He ran out Sachin Tendulkar in ODI World Cup opener, then took revenge over Bangladesh by smashing Kapil Dev’s record-equalling knock

India went into the opening game of the 2011 ODI World Cup with plenty at stake having failed to qualify beyond the opening round of 2007 ODI World Cup in the West Indies. One of the biggest reasons for India’s failure in 2007 edition was their shock defeat to Bangladesh in the opening match.

In the 2011 ODI World Cup opener, India once again faced Bangladesh but this time away from their home in Mirpur. One man – India opener Virender Sehwag – billed it as a ‘revenge game’ for the Indian side.

Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan won the toss and elected to field first as Sehwag and Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar – in his final World Cup tournament – walked out to the middle. Sehwag made his intent clear right from ball one of the match, smashing Shafiul Islam to the cover boundary to get off the mark.

India zoomed off to a brilliant start with Sehwag and Tendulkar putting on 69 runs for the opening wicket inside the first 11 overs. However, disaster struck with Tendulkar involved in a mix-up with Sehwag to be run-out for 28 off 29 balls.

“We discussed we will take it easy on singles. He was calling, and I was not listening, and I was looking at the ball, yeah. For a fraction of a second I thought I had made a mistake, but you know when I went to the dressing room, he said, ‘It’s okay. What’s important is to win the game for the country. It’s not important who is performing’,” Sehwag said in the post-match press conference.

 

19 fours. 5 sixes. 175 runs.

When Virender Sehwag, 43 today, started India’s 2011 World Cup campaign in style pic.twitter.com/rgnr84FaSk

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 20, 2021

Sehwag didn’t let the mix-up with Tendulkar affect him, going ton to smash a century off 94 balls. But the ‘Najafgarh Nawab’ wasn’t done yet. He continued to pulverize the Bangladesh bowling attack, racing to his next fifty off 30 balls – bring up 150 in 124 balls.

“It was a good start for the team. I have said this is a revenge game and we have really played well,” Sehwag brutally said during the post-match presentation. “When I came here, the press asked me about Bangladesh team. I have said before Bangladesh are not good in Tests, but they can compete in ODIs, but today they could not”.

The former India opener went on to equal Kapil Dev’s highest World Cup score of 175, he set in the 1983 ODI World Cup and just fell short of Sourav Ganguly’s mark of 183 in 1999 edition – which till date remains the highest score by an Indian batter in the ODI World Cup. Sehwag was finally dismissed for 175 off 140 balls with 5 sixes and 14 fours.

Another Indian young gun – Virat Kohli – making his ODI World Cup debut scored his maiden World Cup hundred off 83 balls as India posted a massive 370 for 4 after batting first. In reply, Bangladesh could only tally 283/9 with Munaf Patel claiming 4/48 and Zaheer Khan picking up 2/40.

In was MS Dhoni’s first World Cup win as a skipper and Team India didn’t look back from that match and went on to claim a historic second ODI World Cup title defeating Sri Lanka in the final.