Cricket World Cup History: Ranking the top five innings played by Indian batsmen in World Cup history 

#4 Gautam Gambhir - 97 vs Sri Lanka

Gautam Gambhir

Chasing a huge total of 275 in the final of the 2011 World Cup, India got off to a pretty bad start. Virender Sehwag got out on the second ball of the innings which brought Gautam Gambhir earlier on the crease than he would have hoped for.

The left-hander understood the situation and played the role of an anchor, pacing his innings to perfection and providing stability to the chase. He didn't panic even when Sri Lanka looked on top after getting wickets of both the openers quickly. Gambhir took his time on the crease and depended on singles and doubles instead of going for expansive shots.

Gambhir's stroke-play kept the scoreboard ticking, which brought India back in the game. The left-hander was unlucky to miss out on a century as he got out for 97. The Delhi opener failed to complete his century but he managed to put India on the cusp of victory in the World Cup final, which was eventually won by the Indians.