Recalling the 2011 World Cup: A Journey of Camaraderie, Belief, and Triumph

In 2011, it was April Fool's Day. It was too easy and too tempting to pull a quick one on someone. Even on days other than April Fool's Day, the crew was able to pull it off consistently.

Twelve years ago, the background noise from the final had made its way into the Mumbai hallways of The Taj Mahal Hotel, but our group's sanity and camaraderie kept us safe. It was a really laid back evening for us. That evening, when we settled down for supper, Munaf stuck to his tandoori chicken and biryani, while I went with my go-to dishes of dal makhni, methi aloo, and chilled boondi raita. We were really thrilled. We joked around, watched a little TV news, and gave ourselves a good night's sleep.

On April 2, we arrived to Wankhede Stadium to find a meditation cave inside the dressing room and a party outside. For us, it was simply another game: such was the prevailing thought.

Thanks to M.S. Dhoni, the captain, and coach Gary Kirsten, the squad was clicking, riding the wave of pressure with joy, frolic, and excitement. We had just defeated Australia in the quarterfinals, and I had allowed myself to believe that, if we could defeat Australia, we could defeat any team.

I am not downplaying the Pakistan and Sri Lanka of 2011 in the slightest; I am only emphasizing the sense of invincibility that comes with defeating teams such as Australia. And after defeating the then-champions in Ahmedabad, we experienced it.

Ahmedabad now anticipates a very different Indian squad. This one is unconquered and restless, much like a bloodhound. They act as if they are executing basic tasks automatically. The main reason, in my opinion, is Rohit Sharma's laid-back, guy-next-door leadership style.

However, dismissing Australia would be at one's own risk since they have regained their winning formula. Their tall fast bowlers, who can create bounce out of a bed of ashes, are their greatest asset. Though their bowling team can bowl a length that may be unsettling and loaded with additional bounce, the expectation is that Ahmedabad's pitch would be sluggish.

I believe that Adam Zampa's bowling was the key to Australia's comeback. Zampa had to learn that pace is essential on these pitches as it took him some time to grasp these sorts of wickets. As a result, he bowled more slowly through the air on flat courses and more quickly on turning ones.

If only Australia had selected Nathon Lyon, Zampa, and the tall fast bowlers would have made for a very potent bowling combination. Even though Glenn Maxwell is not as good as Lyon, he is still a vital member of the Australian assault.

India has a good chance of finishing Josh Hazlewood's maiden spell. In addition to having accuracy akin to Glenn McGrath, he possesses an extremely strong bouncer and can extract a comparable bounce from a decent length.

I want to see India's batting return to its former glory. Even though it's the last one, nothing has to be changed. Not too far away would be a replay of the 2003 World Cup finals to remove it. When the Indian side captained by Sourav Ganguly found themselves up against the opposition, they lost the game in the first fifteen minutes of play.

Rahul Dravid undoubtedly learned enough from the 2003 game's errors for the guys to refrain from repeating them. In any case, the current crop of cricket players has become numb to the gravity of the event since they were raised and nurtured on spotlights, excitement, and large audiences thanks to the IPL.

If team management wants to get beyond the idea of a "winning combination," they must be brutal in their team selection process. If not, follow the adage "Don't fix it if it ain't broke."

The only people who really understand what it takes to handle a trophy of this kind are Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin. Thank you to both Mohammed Shami and Rohit for their incredible performances that have brought them this close. "Winning a World Cup is like creating a fixed deposit which can be benefited from for generations to come," Munaf used to remind us back in 2011.

The players are aware of it, I'm sure.

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