Finally world will have new Cricket World Champions on 2nd of April 2011 after a decade with India beating Australia in a quite remarkable game of cricket. That means three times consecutive world champion will now have to fly back home after a loss in the 2nd quarterfinal at Motera.
The super star of the day was a man “Yuvraj Singh” who looked in fine tough right from the word go, he first bowled really well and picked up two crucial wickets and then came out all guns blazing hitting Australian fat and furious bowling attack all around the park. Yuvraj Singh scored an unbeaten 57 runs and put on a winning partnership of 74 runs for the sixth wicket with Suresh Raina (34* runs off 28 balls) to get India over finishing line and meet Pakistan in the 2ndth of March 2011. Semi Final of ICC World Cup 2011 on 30
The Australians, who broke the Indian hearts in 2003, had theirs in two pieces on Thursday as India shut the door on the 'former' World Champions to stand just two steps away from their destination at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, holding aloft the World Cup trophy on April 2.
The situation could have been different if Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh got out at the stage where India still needed 74 runs to win in last 13 overs of play. Motera stadium crowd stunned in to the silence when M.S.Dhoni caught brilliantly by M.Clark at point on bowling of Brett Lee in the 38th over.
In the run chase during 31st over to 34h over, Indians tried hard to choke again. With Gautam Gambhir giving Australians as many as three chances to run him out but Australian didn’t capitalize on it. But finally in the 34th over Gambhir manage to get himself out but not before scoring a superb fluent 50 runs off 64 balls. He ran for a non-existent run after Yuvraj Singh had played the ball towards midwicket but Ponting missed the sticks just by whisker. In the next over, he got into a yes-and-no situation with Yuvraj Singh and would have been run out had Brad Haddin thrown the ball at the non-striker's end. Gautam Gambhir was run out next ball, again running mindlessly after Yuvraj stabbed David Hussey wide delivery just couple of steps away from the Cameron White standing at first slip but this time White able to throw at correct end and Gambhir found more than a feet short from the crease.
Chasing the target of 261 for win India got off to great start by both Sachin Tendulkar (53 runs) and Virendra Sehwag (15 runs). Both put on 44 runs for the first wicket before Sehwag miscuite a pull straight in the air in the 9th over. However Sachin Tendulkar kept his cool to reach his 93rd ODI fifty and in between he crossed 18000 run marks.
Earlier Australia Captain Ricky Ponting scored a superb hundreds to guide his team to get to 260 runs in the 50 overs. This was Ricky Ponting 5th World Cup hundred and 29th in ODI. Brad Haddin (53 runs) and David Hussey (38 runs) also provided good support to his captain to guide Australia to a competitive total.
So sometimes betting sites also don't predict wrongly. Sites like WilliamHill predicted India to beat Australia and go all the way to lift the Cup. Hopefully it comes true for fans like us in matches to come.
With this win now India will take on Pakistan in the 2nd Semi Final of World Cup at Mohali on 30th of March 2011.
Yuvraj Singh was declared Player of the Match for his all-round effort. First with ball he picked up two wickets and then made unbeaten 57 runs off 65 balls.
