Published 18:58 IST, April 6th 2020
Paddy Upton reveals how MS Dhoni led India from the front in the 2011 World Cup
Strength & Conditioning coach Paddy Upton revealed how MS Dhoni had led India from the front in the 2011 World Cup during an exclusive interview recently
Paddy Upton spoke about Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy during the ICC Cricket 2011 World Cup. India beat Sri Lanka on the night of April 2, 2011, at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium by six wickets to win their second World Cup after a long wait of 28 years. By the virtue of that win, the Men In Blue also became the first team to win the coveted trophy on home soil.
'Led through his own performances': Paddy Upton
During an exclusive interview with a daily publication, Upton went on to say that Dhoni was a strong, silent type as a leader and that he led through his own performances, often taking the team to victory in high-pressure situations with the bat. Upton who was Team India's Strength & Conditioning coach during the 2011 World Cup also mentioned that the former Indian skipper also led by showing a calm head and demeanour during high-pressure moments.
The former Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils head coach also added that the veteran wicket-keeper batsman's calmness particularly in those high-pressure moments along with the coaching staff deliberately being calm and measured, set the tone and example for players to follow.
The 2011 World Cup final
Sri Lanka who were playing in their second straight World Cup final had posted a stiff total of 274/6 in their 50 overs. In reply, India got off to a horrendous start after big-hitter Virender Sehwag was dismissed for a second-ball duck by Lasith Malinga. The Men In Blue were in a spot of bother after Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal as the scorecard read 31/2. Gambhir then took the charge of scoring runs and was ably supported by a young Virat Kohli (35) as the duo added 83 runs for the third wicket stand.
After Kohli's dismissal, in a rather surprising move, MS Dhoni came out at number four ahead of an in-form Yuvraj Singh. The two were then involved in a 109-run fourth-wicket stand. Gautam Gambhir was castled by Thisara Perera for a 122-ball 97. However, it did not matter as the match was in India's grasp by then and MS Dhoni finished it in style by dispatching Nuwan Kulasekara into the stands as India won their second World Cup after a long wait of 28 years.
Updated 18:58 IST, April 6th 2020