OTD| Sachin Tendulkar’s 85 helped India beat Pakistan in the all-important semi-final clash in World Cup 2011

In this article, we will discuss the On This Day | Sachin Tendulkar’s 85 helped India beat Pakistan in the all-important semi-final clash in World Cup 2011. India vs Pakistan is the marquee game for cricket. Over the years, the rivalry between the fans of these two neighbouring countries has seen some of the most intense and breathtaking matches. The matches have also witnessed some on-field battles with bat and ball and heated exchanges between the players. In the ICC World Cup, the Men in Blue have a dominant record against their neighbours.

The Men in Blue met Pakistan in the World Cup 2011 semi-final at the I.S. Bindra Stadium, Mohali. After winning the toss, MS Dhoni chose to bat first. Openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag started brilliantly until the spell of Wahab Riaz, as the left-arm pacer picked 5 wickets. Tendulkar was the star of India’s batting, scoring a brilliant 85 runs, and hitting 11 fours. The little master was dropped four times on 27, 45, 70, and 81 and also survived two reviews after being given out.

After Tendulkar’s wicket, the home side was able to recover from the setback and scored only 260/9. Tendulkar showed his class once again as he did in the 2003 World Cup, where he thrashed down an iconic bowling lineup of the Men in Green, including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar. Akhtar did not participate in the 2011 game, but Saeed Ajmal’s off-spin troubled the batters.

In reply, Pakistan got off to a good start, but they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and the game got out of hand for the visitors. Misbah-ul-Haq was the side’s only player to score a half-century, and they were bowled out for 231 runs.

Tendulkar’s crucial innings of 85 runs helped the side post a competitive total, and he was rewarded with the Man of the Match award. The win against Pakistan maintained their record of winning a 50-over match in the World Cup and helped India secure a spot in the final, which they eventually won.