When Team India ended their 28-year World Cup drought

Dubai - Dhoni sealed the deal with a majestic a six over long on to spark wild celebrations in a country of 1.3 billion cricket-mad people

India passed the acid test on April 2, 2011, when they won their second ICC Cricket World Cup after 28 years when they beat Sri Lanka by six wickets at a packed Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Going into the tournament as one of the top favourites, the pressure on India was huge as they were playing at home. After all, India were up against history as no home team had won a World Cup title in the past -- even though Sri Lanka did win the 1996 tournament in Lahore as the co-hosts.
And secondly, after the first round exist at the 2007 World Cup, MS Dhoni and his boys were under the pump as the expectations from the Indian fans were too high on home soil.
India did well in the group stages, though, losing just one match with their top-order firing in almost all games. But they faced the three-time defending champions Australia in the quarterfinals.
Chasing 262 for victory in Ahmedabad after Ricky Ponting's fine hundred (104) for Australia, India were in big trouble when they lost their fifth wicket at 187 in the 38th over.
Despite the rising asking rate, Yuvraj Singh (57 not out) produced one of his finest match-winning knocks to guide India to the semifinals.
India then faced Pakistan in the semifinals in Mohali and kept their record of not losing to their bitter rivals in a World Cup game.
But in the final, the classy Mahela Jayawardene (103 not out, 88 balls, 13 fours) scored one of the greatest hundreds seen in a World Cup title clash to help Sri Lanka post a challenging total of 274/6.
In reply, India lost the talismanic Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag early, but Gautam Gambhir (97) and Virat Kohli (35) steadied the ship.
Then skipper Dhoni walked in ahead of Yuvraj with India still needing 160 runs to win. Dhoni, who had a quite World Cup till then, battled like a man possessed as he masterly handled Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka's greatest bowling weapons, to guide India to their first World Cup win since 1983.
Dhoni sealed the deal with a majestic a six over long on to spark wild celebrations in a country of 1.3 billion cricket-mad people.
The emotions ran high after Dhoni hit that magical six as the whole team was in tears and some of the players even carried Tendulkar for a victory lap.
I was staying at the iconic Taj Hotel -- just 15-minute drive from the Wankhede -- where the players were also staying and it took me three hours to reach the hotel. But it was worth every minute as the World Cup came home after 28 long years!