3 facts about the 2011 World Cup final one may not be aware of

April 2, 2011- The day will be etched as one of the greatest in the history of Indian cricket. MS Dhoni and Co lifted the World Cup after as long as 28 years. Gautam Gambhir’s 97 and the skipper’s unbeaten 91 scripted glory for the Men in Blue at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

It was a night to rejoice for the Indians around the world. But it wasn’t quite a happy day for the Lankan unit. They had lost their second World Cup final on the trot, the first one coming against Australia in the West Indies in 2007.

The Lankans tried to repeat their 1996 heroics, but their efforts didn’t work out. On the night, a number of records were made. While some of them made the headlines, a few of them didn’t quite bag the headlines. Delving deep into the historic match, there are some crucial facts, which one may not be aware of.

In the article, let’s take a look at three lesser-known facts about the 2011 World Cup Final: –

1. Muttiah Muralitharan’s last international game

Back in January 2011, Muttiah Muralitharan put forth his decision to retire after the mega event in India. It went without saying that in sub-continent conditions, the tweaker would be playing a crucial role for Sri Lanka.

He didn’t disappoint and picked up 15 wickets from nine matches and was the Islanders’ standout bowler by a country mile. On the back of his spells, Lanka qualified for the Final. Even as the focus was on India in Mumbai, Murali wasn’t expected to catch eyeballs, barring some masterful display of bowling.

Bearing in mind his prowess, the Indian took minimum risks against him. Though he gave away 39 runs at 4.87, he couldn’t make a single breakthrough. Murali picked 1,347 wickets for Lanka in his career, but that night in Mumbai wasn’t quite a notable one for him.