‘He was Sachin Tendulkar of bowling department’: Suresh Raina hails Indian pacer for 2011 World Cup performance | Cricket - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

‘He was Sachin Tendulkar of bowling department’: Suresh Raina hails Indian pacer for 2011 World Cup performance

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByHT Correspondent
Apr 05, 2020 08:20 AM IST

The Chennai Super Kings batsman also went on to credit India seamer Zaheer Khan for his tremendous performance in the tournament and leading the bowling attack.

India cricketer Suresh Raina on Friday recalled the 2011 World Cup win in which he played a crucial role in India’s victory. The left-hander scored an unbeaten 34 and 36 against Australia and Pakistan in the quarterfinal, and semifinal, respectively, and helped his side reach the summit clash. Speaking to news agency PTI, the 34-year-old said: “Every year, we celebrate. Like the way we celebrate Holi and Diwali.”

Team India celebrating the world cup win(Twitter)
Team India celebrating the world cup win(Twitter)

The Chennai Super Kings batsman also went on to credit India seamer Zaheer Khan for his tremendous performance in the tournament and leading the bowling attack. “Whatever decision we were taking, it was all going in our favour. Zaheer bhai led the bowling attack. Everyone was talking about our strong batting line up but I would say he was the Sachin Tendulkar of the bowling department, getting us the breakthrough every time. Then the biggest contribution came from Yuvraj, who took wickets and finished games,” Raina said.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Also read: ‘He was magic’: Rohit Sharma picks best coach he has played under

Also Watch | Hardik Pandya’s birthday wish for Zaheer Khan angers fans

 

Zaheer finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament along with Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi with both bagging 21 wickets. The left-armer picked up 21 wickets in 9 games at an average of 18.76.

Raina further went on to talk about the final against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and said that the dressing room was calm despite India losing early wickets in 275-run chase. “Even though Sri Lanka put up a challenging total, everyone was calm in the dressing room. Someone was in the shower, someone was taking ice bath, someone was eating, yet everyone was thinking about the trophy, everyone in their zone and no one was talking to each other.”

Also read: ‘Similar to killing, spot-fixers should be hanged’: Javed Miandad

“There was just one goal and that was to win the trophy. There was pin drop silence when Sachin paaji got out but we remained calm. You should have seen the way Gautam Gambhir (who made 97) entered the field after Sehwag’s dismissal. He was so confident.”

“Seeing his body language, I thought he would win us the World Cup. Dhoni (who made 91) came ahead of an in-form Yuvraj, that was a big call but Dhoni told Gary Kirsten (coach) that he could play Muralitharan well so he went in. I still remember everything so vividly,” he said.

Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, IPL Live Scores, and get exclusive insights with the RCB vs KKR Live Score, IPL 2024 Schedule, match highlights, and more. Explore a comprehensive Cricket Schedule, track the race for the Purple Cap and Orange Cap in IPL 2024, check Virat Kohli performance and stay ahead with all the cricket-related updates on the Hindustan Times website and app.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On