And Mane, who was with Team India from 2005 to 2015, recalled the euphoria in the dressing room after Dhoni’s spectacular tournament-winning six as though it happened just yesterday.
Team India masseur Ramesh Mane
Considering batting icon Sachin Tendulkar needed six World Cups to fulfil his dream, former India team masseur Ramesh Mane, 68, considers himself lucky to be part of India’s 2011 triumph in only his second World Cup. A Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Indian side beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final at the Wankhede Stadium exactly 10 summers ago, on April 2, 2011.
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And Mane, who was with Team India from 2005 to 2015, recalled the euphoria in the dressing room after Dhoni’s spectacular tournament-winning six as though it happened just yesterday.
Tears of joy
“When Dhoni hit that six, the entire dressing room erupted with joy. Everyone was hugging each other and even crying at the same time as we had achieved our dream. It’s the first time I saw so many grown-up men all crying at the same time as there was an explosion of emotions,” Mane told mid-day.
“Though it was everyone’s dream to win the World Cup, Sachin had been chasing it for so long and every team member wanted to win it for him. That’s the reason the players and support staff had a victory lap with Sachin holding the tri-colour on his home ground.
“It was a very emotional moment, something that I will cherish till my last breath. Even as I speak right now, I’m getting goosebumps,” recalled Mane, who introduced music therapy alongside his massages and ensured the players listened to Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi’s patriotic and motivational songs in the dressing room at all times. The final was a see-saw battle and Mane said that the dressing room was most tense after India lost openers—Virender Sehwag (0) and Tendulkar (18)—by the seventh over, chasing 275 for victory.
Pin-drop silence
“Sehwag’s dismissal off the very second ball was stunning. And when Sachin got out early too, there was pin-drop silence in the dressing room. No one uttered a word for the next 30 minutes,” said Mane, who then sought some divine intervention.
“I started playing the Hanuman Chalisa [a Hindu motivational prayer] from my I-pod but at low volume. Everyone was praying silently and hoping that someone stays at the wicket. Thankfully, [Gautam] Gambhir [97 runs in 122 balls] and Dhoni [unbeaten 91] did that. This title was achieved because of the prayers of our millions of cricket lovers and the hard work of our players, who never gave up even in tense situations,” Mane concluded.
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