The memories of the 2011 World Cup remain alive among every Indian fan. The MS Dhoni-led side had defeated Sri Lanka in the final of the tournament, securing a second World Cup title for India. It had been a dominant performance for India throughout the tournament; however, England had given India an early scare when they managed to tie with the side in Dhoni and co's second game of the edition.
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Posting 338 in 49.5 overs, India endured a poor start to their bowling with Andrew Strauss slamming 158, while Ian Bell also reached a valiant half-century (69 off 71 balls). England were 281/2 at one point with over seven overs remaining and looked favorites to secure a victory. However, a combined effort from the bowling attack brought India back to the game, with the side removing the next six wickets within 37 deliveries.
Graeme Swann has now recalled the thrilling encounter in Bengaluru, where he, alongside Ahmad Shahzad, secured a tie for the English team.
"We were cruising, we were all laughing and joking in the changing room. 'Hah, they are 20 runs short', 'Hah, look at how good we are'. Then all of a sudden, Mishra (Piyush Chawla) got a couple of wickets. We got really bogged down then. And suddenly, we were never winning the game. And then, as it always happens in one-day cricket, it was down to bowlers to bail out the batsmen and try to win. So, we walked in. I hit Mishra (Chawla) for a six! I picked a googly and hit him for a six and it kind of got us back to the game.
{{/usCountry}}"We were cruising, we were all laughing and joking in the changing room. 'Hah, they are 20 runs short', 'Hah, look at how good we are'. Then all of a sudden, Mishra (Piyush Chawla) got a couple of wickets. We got really bogged down then. And suddenly, we were never winning the game. And then, as it always happens in one-day cricket, it was down to bowlers to bail out the batsmen and try to win. So, we walked in. I hit Mishra (Chawla) for a six! I picked a googly and hit him for a six and it kind of got us back to the game.
{{/usCountry}}“We still needed 14 runs to win. And Aj (Ajmal Shahzad) came in, and he's like, 'what's happening big lad?' I went, 'mate, let's just do our best'. And in his first ball, he smacked it straight over my head for a six. He's like, 'Oh my god, I can't believe that!'” Swann recalled in a video for cricket.com, as he chuckled.
Swann, then, revealed how MS Dhoni got angry on a fielder at midwicket after the duo ran two runs on the penultimate delivery of the match.
“It was down to 4 needed off 2 balls. We scampered for two when it should've never been two. It wasn't a very happy MS Dhoni, I can assure you that. On the last ball, it was too full to get underneath and the extra cover dived and stopped it. We only got one,” recalled Swann.