'Dhoni asked me to bowl and I started shivering': India legend recalls pressure of 2011 World Cup semi-final vs Pakistan
The 2011 World Cup final between India and Pakistan turned out to be a thrilling contest and a former bowler admits he was a nervous wreck while bowling in the match.
The matches between India and Pakistan have never been short of high drama, theatrics, pressure and moments. There was a time when India-Pakistan matches were frequent and billed as the No. 1 rivalry in the world. However, due to political tensions between the two countries, India vs Pakistan is a fixture that has been restricted to ICC tournaments. The bilateral series have gone for a toss, but every time India and Pakistan face each other in a World Cup, Champions Trophy or Asia Cup tournament, the atmosphere is palpable. (Also Follow: IPL 2022 Full Coverage)
India have enjoyed a handsome record over Pakistan when it comes to World Cup matches. The Men in Blue lead their arch rivals 12-1 with the 1992 World Cup winners' only win coming during the T20 World Cup last year. All India-Pakistan World Cup matches have their own charm but for Indian fans, the one that stands out is the 2011 World Cup semifinal at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Of course, the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup will always be the match to beat, but the Mohali semifinal was of equal epic proportions.
Chasing 261 to win, Pakistan at one stage were progressing well at 142 for 4 before Harbhajan Singh’s wicket of Umar Akmal triggered a collapse. After the drinks break, Harbhajan was called on to bowl by captain MS Dhoni, but as the former India spinner recalled, he was a nervous wreck heading into his second spell.
"There were times… when I was playing the India vs Pakistan World Cup match in Mohali. When Dhoni asked me to bowl in the second spell I actually started shivering. They were batting really well at that stage. He asked me to bowl after the drinks break. I did not want to show people the pressure," Harbhajan told Paddy Upton on his podcast 'Lessons From The World's Best'.
Legend has it that four years ago during the Johannesburg final, Dhoni had asked Harbhajan to bowl the final over to Misbah-Ul-Haq but the spinner was not too confident and Joginder Sharma bowled the epic over. This time around though, Harbhajan would maintain his composure, keep focus and stick to what he knows best. The result was a wicket off the first ball of his spell and he never looked back.
"You have to keep calm and think that you've done this before and for all these years, you have worked hard for this moment. Keep those emptions aside, focus, take a deep breath and do what you know you do best. I got a wicket off the first ball itself and it helped me get my confidence back. I was calmer and full of emptions after that wicket and it gave me that breathing space," added Harbhajan.