Then selector Raja Venkat reveals that panel wanted Sharma in WC squad, but respected team management’s need for Piyush Chawla; fellow selector Surendra Bhave recalls leggie’s good form
India’s Rohit Sharma during a training session at the Holkar Stadium, Indore, in 2011. Pic/AFP
India's 2011 World Cup-winning team’s selection committee member, Raja Venkat credited the team’s triumph to the players, who refused to succumb to the pressure of playing in front of home crowds and instead took advantage of the local conditions.
Kolkata-based Venkat, 62, also revealed how their Krishnamachari Srikkanth-led selection committee had to exclude Rohit Sharma from their plans and pick leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for the 2011 tournament.
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Home advantage
“On one hand, we had the home advantage, but there was also pressure of playing at home. But it was a good all-round team and that’s the biggest advantage we had. Our bowling was suited to our conditions,” Venkat told mid-day from Kolkata.
Surendra Bhave. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Though picking a World Cup squad is big responsibility, according to Venkat, it wasn’t that difficult. “No, because we planned it so well in advance. The team was more or less the same [as in the build-up]. Fourteen selected themselves. For the 15th player, we [the selection committee] wanted Rohit, but unfortunately, the team management wanted Piyush. Rohit, like now, was a classy player. He had so much talent and the selectors were more or less convinced that he was the best choice. But the team management wanted Piyush, so we agreed to that,” Venkat recalled.
Meanwhile, Venkat’s fellow selector Surendra Bhave recalled: “We needed a leg-spinner. Piyush was fit and was contributing in the batting department too. He had a very good googly.”
Sachin Tendulkar was India’s top-scorer with 482 runs in nine games. Next on the list was Gautam Gambhir, who scored 393 in the same number of games while pacer Zaheer Khan emerged the top-wicket-taker with 21 scalps.
Raja Venkat
‘Gauti deserves more credit’
Riding on Gambhir’s fighting 97 and skipper MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 91, India successfully chased Sri Lanka’s 274 in 49th over to clinch the ICC trophy at the Wankhede Stadium. “I don’t think Gautam got the kind of appreciation that he deserved. Having lost Viru [Virender Sehwag on zero] and Sachin [on 18] early, it was Gautam, who brought the team together. We would say that Gautam and MS played an equal role in India’s triumph. Gautam should have got more credit for his knock,” remarked Venkat.
On the importance of Tendulkar, Bhave remarked: “Sachin’s knock [85] against Pakistan at Mohali was very important. Just being there was a huge morale-booster for the team. He was in good form and played some amazing knocks.”
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