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After winning the World Cup after 28 years in front of 90,000 people at Wankhede Stadium, India went to the shores of Australia as the defending Champions.
Led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India picked the squad which had combination of experience and youth. The high point of India was maintaining that unbeaten streak during the group games.
Squad for the ICC World Cup
With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli, huge expectation was expected from India’s top order. In the middle, Suresh Raina was accompanied by Ajinkya Rahane. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were the spinners and the pace attack comprised Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneswar Kumar, Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav.
World Cup Journey
India’s World Cup 2015 campaign began with the highly anticipated clash Against Pakistan. Opting to bat first in Adelaide, India posted a strong target of 299 runs on the board with Virat Kohli (107), Shikhar Dhawan (73) and Suresh Raina (76) making significant impact in the 1st innings.
In reply, Indian bowlers provided crucial breakthroughs which did not allow the opposition to stitch partnerships which led India win by 76 runs.
In the second fixture against South Africa, India’s batting shine as they posted a target of 307 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Shikhar Dhawan (137), Virat Kohli (46) and Ajinkya Rahane (79) played impactful knocks to give India early advantage against South Africa.
In reply, South Africa did not start well with the bat as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals as India applied pressure on one end. At the end, India won the match by 130 runs.
In the next two games against West Indies and UAE, Indian bowlers did the early damage which ensured India won those games comfortably at the WACA stadium, Perth.
In the next match against Ireland, India was given a target of 260 runs to chase, and the India openers Shikhar Dhawan (100) and Rohit Sharma (64) made sure they win the match convincingly by 6 wickets in Hamilton.
In their last match group clash, Zimbabwe posted a competitive total of 287 runs with Brendon Taylor scoring 137 runs. In reply, India was in early trouble losing 4 wickets at the score of 90.
With the partnership of 196 runs between Suresh Raina (110) and MS Dhoni (85) made sure India won the match by 4 wickets in Auckland.
India completed their group games unbeaten, as they took Bangladesh in the Quarter-finals of World Cup 2015.
India was asked to bat first and Rohit Sharma’s 137 propelled India towards a strong total of 300 runs. Suresh Raina also provided him much support with 74 runs.
In the 2nd innings, Bangladesh never got going in the chase after losing wickets in cluster. India registered a clinical win by 109 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to seal their spot in the semi-finals of ICC World Cup 2015.
In the semifinal, India faced Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground. After opting to bat, the Aussies posted a huge score of 327 runs where Aaron Finch (81) resistance and Steve Smith’s classy knock of 105 deflated the Indian bowlers who had no answers.
In reply, barring MS Dhoni (65), Indian batsmen failed to live up to the expectations and the Team's World Cup 2015 journey came to an end as they lost the match by 95 runs.
India's participation in the 2015 ICC World Cup was an emotional rollercoaster with highs and lows. The team showed great talent and tenacity under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's shrewd direction. Indian players displayed their talent and passion for the game throughout the group rounds and knockout games.
Despite not achieving their ultimate objective which was lifting the World Cup, India's campaign demonstrated their strength and tenacity. The 2015 World Cup journey will forever be etched in the memories of fans, reminding us of the unpredictable nature of cricket and the indomitable spirit of Team India.
