Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the toast of India today. He can write his own ticket. Despite being overcome by the heat, the Indian skipper shared a fourth wicket stand of 109 with Gautam Gambhir (97), and an unbroken 54 for the fifth with Yuvraj Singh (21*), to win the World Cup in Mumbai over Sri Lanka, by six wickets.
It’s only the third time in 10 World Cup finals the chasing team has won – a special night for India, ending a 28-year drought since Kapil Dev hoisted the trophy at Lords.
The chockers Wankhede Stadium went through two extremes.
The eerie silence when Virender Sehwag, and Sachin Tendular, were back in the shed for 31, chasing 275 – Sehwag trapped in front second ball of the innings for a duck, Tendulkar caught behind for 18 – both off the on-fire bowling of the “Slinga” Malinga.
From the eerie silence to the constant deafening roar once Dhoni joined the in-form Gambhir at 3-114 – 161 in arrears, with 146 deliveries remaining.
Still a big ask.
What makes a good captain? Making the tough decisions at the right time.
Dhoni’s had a very quiet tournament by his lofty standards, with 34 his top score against Ireland – while Yuvraj Singh has been virtually unstoppable with the bat, averaging 85. But with the World Cup on the line, Dhoni promoted himself above Yuvraj – and it proved a masterstroke.
The captain saved his best for the final, surviving a perilously close run out on 69, on his way to a title-clinching, and unbeaten, 91 – fittingly finishing with a huge six.
But it wasn’t Dhoni who was chaired by team-mates around the ground – that honour went to Sachin Tendulkar, playing in his last World Cup.
It was an anti-climax for Tendulkar fans, numbering billions.
The scene was set for India’s run-getting machine to crack his history-making 100th international century in the decider.
And what better stage than the final of the World Cup.
But the “Slinga” Malinga had other ideas, he came to poop the party.
He bowled the perfect ball that left Tendulkar, found the edge, and keeper Kumar Sangakarra snared a superb catch lowdown to his right, the maestro out for 18.
But that was the last hurrah for Sri Lanka, as the enormous depth in the Indian batting order regrouped.
The highlights:
* Sangakarra won the toss, eventually. In a first, match referee Jeff Crowe ordered a re-toss when he wasn’t clear who called what, the din in the stadium was so loud. Sangakarra made a patient 48 off 67 to set the launching pad.
* Mahela Jayawardena’s unbeaten 103 was superb off just 88, with 13 boundaries, to be there when Sri Lanka closed with 6-274.
* And the “Slinga” – who has made World Cups his personal playground, with an unprecedented four wickets in four balls – a double hat-trick – against South Africa, in the 2007 tournament.
* Gambhir’s 97 set the course for victory, his only loose shot in three hours cost him a deserved century.
* The thunderous applause to farewell Murali, who has hung up his boots after a stellar career – with a record 800 Test wickets at 22.72, and a record 534 ODI wickets at 23.08.
* And that left Mahendra Singh Dhoni on his road to glory – cometh the hour, cometh the man.
* Man of the Match – MS Dhoni, for his unbeaten 91 off just 79, with eight boundaries, and two sixes.
* Man of the Series – Yuvraj Singh, with four Man of the Match awards, 362 runs at 86.19, and 15 wickets at 25.13.
Fittingly, they were both at the crease when India clinched victory.
Bayman
Guest
B2, Well let's hope you don't have to wait as long for your next World Cup victory as you've waited since the first one. A satisfied tiger is a complacent tiger!
B2
Guest
They feed on success and nothing succeeds like success!
Bayman
Guest
B2, The older tigers may be more hungry - but that's because they can no longer catch enough food!
B2
Roar Rookie
Older Players? Indian players , even the older ones are years away from retirement! Beware , it is the older Tigers who are more hungry!!!!!!!
JVGO
Guest
It's good for Australian cricket to have top quality competition and have to fight its way back. This idea that we should always be no 1 is not historically accurate anyway. Other than the ponting/waugh eras it was only a few years in the 70's that Australia was really at the top, the Windies were mostly dominant. I don't see this Indian team as being exactly invincible anyway, not like the WIndies or Aussies have been, especially when its older players retire.
B2
Roar Rookie
At home Australia do pretty well!Or at least they used to!They do manage to get some extra..........!!!!!!
Jason Cave
Guest
And if Michael Clarke had enough problems on his mind already in his first days as captain of the Australian side. Because not only will Clarke has to deal with the troublesome scenario of having his former skipper playing in the same team (Ricky Ponting), but now his team will face the new champions of the ODI level, India, with players of the calibre of MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan about to make life difficult for both Clarke and the Australian side this coming summer.
Frankie Hughes
Guest
You're a bitter loser. We had our time and now it's India's time. The Wankhede is a stunning stadium. Mumbai is India's hub and therefore perfect for the final. With regards to neutral venues, I doubt Australia will be asking to play their games in NZ in 2015...
Vim
Guest
I'm not sure you are on the right site.
JVGO
Guest
I think he was saying it seemed a bit predictable having both the hosts in the final. They may have been the best teams and they both performed pretty professionally in the final but having an outsider or underdog in there makes it more interesting and gives you someone to back as a neutral. Your post B2 just makes it seems it's not really about the sporting contest but rather Indian Nationalism. Different things I'm afraid. Remember when India upset the Windies way back when, now that was special, even for neutrals..
B2
Roar Rookie
Oh Boy! You do Love The Men In Bleeding Blue! Not surprising! There is little else left! Not too many records to write home about and Poor Ponting the captanicy weighed so heavily on him that he had to relinquish it to keep scoring runs.The coffers are empty?
B2
Roar Rookie
Why is it that it is soooo difficult to digest that The Asian Tigers are ruling the roost!Australia are edgy even playing the least fancied of the Four Asian Tigers! As far predictions go , if you care to read some of the earlier articles , columns and comments and look at form it would not be difficult to predict who was going to be in and at what stage! Coming to financial clout it is a case of sour grapes.Imagine the BCCI can announce a cash award of 10 million Rupees to each of the team and 5 million each to it's support staff without blinking.They can do it because they planned and invested wisely over the years.Their deposits could be likened to a Fort Knox! It seems some countries are in such disarray that the feel their resurrection will go beyond 2015! Well Done Bangladesh! Well Done Pakistan! Well Done Sri Lanka! AND WELL DONE TEAM INDIA! THE BOYS IN BLEEDING BLUE WILL BLEED YOU TRUE!
dasilva
Guest
Seriously is there anything wrong with India hosting the home quarters and semi-finals I think that just fair enough considering they are getting the home advantage that every host nations gets. Because this time it is a cohost tournament there has to be a little bit of leeway in scheduling to ensure that the Sri Lankans and indians get to host their knockout game. FIFA did the same thing in 2002 where they design the schedule of the knockout stage to ensure that if Japan and Korea get to host the knockout stage at their own country and no one complain because what's the point of hosting a tournament (even if it just co hosting) if you don't get the home ground advantage. Really as far as I see. If there is multiple countries cohosting a major tournament. All of the hosting countries should play all their games in their home except for the final which is determine in advance and except when the cohost play each other (in that case one of the co-host have to lose their home ground advantage) If they didn't doctor the schedule to ensure india gets to host the knockout stage game that they are playing in, You can bet your life that the next world cup in Asia would be hosted solely by India and the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh would be excluded except for a few group stage games.
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
Hi VIm - it's not the neutral soil itself, it's neutral teams on supposedly neutral soil - the feeling that any one of the top 10 teams entered could be there on Cup Final day. Sure, the ICC isn't FIFA, but it's worth the expansion just so we see a few extra teams at the business end as I said. The fact Australia didn't make it was neither here nor there for me. Personally, even a NZL-SAF final or ENG-WIN, or NZL-PAK etc could have arguably been just as atmospheric. Just would have been nice to see someone else win the thing I guess...
Vim
Guest
Ben, the previous 3 finals were 'neutral soil' encounters. And I can't believe that any of the players felt that it was just any old match. Are you not being misled by the Aussies being absent into thinking that there was a lack of atmosphere? It's harder to find something atmospheric when you aren't strongly invested in one of the teams.
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
Sorry David - thought it was a strangely odd finale in the light of the Indian board admitting a week out from the tournament that they'd ensured India would get home quarter and semi-finals if they progressed, regardless of where they finished in the group stages. Watched some of it on Chanel Nine, and for some reason there was a distinct lack of occasion about it all - India v Sri Lanka for the umpteenth time in the last 2 years or whatever at a stadium that was hardly India's biggest. It looked like just another group game in a way. Cricket's exclusivity just tends to mean we'll keep having the usual suspects at the pointy end and be left without many neutral-soil encounters that truly celebrate the world-wide nature of the tournament. And this is coming from a cricket fan. As the CricInfo Page 2 comedy guys put it before the Final, the Indians would love to be awarded the Cup in 2015 before it even begins because everyone knows they are unmatched in world cricketing financial clout.
amak
Guest
Perfect finish to the World Cup with so many records broken and many firsts. And a wonderful tribute to the BEST CRICKETER EVER, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. And of course to M. Murali. Dhoni rocks (for now). Seriously!
Lolly
Guest
It was a very exciting match. A fitting final. Dhoni showed a very cool head under the type of pressure I can't imagine.
dunc
Guest
Dhoni is a rock star......but it was the so-called Test specialist, Gambhir, that set it up....welll done India...
sheek
Guest
David/Kersi, Probably th right result, if there is such a thing. The great Muralitharan won his world cup as a young 'un back in 1996. Now it's Tendulkar's turn. India found its form at the right time, which of course helps in these matters.....