Paddy Upton recalls MS Dhoni - Gary Kirsten partnership that won India World Cup in 2011

Today is the 10th anniversary of India’s memorable World Cup win in 2011 and the team’s then strength and conditioning coach Paddy Upton still has fond memories of how things unfolded on the night of April 2, at the Wankhede Stadium.

Upton recalls that Dhoni, who has had the habit of sitting inside the air-conditioned dressing room and not in front of it, knocked the glass separating him and the coach Gary Kirsten. It was a sign language conversion between the ‘leaders of the team who were on the same page’ as Kirsten nodded in his agreement for Dhoni’s decision to bat ahead of Yuvraj Singh.

Upton recalls his own feeling and intuitions when Dhoni was walking downstairs to bat at the number four position. In a column written for The Indian Express, Upton revealed how he had asked Gary Kirsten if he has any sense of what was to come at the end of the game.

“Gary didn’t have to stand up and have a conversation with Dhoni to discuss the merits and demerits of the move. It was just the two leaders of the team being on the same page. The knock on the glass, him pointing to himself, Gary’s nod… and it was done. I do remember very clearly when Dhoni walked down the stairs, I turned to Gary and said “Do you realise Dhoni is going there to fetch us the World Cup?” I had absolute conviction that Dhoni would come back with the trophy,” Upton wrote in his column.