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Kumar Sangakkara Recalls Controversial Toss at 2011 WC Final
By CricShotsStaff - May 29, 2020 2:08 pm
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The outbreak of the Corona Virus has halted all the sporting events. The cricketing calendar has suffered because of the same. With everyone stuck indoors, the cricketing fraternity has taken over the internet. Players coaches, pundits, everyone is has been proactive on social media to interact with their fans.  Kumar Sangakkara joined hands with Ravichandran Ashwin for an Instagram live session. During the interaction, the duo recalled the double coin toss that happened during the 2011 World Cup final.

Kumar Sangakkara and MS Dhoni
Kumar Sangakkara and MS Dhoni

Sangakkara mentions how the noise at Wankhede Stadium led to Dhoni not hear Sanga’s call. He also reveals how Dhoni asked for the coin to be flipped again. Sri Lanka won the toss and Sangakkara opted to bat.

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Kumar Sangakkara said, “It was a case of I think it was the crowd. Such things never happen in Sri Lanka. It only happens in India. Once at Eden Gardens, I couldn’t hear myself talk to the first slip. Then of course at the Wankhede. I remember calling on the toss. And then, Mahi wasn’t sure what I had called. He said ‘Did you call tails?’. I said ‘No, I called tails’.

He continued with,  “And then the match referee actually said I won the toss. Mahi actually said ‘no, no, no, he didn’t’ There was a little bit of confusion. Mahi said let’s have another toss of the coin. And that’s when the second one went about.”

Kumar Sangakkara nad MS Dhoni
Kumar Sangakkara nad MS Dhoni

Kumar Sangakkara looks back at the toss thinking how things could’ve turned out differently. The Sri-Lanka wicketkeeper share how India could have batted if they won the toss. The Lankan legend reveals how he wasn’t sure about the dew factor coming in.

Earlier in the World Cup, Sri Lanka played New Zealand at the Wankhede where the islander defended a total against the Kiwis. He also added how Angelo Matthew’s injury played a pivotal role in team selections that changed the whole dynamic.

“I am not sure whether it was luck that I won. Probably, if I had lost the toss, maybe India might have batted. We would have chased. Maybe Maybe. We weren’t really sure. If Angelo had been fit, I know we would have chased. I don’t know whether the result would have changed but absolutely (would have chosen to chase),” Sanga mentioned.

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“In that World Cup final, that’s the biggest thing I look back at is that we were forced to make that change was the real turning point in our strategy,” Sangakkara said.