Gautam Gambhir blames 'milestone obsession' for his 2011 WC final dismissal

India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir opened up about his innings in the final of the 2011 World Cup final. He also talked about the shot that he played on 97, saying that he was thinking about completing his ton.

One of the key architects behind the victory of the Indian Team in the 2011 World Cup final was Gambhir. The current India head coach of the team played a sensational innings that set the platform for MS Dhoni to finish the game for the team.

In the high-pressure chase, Gautam Gambhir came to bat when India lost Virender Sehwag, and after that, Sachin Tendulkar perished as well. The left-hander soaked in all the pressure and, along with young Virat Kohli, stitched the crucial partnership before taking on the onus to himself and attacking the bowlers.

Gambhir came, played a positive innings, and took the game away from the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team. The top-order batter came up with a vital effort and ended up getting 97 runs. He had a great opportunity to slam a century in the World Cup final but he only had himself to blame.

Gautam Gambhir came down the track against Thisara Perera and got his stumps rattled after missing an attempted shot through the off-side. That silenced the entire crowd at the Wankhede Stadium and also brought the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team back into the game.

Gautam Gambhir, while talking about the shot that he played on 97, said that he fumbled in the final. But before attempting that shot, he just thought that he needed to chase the target and help the team win the final. Speaking to Virat Kohli in a video shared by BCCI, he explained:

"I fumbled in the 2011 World Cup final, and when people asked about, did I have to play that shot? Why did I play that shot? The reason I played that shot was because before that shot I was thinking about what I needed to chase."

The disappointment was not missing out on 100 but the disappointment was on giving the opposition a breather - Gautam Gambhir

While further talking about his dismissal, Gautam Gambhir said that when he was 97, the thought of getting a ton came into his mind, along with that he would be the first Indian to score a century in the final. He added that he was disappointed after he got out, but it was not for missing the ton but for bringing back the opposition in the game. He elaborated:

“The moment I reached 97 then I started thinking you are just one shot away from getting your milestone, how am I going to celebrate I am going to be the first Indian to score a hundred in the final.

“The disappointment was not missing out on 100 but the disappointment was on giving the opposition a breather. Imagine bringing the opposition back into the game."

Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli will be next seen in action when India will take on Bangladesh in the two-match Test series.