2011 World Cup End of Two Eras

The Cricket 2011 World Cup saw many amazing matches played between very skilled teams. There were also several notable events connected to it as well. One such being the introduction of the one over eliminator in order to break a tie in a one-day international game. It was also the first time any games for the cup were played in Bangladesh.

What is most remembered is the victory of the Indian cricket team and also their defeat of the Australian team in the quarterfinals. While an amazing triumph for the Indian cricket team. The follow-up for the Australians was so thorough and complete that when next they face the Indian team situation was reversed.



Controversy over the 2011 world cup

In April 2006 the ICC announced which countries would host the 2011 World Cup. The two primary bids that stood out were from Asia and Trans-Tasmania (a joint bid from New Zealand and Australia) to host the World Cup. The trans-Tasmania bid was the only one delivered to the ICC headquarters before the deadline.

In contrast the Asian bid was delivered late after an extension was granted by the ICC. Naturally this reduced the chances for the Asian bid to be chosen which led to the assumption. That the Australia/New Zealand bid would win.

However, when the vote was finally cast the Asian bid won a decisive majority. The following year information was brought to light that suggested the only reason the Asian bid won was through bribery.

All the participating Asian countries had promised to raise funds for West Indian cricket during the 2007 World Cup. The Asian delegation immediately stated that they had planned to do the fundraisers regardless where the World Cup would be held. And that there was no bribery involved. Others pointed to the possible difficulties of having the Zimbabwe team in New Zealand after political differences between the two countries.

Though New Zealand had given assurances that there be no problem with the Zimbabwe team during the World Cup if they were allowed to host. With no decisive evidence available the decision of the ICC votes stood. Which was doubtless on the minds of the Australian team and fans going into the 2011 World Cup.



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Startling Upset

As the 2011 World Cup began play progressed pretty much as expected throughout the warm-up games and the group A and B round Robin qualifiers. With both India and Australia qualifying in the respective groups and moving on to the quarterfinals. The greatest surprise of the World Cup came in the quarterfinal match of India vs. Australia.

The match was a closely drawn competition with players on both sides displaying great skill and teamwork. Notably for the Australians there Capt. Ricky Ponting scoring 104 runs. The Indians showed amazing teamwork, particularly that of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina who together scored 74 runs. The final result of the game was Australia score of 260/6 and 50 overs.

2011 world cup
Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is carried on his teammates shoulders after India defeated Sri Lanka in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final played at The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2, 2011. India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets to win the 2011 World Cup. AFP PHOTO/William WEST (Photo credit should read WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

India score of 261/5 and 47 overs. India had won the match and in so doing ended Australia’s 12-year winning streak as world champions. Thus, the era of Australia’s dominance in the cricket World Cup ended not with a final or semifinal match but the first round of the knockout stage.



Aftermath

This victory must have been a great morale boost for the Indian cricket team. The team was able to follow up on this victory all the way to the final. Where India became the first team in the history of the World Cup to win on home soil. Doubtless some Australians thought they would have had a better chance had they been allowed to play this tournament in Australia.

Which could have been the case if not for the possible corruption of the selection process. Regardless the Australian team return home and then began preparing for the next time they would meet the Indian team on the wickets.

The Border – Gavaskar trophy

As the year of 2011 continued India continue to do very well in most test and ODI series. Then they played England where they lost the test series 4 to. Despite this loss to the English there was no doubt in most minds that India would be able to retain possession of the Border–Gavaskar Trophy.

With the previous two test series having seen India achieved the necessary two wins to retain ownership. Conversely the Australian team was not favored to show anything like a commanding performance. The team had recently lost many of their players to retirement as well as its captain due to poor performance.

The majority of the team was made up of rookie players. It was believed by one and all even playing an away game the Indians were so formidable they could not be defeated by the Australian team.



This belief was shattered at the end of the first test game of the series when Australia score 333 to India’s 282. This Australian victory was not a fluke as this was the closest match of the four games in the series. With Australia’s victory they took possession of the Border–Gavaskar Trophy.

After losing so completely to what many considered an inferior team the ridicule for the Indian team was unpleasant, from all quarters. As the short-lived era of India’s dominance in the Border–Gavaskar test series came to an end. Though in the following years both countries would recover to some extent the titles and procedures they’d lost in 2011. That year should be forever remembered by both as the end of an era.

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