Where did Sri Lanka go wrong in the 2011 World Cup final?

[Dulex9]

They batted brilliantly and posted a challenging score of 274 which should have been defended.

They got off to a great start removing Sehwag and Tendulkar.

Sangakarra got his tactics right leaving Murali after the 20th over however Murali didn't have his usual zip that day and he think they employed a 4 offside field and 5 onside field which India exploited.

Also to Randiv the field was 6 on the offside for Gambhir.

I guess Sri Lanka wanted India to chase 75+ in the last 10 while hoping Murali would've taken 1-2 wickets in the middle which did not happen. I seen a few finals were India lost the match in the final 10 overs to Sri Lanka like that. One of them when they were only 2 wickets down at 35 overs and needed 8 an over however India collapsed. I guess that did not happen for Sri Lanka that day which they were probably hoping for.

I guess India just batted well that day, for 31-2, with the run rate climbing up and Murali bowling 10 overs from 20+, Sri Lanka had a golden chance however India just batted well.

 

[khan_aa]

They batted brilliantly and posted a challenging score of 274 which should have been defended.

They got off to a great start removing Sehwag and Tendulkar.

Sangakarra got his tactics right leaving Murali after the 20th over however Murali didn't have his usual zip that day and he think they employed a 4 offside field and 5 onside field which India exploited.

Also to Randiv the field was 6 on the offside for Gambhir.

I guess Sri Lanka wanted India to chase 75+ in the last 10 while hoping Murali would've taken 1-2 wickets in the middle which did not happen. I seen a few finals were India lost the match in the final 10 overs to Sri Lanka like that. One of them when they were only 2 wickets down at 35 overs and needed 8 an over however India collapsed. I guess that did not happen for Sri Lanka that day which they were probably hoping for.

I guess India just batted well that day, for 31-2, with the run rate climbing up and Murali bowling 10 overs from 20+, Sri Lanka had a golden chance however India just batted well.

Credit goes to Dhoni and gambhir

 

[Savak]

Murli was playing inspite of a hamstring injury, he looked very toothless that night. India knew that all they had to do was to see out Malinga.

 

[Xoib]

Murali 2011 was not the same force as he was even 2 years earlier had sl posted this score with peak.murali no way india was chasing this

 

[Kroll]

I'll need to revisit the match to get a better understanding but from what I can recall is that after getting Tendulkar out, they never exerted enough pressure and did not get many wickets after initial breakthroughs.

 

[sweep_shot]

It is difficult to beat India in India if you post less than 300. Not many teams can defend that.

 

[TeymurBlake]

I remember Murali carrying an injury during the tournament which is why he struggled in the tournament final.

 

[Kroll]

It is difficult to beat India in India if you post less than 300. Not many teams can defend that.

Yep, OP thinks 274 was challenging but even back then, it was way too inadequate.

 

[Ab Fan]

I felt that after getting Tendulkar and Sehwag out cheaply, Sri Lanka could have gone through a lot more overs from Gambhir and young Kohli than they actually did.

I remember the match and while young Kohli was not at his best, Gambhir was batting beautifully on the other end. He was making sure the scoreboard keeps moving even though India had lost two wickets. When Kohli got out, Gambhir was batting at 54(65) and then Dhoni came and batted positively.

Gambhir continued batting at same gear, in between slowed down a bit also but what was important is that when two wickets fell, he didn't went defensive and batted at normal rate. This is where SL gave India the chance to make their way back to the match and then Dhoni took it away from them alongside Gambhir obviously.

Kohli also played a handy cameo and ensure the collapse doesn't happen as he was struggling initially.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

IMO Sri Lanka lost the match the moment Pakistan lost to India at Mohali. They were never going to beat India in a World Cup Final...in Mumbai...infront of 50,000 Indians. That World Cup was always India's once they got to the final.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Murali 2011 was not the same force as he was even 2 years earlier had sl posted this score with peak.murali no way india was chasing this

no version of murali was stopping india in India back in 2011.

 

[Mesozoic]

274 wasn't enough on that wicket and also I think dew played a key role in the second innings. But of course Gambhir and Dhoni batted as they were on a mission that night.

 

[Hasan123]

They didn't get enough runs.

 

[Saurav]

SL made way too many changes.Dropped Mendis and Herath who did well in SF and brought in Randiv randomly even they had an offie.Also Kulasakera was never going to trouble India

 

[Slog]

274 wasn’t competitive on that wicket and against that Indian batting line up

 

[Ab Fan]

IMO Sri Lanka lost the match the moment Pakistan lost to India at Mohali. They were never going to beat India in a World Cup Final...in Mumbai...infront of 50,000 Indians. That World Cup was always India's once they got to the final.

The same Sri Lanka beat us in 1996 semi final in Kolkata.

 

[jaisan]

Overexposure. India and Sri Lanka played zillion times in between 2007 And 2011 and india had enough experience against sri lankan bowlers. The two batsmen who starred in the finals are the two who scored most runs against Sri Lanka in that period.

 

[Saurav]

Overexposure. India and Sri Lanka played zillion times in between 2007 And 2011 and india had enough experience against sri lankan bowlers. The two batsmen who starred in the finals are the two who scored most runs against Sri Lanka in that period.

That applies both ways.Sri Lanka were also used to us

 

[tyron_woodley]

man that Sri Lankan team was one of the strongest Sri Lankan teams I have ever seen. 2011 team was a beast side. would beat anyone on their day. They would dominate teams in the current era. top 3 easily.

 

[KP From India]

Vaas should have been there in place of Kula.

 

[Pakhs]

Nothing they did wrong - India was just too strong at home even stronger than they are now. I predicted India's win and they did.

 

[light]

man that Sri Lankan team was one of the strongest Sri Lankan teams I have ever seen. 2011 team was a beast side. would beat anyone on their day. They would dominate teams in the current era. top 3 easily.

Right on the money. Pretty much 5-6 SRI all time legends played in that team. However massive credit goes to Dhoni. Everyone criticizes him, if he didn't grab his balls and went on to bat at the position he did that day, I don't think we would have lifted the cup.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Right on the money. Pretty much 5-6 SRI all time legends played in that team. However massive credit goes to Dhoni. Everyone criticizes him, if he didn't grab his balls and went on to bat at the position he did that day, I don't think we would have lifted the cup.

yes and they weren't just flat track bullies. They could win anywhere including bouncy wickets and seaming conditions. That Sri Lankan team was definitely their ATG side.

 

[Pakhs]

Right on the money. Pretty much 5-6 SRI all time legends played in that team. However massive credit goes to Dhoni. Everyone criticizes him, if he didn't grab his balls and went on to bat at the position he did that day, I don't think we would have lifted the cup.

yes and they weren't just flat track bullies. They could win anywhere including bouncy wickets and seaming conditions. That Sri Lankan team was definitely their ATG side.

Indian side was better and they batted second so dew played a huge part as it always does in subcontinent unfortunately. That Indian side was better than today's India with dhoni and yuvraj at their peak and kohli at number 4. They had a strong middle order too and also did not have a choker tag under Dhoni.

I dont think Srilanka did anything wrong apart from losing the toss which obviously made their task almost impossible against a very strong and already favorites India.

 

[Pakhs]

yes and they weren't just flat track bullies. They could win anywhere including bouncy wickets and seaming conditions. That Sri Lankan team was definitely their ATG side.

Yes that Srilanka side was a better side away from Asia but not in Asia and definitely not in India they were getting a hammering against India regularly those days in Asia.

 

[Saurav]

Indian side was better and they batted second so dew played a huge part as it always does in subcontinent unfortunately. That Indian side was better than today's India with dhoni and yuvraj at their peak and kohli at number 4. They had a strong middle order too and also did not have a choker tag under Dhoni.

I dont think Srilanka did anything wrong apart from losing the toss which obviously made their task almost impossible against a very strong and already favorites India.

They won the toss.Remember Sanga controversy?

 

[Pakhs]

They won the toss.Remember Sanga controversy?

Okay so thats what they did wrong! Dew really helped India who were already favorites to win it could have been a better game the other way around.

 

[Saurav]

Okay so thats what they did wrong! Dew really helped India who were already favorites to win it could have been a better game the other way around.

In finals you always bat first.Very few sides have won chasing

 

[Pakhs]

In finals you always bat first.Very few sides have won chasing

Yes apart from themselves in 1996 when the tournament was also held is India. The dew definitely made it easier to chase.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

The same Sri Lanka beat us in 1996 semi final in Kolkata.

The Sri Lanka of 1996 was a completely different side. That had a lot of strengths and they found themselves during the tournament. Whereas the Indian side from that tournament was a thoroughly mediocre one.

 

[Pakpak]

Yes apart from themselves in 1996 when the tournament was also held is India. The dew definitely made it easier to chase.

India and Pakistan* seeing as the final was in Pakistan and dew made it easier for them. They would have won anyway they had a beast of a lineup.

 

[Pakhs]

India and Pakistan* seeing as the final was in Pakistan and dew made it easier for them. They would have won anyway they had a beast of a lineup.

Yes dew made it easier surprised they didnt do the same in 2011 WC having the experience themselves.

 

[Hitman]

The Sri Lanka of 1996 was a completely different side. That had a lot of strengths and they found themselves during the tournament. Whereas the Indian side from that tournament was a thoroughly mediocre one.

Some of the players we had in that team makes me cringe... Manjerakar, Raju, Ashish Kapoor, Prasad.

 

[Pakpak]

Yes dew made it easier surprised they didnt do the same in 2011 WC having the experience themselves.

Their 1996 team was much better than the 2011 one. Most of their bowlers then were over the hill or end of their careers. They had ATGs in their team in 1996 from Ranatunga, De Silva, Vaas, Murali and so on. The last two were on their last legs in 2011. And Vaas didn't even play. You also have to see the Indian team SL beat in 1996 was pretty trash compared to 2011.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Some of the players we had in that team makes me cringe... Manjerakar, Raju, Ashish Kapoor, Prasad.

LOL yes. Team was heavily dependent on Tendulkar. And to a lesser extent, Azharuddin and Kumble.

 

[Dulex9]

Mohanty, Kantikar, Gandhi, Ramesh, Martin, Kuruvilla, Kumaran, N Chopra, Bharadwaj-some of these players played at the 1999 world cup.

 

[Dulex9]

Sri Lanka 1996 team had ATG team Vaas, Murali, Chandana, Jayasuriya, De Silva, Ranatunga, Dharmasena, Gurunisha.