Recalling his 97-run innings from the 2011 World Cup Final, retired India cricketer Gautam Gambhir said that it was former India skipper MS Dhoni’s advice that led the southpaw lose his wicket while chasing a stiff 275-run target against Sri Lanka.
“I have been asked this question many times, as to what happened when I was on 97. I tell everyone that before getting to 97, I never thought about my individual score, but only looked at the target set by Sri Lanka,” Gambhir said in an interview with Lallantop.
During the chase, India were reduced to 114 for 3 when Gambhir was joined by then skipper MS Dhoni, and the two added 109 runs for the fourth wicket to pave the way for a famous victory. Gambhir was handsomely batting on 97, but a sudden rush of blood propelled him to get bowled out on the ball of Thisara Perera while attempting a slog.
“I remember that after the completion of one over, Dhoni told me that ‘three runs are remaining, get these three runs and your hundred would be completed’,” he said.
Gambhir said that after those words from the skipper, he started to think about his individual score.
“When your mind suddenly turns to your individual performance, individual score, then somewhere you have a rush of blood. Before that moment, my target was only to chase Sri Lanka’s target. If only that target remained in my mind, maybe, I would have easily scored my hundred,” said Gambhir.
“Till I was on 97, I was in the present. But as soon as I thought that I am just three runs away from getting a hundred, the rush of blood caused by the desire to get to a hundred took over,” he added.