The Indian side has won four of their first four games in the current ICC men’s ODI World Cup 2023. What has been wonderful to observe is India’s complete domination with each passing game.
While they were in difficulty against Australia, a game-changing combination between Virat Kohli and KL Rahul saw them through before Rohit Sharma’s brilliant ton destroyed the Afghani outfit.
India then faced archrival Pakistan, which folded under duress. India’s most recent victory occurred in Pune, when they defeated Bangladesh as a team effort.
The Men in Blue’s high-flying run has given Indian supporters hope that the team will go all the way this time and break a decade-long ICC trophy drought.
The current Indian team’s exceptional performance in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup has led many fans to draw comparisons with the iconic 2011 Indian side that ultimately clinched the coveted silverware.
The 2011 Indian team boasted cricket legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, and the captain MS Dhoni. With only one loss throughout the tournament, India achieved an extraordinary victory on their home soil.
As the 2023 Indian team continues their journey, it is interesting to note a few striking parallels between their ongoing World Cup campaign and the 2011 edition. Here are three notable similarities worth exploring.
1. Five different bowlers took two wickets each vs Pakistan World Cup Match
When a team’s five different bowlers share the weight and take two wickets apiece to bundle out the opposition, it’s a remarkable sight.
It is worth noting, however, that the Indian squad has accomplished this feat in two of the most important games.
In the 2011 ODI World Cup semifinal in Mohali, India asked Pakistan to chase down 261 runs in the second innings. However, a strong bowling performance from India led to Pakistan being restricted to 231 runs in 49.5 overs.
Zaheer Khan (2/58), Ashish Nehra (2/33), Munaf Patel (2/40), Harbhajan Singh (2/43), and Yuvraj Singh (2/57) all took 10 wickets throughout the innings.
A similar incident occurred in the recent India vs. Pakistan match in Ahmedabad, when a skilled Indian bowling unit cleaned out the Men in Green for only 191 runs.
The Indian bowling assault, which included Jasprit Bumrah (2/19), Mohammed Siraj (2/50), Hardik Pandya (2/34), Kuldeep Yadav (2/35), and Ravindra Jadeja (2/38) got two wickets apiece during the first innings.
2. Virat Kohli scored a century vs Bangladesh
Virat Kohli’s ODI World Cup career got off to a fast start in 2011 as he crushed Bangladesh in Dhaka, scoring 100* off 83 balls in the match’s first match.
However, Kohli only reached the three-digit mark once again in his final 28 innings of the quadrennial championship.
However, Kohli was in top form once more when India met Bangladesh in Match 17 of the 2023 ODI World Cup in Pune, when he produced a magnificent performance of 103* off 97 balls. Kohli became just the fourth Indian to score two ODI World Cup hundreds against a specific opponent, despite the fact that his century this time came during a run chase.
3. Beat Australia after a successful run-chase
Another parallel between the two missions is India successfully tracking down a target against Australia.
In the 2011 campaign, India faced Australia in the quarterfinals held in Ahmedabad. In this match, India successfully chased down a target of 261 runs within 47.4 overs. Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, and Yuvraj Singh all contributed with half-centuries during the run-chase.
India began their campaign in a thrilling match against Australia in the ongoing event. Despite the game being held in Chennai, Australia struggled and managed to score only 199 runs in the first innings.
However, the hosts were scared off by the new-ball danger of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who reduced them to 2/3 in two overs. With India on the verge of defeat, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul joined forces to rebuild the Indian innings before leading the team home.
While Kohli scored 85, Rahul missed out on a well-deserved century and finished undefeated on 97 off 115 balls.
Indian supporters will be hopeful that the Rohit Sharma-led team can repeat India’s 2011 exploits and bring home the silverware after a 12-year absence.