinfo