Paddy Upton Reveals Why 2011 WC Semi-Final was 'non-negotiable'

An India-Pakistan clash is considered one of the most awaited and high-pressure encounters in world cricket. The fans and cricketers worldwide keep their eyeballs set on screens when the two nations lock horns against each other irrespective of the occasion.

One such event was the semi-final of the 2011 ODI World Cup between India and Pakistan. With a spot in the final at stake, both teams faced each other in a high-pressure game at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.

Meanwhile, India's former mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton revealed that the 2011 World Cup semi-final match against Pakistan was a "non-negotiable match" to win for MS Dhoni and Co. Upton further added that there was an added political pressure that everybody was aware of, but no one spoke of it. 

"There was an additional extraneous political pressure that nobody spoke about, but everybody was acutely aware that if India lost, Pakistan would go to Mumbai and stay at the same Taj Hotel that was a target of the terrorist attacks. So each of us knew the symbolism of that without saying it.

That was not ideal to allow Pakistan to win and stay at Taj; it didn't stack up on an energetic level. So, there was that additional pressure that this was a non-negotiable game to lose," Upton wrote in a column for Indian Express on the 11th anniversary of India's World Cup win. 

Speaking of the India-Pakistan rivalry, Upton said the players from both teams are well aware of each other, and there is no animosity, but the competition has more to do with the fans. 

"The fierce Indo-Pak rivalry is more about spectators; players themselves don't have that fierceness and animosity. They know each other fairly well and get along well. So Pakistan was always a very easy game for which to prepare the Indian team for as they didn't need any extra motivation," he added.

Team India, however, won the close game by 29 runs, courtesy of Sachin Tendulkar's 85-run innings. He was also adjudged player of the match for his crucial knock in the semi-final. Overall, he was the second-highest run-getter in the 2011 WC.

Speaking of Tendulkar's role in the World Cup, Upton said, "Sachin had played five World Cups. Not just immensely experienced, he was heads and shoulders above the team in terms of his accomplishments, but he was a team player. He didn't overly speak too much in team meetings, but when something needed to be said, he would say it – and when he did, which wasn't very often, it had gravitas, and players would listen. 

It was his last World Cup, and players knew the only thing he didn't have in his trophy cabinet was a World Cup. I see many players have committed to saying they want to win and gift him the World Cup. He knew that he had that support. Sachin wasn't waiting for other players to gift him that Cup; he knew his time would come to do his part in bringing it home. We saw that in the innings he played," Upton wrote.

After beating Pakistan in the semi-final, India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to lift their second World Cup trophy after 28 years.