Throwback: India end the great Australian era in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal

Team India made history on this very day in 2011 when they knocked out the then defending champions Australia out of the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal that was played at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad. This was also the first time that the Aussies had suffered a loss in the knockout stages after their defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup final. The Men In Blue were just three steps away from glory but they had a mountain to climb in order to get there and their first hurdle was to get past the reigning champions Australia.

India end the great Aussie dominance

Australia had won three consecutive World Cups coming into that tournament while India were eager to avenge their bitter loss in the 2003 World Cup final and rewrite history. Electing to bat first in that knockout contest, the then skipper Ricky Ponting had notched up a stunning century as the Aussies posted a stiff total of 260. In reply, the Men In Blue were right on track but quick wickets derailed their momentum. When it appeared that the hosts' dream run would be over, southpaws Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina anchored the run chase with a 74-run sixth-wicket stand to register a famous win for India and bring curtains down on Australia's 12-year reign as world champions.

''He's got that through, nailed it through the off-side and it's an emphatic win for India. Yuvraj Singh finishes things off and India into the semi-final of the World Cup, Australia out of the competition'', said Ravi Shastri after Yuvraj had hit the winnings runs.

The aftermath 

By the virtue of this win, India defeated Australia in a World Cup match after 24 years. This was the last World Cup for the Australian greats Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee whereas, pacer Shaun Tait never played another ODI match for India after this competition Coming back to the Indian team they overcame arch-rivals Pakistan in the semis and a strong Sri Lankan outfit in the finals to win their second World Cup after a wait of 28 long years. Thus, India also became the first host nation to win the coveted trophy.

(Credits: AP)