A year since India won the World Cup 2011

by cricfan | April 2, 2012 at 12:31 am

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April 2, 2011 was a day when India had won the World Cup 2011 after the span of 28 years. They had putten behind the disappointment they had suffered four years ago.

Millions of Indians dancing in the streets, celebrating the success of the team, and a flurry of gifts showered on the players hogged the limelight for the next couple of days after that dazzling night in Mumbai. But the same side which had reached that zenith 12 months ago, would touch their nadir in the same year, as England and then Australia thrashed them soundly.

The celebrations lasted just a couple days, however. Hardly had India lifted the trophy before the players jumped into the IPL five days later. Drained by the World Cup and the IPL, several big-name players were absent from a tour of the West Indies shortly after the IPL. Test and ODI series wins in the Caribbean were the last success overseas that the Indian team would taste.

An undercooked side landed in England and its frailties were exposed badly by the home side, which drubbed them 4-0 in the Tests and won the ODI series. Some sort of revenge was extracted when England were beaten 5-0 in a meaningless ODI series in India weeks after India returned home, but there were enough cracks to indicate this was an Indian team on the wane.

Then came West Indies, whom India beat in the Tests and ODIs. It would prove a false dawn before the challenging tour of Australia. In England, India could point to a depleted side and a lack of preparation, but their 4-0 Test humiliation in Australia left them red-faced. Next came the CB Series, in which India failed to make the finals.

A week later, India were playing in the Asia Cup where defeat to Bangladesh ended up ensuring they failed to reach the final. That disappointment rounded off a year that saw them going from the top to rock bottom.

Along the way, Rahul Dravid retired, Yuvraj was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and Tendulkar finally scored his much-awaited 100th international hundred. Whatever has happened in the past one year is hard to forget. There was ecstasy of victory and the low of eight consecutive Test defeats. But now, as Team India marks a year of lifting the coveted World Cup, both the players and fans would like to make a new beginning by taking the positive aspects ahead while leaving the negativity and failures behind.

If the Indian team needs inspiration, it has to only look back at April 2, 2011. It was an unforgettable day. Here's hoping India script a few more memories in the coming year.