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Saturday, April 2, 2011

India power past Sri Lanka to Cricket World Cup triumph,India vs Sri Lanka: Dhoni steers India to an emphatic win in World Cup final

India vs Sri Lanka: Dhoni steers India to an emphatic win in World Cup final

While chasing Sri Lanka's score of 274, India lost Gambhir for 97 as the left-hander missed a ton in the final at Wankhede stadium. After the fall of Kohli's wicket, Gambhir and Dhoni steady the Indian run-chase against Sri Lanka in the World Cup final. India lost the 2nd wicket at the score of 32 in form of Sachin Tendulkar. Earlier Virendra Sehwag got out without opening his account. 

Ind: 277/4 (48.2 Ovs)
SL: 274/6 (50.0 Ovs)
India won by 6 wkts
ICC World Cup 2011
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
April 2, 2011
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat
Batsmen
 
R
B
4s
6s
SR
 
lbw b L Malinga
0
2
0
0
0.00
 
c K Sangakkara b L Malinga
18
14
2
0
128.57
 
b T Perera
97
122
9
0
79.51
 
c & b T Dilshan
35
49
4
0
71.43
 
MS Dhoni (c & wk)
not out
91
79
8
2
115.19
 
not out
21
24
2
0
87.50
Extras:
(b 1, lb 6, w 8)
15
 
 
 
Total:
(4 wkts, 48.2 ovs)
277
 
RR:
5.73
Did not bat: Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, S Sreesanth
Bowling: SL
O
M
R
W
Nb
Wd
ER
9
0
42
2
0
2
4.7
8.2
0
64
0
0
0
7.7
9
0
55
1
0
2
6.1
9
0
43
0
0
0
4.8
5
0
27
1
0
1
5.4
8
0
39
0
0
1
4.9
 
  Fall Of Wickets

Mahela Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 103 as Sri Lanka set India a 275-run target in the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium here Saturday. ( Click here for full coverage of India-Sri Lanka World Cup final ) 

Jayawardene hit 13 fours in his 87-ball knock while Kumar Sangakkara made 48. 

Nuwan Kulasekara chipped in with 32 and Thisara Perrera smashed 22 off nine balls towards the end. Sri Lanka ended with 274 for the loss of six wickets. 

Zaheer Khan (2-60), whose first three overs were maidens, was at the receiving end of Perrera's onslaught and conceded 18 runs in the last over. 

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today crossed the 6,000-run mark in ODI cricket during the World Cup summit clash against Sri Lanka here while teammate Gautam Gambhir also took his tally past 4,000. 

Dhoni needed 42 runs to reach the mark before today's match and he reached the milestone with a double of Lasith Malinga in his 186th ODI. 

He is now the seventh Indian batsman to have crossed the 6,000-run mark after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Mohd. Azharuddin, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag. 

Dhoni, who made his ODI debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh in Chittagong, had an average of 48.04 before today's match with seven hundreds and 37 fifties. His highest score is 183 not out. 

Gambhir needed 24 to reach 4,000-run mark before today's match and he reached the milestone with a boundary off Nuwan Kulasekara in his 114th ODI. He had an average of 40.16 before today's match with nine centuries and 24 fifties to his credit.

Yuvraj Singh took two wickets for 49 runs.



India power past Sri Lanka to Cricket World Cup triumph

BBC Sport - Sam Sheringham - ‎38 minutes ago‎
India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in a pulsating final to deliver World Cup glory to their cricket-mad population for the first time since 1983. Sri Lanka smashed 91 from their last 10 overs to post 274-6 in Mumbai, ...

India beat Sri Lanka to win ICC World Cup 2011

Times of India - ‎44 minutes ago‎
NEW DELHI: MS Dhoni (91 not out) and Gautam Gambhir (97) helped India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to win the ICC World Cup 2011 at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. Dhoni joined legendary Kapil Dev to lift the coveted trophy for India. ...

Is Dhoni the best ever captain?

Zee News - ‎33 minutes ago‎
India played superbly throughout the entire 2011 Cricket World Cup to win the coveted trophy after 28 long years. Indian skipper MS Dhoni, who led the team from the front in the final against Sri Lanka, is now the only captain who has achieved ...

Dhoni leads India to World Cup glory

NDTV.com - ‎28 minutes ago‎
Mumbai: Twenty-eight years on from the match that transformed the history of world cricket, India recaptured the crown that Kapil Dev and his men first lifted at Lord's in 1983, and this time they did in their very own back yard. ...

Murali bids farewell to international cricket

Hindustan Times - ‎12 minutes ago‎
PTI One of the finest and at the same time controversial spinners of all time, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan today bowed out of international cricket as highest wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs though he failed to make any impact in his swansong ...

Youths cheer on India at malls

Times of India - ‎13 minutes ago‎
MANGALORE: "We want cricket!" a bubbly group of young students, who gathered at Empire Mall in the city shouted when the security guards switched off the TV sets, which was showing the live telecast of the India Sri Lanka World Cup Cricket match final ...

Statistical Highlights: India vs. Sri Lanka, Final

NDTV.com - Rajesh Kumar - ‎46 minutes ago‎
# The top six run-getters in the 2011 edition of the World Cup are - Tillakaratne Dilshan (500), Sachin Tendulkar (482), Kumar Sangakkara (465), Jonathan Trott (422), Upul Tharangta (395) and Virender Sehwag (380). # Sreesanth's economy rate in the ...

History-defying India lift Cricket World Cup

Sydney Morning Herald - Kuldip Lal - ‎10 minutes ago‎
Gautam Gambhir made 97 and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 91 off 79 balls as India won the World Cup for the first time since 1983 with a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday. Sri Lanka, who won the toss and elected to bat in ...

India on top of the world

SkySports - ‎35 minutes ago‎
Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni guided India to World Cup glory on home soil, chasing down a target of 275 under floodlights in Mumbai for a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had appeared in excellent shape after Mahela Jayawardene's 103 ...

India vs Sri Lanka: Dhoni steers India to an emphatic win in World Cup final

Economic Times - ‎31 minutes ago‎
MUMBAI: While chasing Sri Lanka's score of 274, India lost Gambhir for 97 as the left-hander missed a ton in the final at Wankhede stadium. After the fall of Kohli's wicket, Gambhir and Dhoni steady the Indian run-chase against Sri Lanka in the World ...

Timeline of articles

Timeline of articles
Number of sources covering this story
India power past Sri Lanka to Cricket World Cup triumph
‎38 minutes ago‎ - BBC Sport
A World Cup final exam
‎11 hours ago‎ - NDTV.com
India best team on display: Sourav
‎11 hours ago‎ - Hindustan Times
All eyes on Mumbai as India, Sri Lanka clash today
‎18 hours ago‎ - The Hindu
World Cup final: A battle of styles
‎22 hours ago‎ - Daily News & Analysis
Tendulkar heads for his final net ahead of the Saturday's World Cup final
‎Apr 1, 2011‎ - BBC Sport
Ind vs SL: India chase World Cup history but Sri Lanka in the way
‎Apr 1, 2011‎ - Times of India
Jonathan Agnew on the Cricket World Cup final
‎Mar 31, 2011‎ - BBC Sport
Sri Lanka prepares for Cup final
‎Mar 31, 2011‎ - BBC Sport

Images

SuperSport.com
SkySports
Indian Express
SkySports
Daily Mail
AFP
AFP
The Canadian Pr...

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 / News

India v Sri Lanka, World Cup 2011, final, Mumbai

Dhoni and Gambhir lead India to World Cup glory

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller

April 2, 2011

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India 277 for 4 (Gambhir 97, Dhoni 91*) beat Sri Lanka 274 for 6 (Jayawardene 103*, Sangakkara 48) by six wickets 
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

MS Dhoni slaps one through the off side, India v Sri Lanka, final, World Cup 2011, Mumbai, April 2, 2011
MS Dhoni played a masterful captain's innings to steer his side to World Cup success © Associated Press
Enlarge

Twenty-eight years on from the match that transformed the history of world cricket, India recaptured the crown that Kapil Dev and his men first lifted at Lord's in 1983, and this time they did in their very own back yard. An iron-willed 97 from Gautam Gambhir was matched for intensity by the finest captain's innings since Ricky Ponting at Johannesburg eight years ago, as Mahendra Singh Dhoni trumped a poetic century from Mahela Jayawardene to pull off the highest run-chase ever achieved in a World Cup final.

Against a triumphant backdrop at the Wankhede Stadium, victory was sealed by six wickets with 10 balls to spare, as Dhoni - who had promoted himself to No. 5 to heap extra lashings of responsibility onto his own shoulders - rushed through the gears as the victory target drew nearer. With 15 required from 17 balls, he flicked Sri Lanka's only true threat, Lasith Malinga, through midwicket for consecutive boundaries, before smoking Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on to spark the most delirious scenes of celebration ever seen on the subcontinent.

However, the final margin did little justice to the tussle that had preceded it. Even the toss ended up being disputed, as Kumar Sangakkara's initial call was drowned out by the crowd, but it was the ebb and flow of Zaheer Khan's day that epitomised the fluctuations of a compelling contest. Zaheer opened his account with three consecutive maidens and the scalp of Upul Tharanga in a peerless spell of 5-3-6-1, only to be clobbered for 17 and 18 runs in his ninth and tenth overs respectively, as Sri Lanka monstered 63 runs in the batting Powerplay to post an imposing 274 for 6.

And India's day got much worse before the team's fortunes began to inch upwards. Virender Sehwag had hit a boundary from the first ball of six of India's previous eight innings in the tournament, but this time Malinga's slingers dealt him a second-ball duck, as he skidded a full delivery into his back pad. And then Sachin Tendulkar, for whom the script had seemingly been written, was drawn into a loose drive by a fast Malinga outswinger, having set the stadium on standby for instant history with 18 sumptuously accumulated runs from his first 12 deliveries.

At 31 for 2 in the seventh over, India were struggling to keep their toehold in the contest, and it was all too much for a faithless few in the crowd who turned their backs and set off for home. But Gambhir and Virat Kohli epitomise a generation that does not easily accept defeat, and their third-wicket stand of 83 laid the foundations for an epic turnaround. The prospect of a seam-friendly surface, allied to the grievous loss of Angelo Mathews to a thigh strain, had tempted Sri Lanka into four key changes to the team that had triumphed over New Zealand in Colombo, and with Muttiah Muralitharan lacking bite in the final wicketless appearance of his 19-year career, Malinga alone could not carry the day.

The hard-hitting of Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera had been instrumental in hoisting Sri Lanka's total to such heights, but in their primary role as front-line seamers they lacked menace and were all too easy to squeeze as 119 runs came from their combined allocation of 17.2 overs. The newcomer to the squad, Suraj Randiv, caused a moment of alarm with his high-kicking offspin when Gambhir, on 30, was dropped by a diving Kulasekara at long-off, but as the innings progressed, his lack of guile proved costly. The decision to omit both Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath, whose combined efforts had been so effective against England and New Zealand, is one that will haunt Sri Lanka for years to come.

But this was a victory that still had to be grasped, and India found the men who were willing to do so. The 22-year-old Kohli, who was greeted with a stern word of encouragement as he replaced the outgoing Tendulkar, showed all the mettle for the big occasion as he eased along to 35 from 49 balls before falling to an outstanding return catch by Tillakaratne Dilshan, who dived full-length across the crease to intercept a lofted drive. But it was Gambhir and Dhoni to whom the ultimate duty fell. Their 109-run stand was the highest by an Indian pairing in three World Cup final appearances, and even when Gambhir gave away the chance for an unforgettable century with a tired charge and slash at Perera, the result was no longer in doubt.

Gambhir struck nine fours in a 122-ball statement of indomitability, and both he and Dhoni required treatment for stiff backs as the sapping Mumbai heat took its toll. Dhoni at one stage looked so immobile that a precautionary retirement seemed the only logical response, but after some harsh work from the physio he resumed his stance and responded with another trademark filleting of the extra cover boundary, an area in which he scored six of his eight fours - three of which helped to blunt Murali's attacking instincts.

More to follow.

25 overs India 124 for 3 (Gambhir 60*, Dhoni 2*) need another 151 to beat Sri Lanka 274 for 6 (Jayawardene 103*, Sangakkara 48) 

Gautam Gambhir crunches one through the off side, India v Sri Lanka, final, World Cup 2011, Mumbai, April 2, 2011
Gautam Gambhir was holding India's fortunes in the final© AFP
Enlarge

Lasith Malinga stunned India with two early wickets, including the one that thwarted Sachin Tendulkar's bid for his 100th international century, but Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli responded with a doughty third-wicket stand of 83 to keep their team's hopes very much alive in the World Cup final at Mumbai. However, when Kohli was brilliantly caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan for 35, India were 124 for 3 after 25 overs, needing another 151 to secure the crown for the first time in 28 years.

Following a blistering finale to the Sri Lankan innings, in which 63 runs were smacked in five Powerplay overs, the onus fell on Virender Sehwag to respond with a volley of his own. But, having hit a boundary from the first ball of six of India's previous eight innings in the tournament, he was denied by Malinga at the seventh time of asking, and then worse was to follow one ball later. Trapped on the back foot by Malinga's skiddy round-arm style, he was pinned in front of middle and leg, and not even a review could save him from a second-ball duck.

The Wankhede Stadium was stunned into an eery silence, but as Mahela Jayawardene had proved for Sri Lanka, this is a surface that rewards finesse as much as brutality. To that end, Tendulkar started with an ominous intent, as he responded to a crushing weight of expectation with 18 runs from his first 12 balls, including two wonderful boundaries in three balls - a straight-driven four as Nuwan Kulasekera overpitched, followed by a crashing cut as he dropped too short and wide.

Malinga, however, was never less than menacing, and having hurried Tendulkar with a lifter outside off, he lured him into a loose drive to a full-length outswinger that grazed the edge to be snaffled by Kumar Sangakkara. His personal dream was over, and with it went the hopes of a faithless minority in the crowd, who turned to leave as soon as their hero was gone. But Gambhir and Kohli were in no mood to surrender, and slowly but surely they rebuilt the prospects of their team.

Thisara Perera and Nuwan Kulasekera played vital roles with the bat, but in their primary role as front-line seamers they lacked the menace of Malinga and were easily squeezed for 65 runs in their combined allocation of 10 overs. It took the introduction of the newcomer to the squad, Suraj Randiv, to unsettle the Indian accumulation, as his high-kicking offspin prompted a loose drive from Gambhir on 30, who was dropped by a diving Kulasekera at long-off.

In the final match of his career, Muttiah Muralitharan was held back until the 19th over, and though he started with a long-hop that was cut straight to point, he might have made the breakthrough from his second ball, as Gambhir galloped back for a second run to third man only for Sangakkara to fumble the shy as it bounced awkwardly in front of him.

But the breakthrough finally came from the third spinner in Sri Lanka's armoury. Dilshan's second over included a beautifully placed cut for four from Kohli, but one ball later he was on his way, superbly caught in the fingertips as Dilshan dived full-stretch across the crease to intercept a lofted drive. It left Gambhir, whose 56-ball half-century was an excellent controlled performance, and MS Dhoni with a massive responsibility on their shoulders, against an asking rate that was approaching six an over.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo

RSS Feeds: Andrew Miller

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

India power past Sri Lanka to Cricket World Cup triumph

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai: India 277-4 beat Sri Lanka 274-6 by four wickets

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/9444277.stm
Match scorecard

Sachin Tendulkar
India legend Sachin Tendulkar savours his first World Cup triumph

By Sam Sheringham

India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in a pulsating final to deliver World Cup glory to their cricket-mad population for the first time since 1983.

Sri Lanka smashed 91 from their last 10 overs to post 274-6 in Mumbai, with Mahela Jayawardene making a superb 103.

India lost Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early on but Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Dhoni rebuilt the innings.

Gambhir was out for 97, but captain Dhoni's brilliant unbeaten 91 led India to a famous win with 10 balls to spare.

The skipper, struggling for form throughout the tournament, played the innings of his life and sealed the victory with a phenomenal straight six that sailed high into the stands, providing the catalyst for euphoric celebrations in the Wankhede Stadium.

Tendulkar's early dismissal for 18 ensured there was to be no fairytale 100th international century for Mumbai's favourite son.

But wonderful innings from Gambhir and Dhoni ensured the "Little Master" can finally get his hands on the sport's ultimate prize at the sixth attempt as India became the first host nation to win the tournament.

Meanwhile, it was a sad end to the incredible career of Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who failed to take a wicket in his last international match, while Jayawardene became the first player to score a hundred in the final and finish on the losing side.

Chasing a total 46 runs higher than the previous best under lights at the venue, prolific openers Sehwag and Tendulkar stepped out to a cacophony of noise.

Mahela Jayawardene
Jayawardene's masterly hundred was his third in World Cups

But it only took two balls for the mood inside the stadium to be transformed as Sehwag failed to get his bat on a full straight delivery from Lasith Malinga and was trapped in front of his stumps.

Tendulkar, seemingly carrying the hopes of a billion Indians on his shoulders, soon had the crowd in a frenzy with two sumptuous boundaries off Nuwan Kulasekara, but hopes of a fairytale 100th international century in his home city were to be sadly dashed.

Kumar Sangakkara's decision to give Malinga a fourth over with the new ball proved a masterstroke as the paceman tempted Tendulkar into a swipe outside off stump and a thick edge was taken low by the captain himself behind the stumps.

While Malinga wheeled away in celebration with his team-mates in pursuit, a stunned silence fell over the Wankhede.

Gambhir and Virat Kohli would have been forgiven for going into their shell but the duo remained positive in seeing India to 105-2 off 20 overs.

Their partnership had reached 83 when Kohli got a leading edge to a Tillakaratne Dilshan delivery and was brilliantly caught one-handed by the bowler for 35.

Dhoni, whose previous highest score at the tournament was 34, took the brave decision to promote himself up the batting order above Yuvraj Singh and after a watchful start he started to find his range on his favoured off side.

The right-hander's partnership with the left-handed Gambhir kept the Sri Lanka bowlers guessing and gradually the duo chipped away at the total.

Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Dhoni
The 109 stand between Gambhir and Dhoni was fundamental to India's victory

After taking the score past 200, Dhoni required treatment for a side strain but the skipper did not lose any focus as he leant back and chopped Muralitharan through the off side for four.

Without ever batting with the fluency of Jayawardene, Gambhir worked his way to within three of a famous hundred before he was clean bowled by Thisara Perera to give Sri Lanka hope.

With the score on 241-4, Sri Lanka thought they had run out Dhoni when Chamara Kapugadera's throw hit the stumps but with replays inconclusive, the India skipper was reprieved.

After 46 overs, Sangakkara made the surprise decision to throw the ball to Kulasekara instead of the clearly disgruntled Muralitharan and the tactic back-fired as India helped themselves to 11 runs.

The same number followed from Malinga's next over to put India on the brink of victory, before Yuvraj Singh took a single to give Dhoni the strike with four more runs needed.

The wicketkeeper-batsman's stunning final blow provided a fitting end to a memorable final.

Earlier, the coin toss was shrouded in confusion as the noise of the crowd rendered Sangakkara's call inaudible to match referee Jeff Crowe. He ordered a re-toss, which was won by the Sri Lanka captain, who opted to bat to the obvious frustration of his opposite number Dhoni.

When the action began, India settled the faster with seamer Zaheer Khan getting straight into rhythm.

Suffocating Upul Tharanga with a tight off stump line, he bowled three consecutive maidens before having the batsman caught at slip for two off a perfect outswinger.

Dilshan took his tournament run haul to exactly 500 before he was dismissed by Harbhajan Singh in the spinner's second over. The batsman attempted a sweep but the ball struck his arm and thigh pad before rebounding agonisingly on to his stumps.

Veteran pair Sangakkara and Jayawardene rebuilt the innings with a partnership of 62 as Sri Lanka reached 122-2 in the 28th over.

But their stand was broken by Yuvraj as Sangakkara - two short of his half-century - attempted a square cut to a shorter ball and got a faint edge through to Dhoni.

Jayawardene, who reached fifty from 49 balls, produced an innings of impeccable touch and timing, scoring heavily in the third man area and keeping his score moving at a run a ball to drag his team towards a competitive total.

With Sreesanth leaking runs, Dhoni was forced to use part-time bowlers Tendulkar and Kohli before recalling Zaheer to the attack.

But it was the irrepressible Yuvraj who struck the next blow. Thilan Samaraweera got too far across his stumps attempting to sweep and was struck on the thigh. Simon Taufel's not out decision was overturned on review, with replays showing the ball would have struck middle stump.

Zaheer could not be kept out of the limelight for long and a superb slower ball totally deceived Chamara Kapugadera, who could only prod the ball tamely to Suresh Raina at mid-off.

At 183-5 going into the last 10 overs, India were well on top but with Jayawardene still at the crease there was every chance of Sri Lanka posting a competitive total.

With Kulasekara (32 off 30 balls) scoring quickly at the other end, the former skipper began to take calculated risks, accelerating through the 80s and 90s and bringing up his hundred off 84 balls during the batting powerplay with consecutive boundaries off Zaheer.

Kulasekara's run out brought Perera to the crease with two overs remaining, and the all-rounder did exactly what was needed, swinging from the hip to smash 22 off nine deliveries, including 16 off the last four balls of the innings.

But although the late flurry propelled Sri Lanka to a competitive total, Gambhir and Dhoni ensured it was India who joined Australia and the West Indies as the only sides to win the World Cup more than once.

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FROM OTHER SPORT SITES
Daily Star Tendulkar falls early in Mumbai - 33 mins ago
Times of India World Cup final: Perera strikes, Gambhir misses ton - 37 mins ago
The Times Of India Ind vs SL: Perera strikes, Gambhir misses ton - 1 hr ago
Gulf News India, Sri Lanka battle for World Cup crown - 1 hr ago
Sporting Life SACHIN OUT CHEAPLY AS INDIA CHASE 275 - 2 hrs ago

India are World Champions

Mumbai:  Twenty-eight years after Kapil's Devils brought the cup home, another generation - Dhoni's Daredevils - have done it again. Yuvraj Singh has been selected as the Player of the Tournament, while MS Dhoni has won Man of the Match.

This innings began with heartbreak. Much drama later it has ended with tears of joy. MS Dhoni played a Captain's knock just when all of India needed one from him. India's arguably most successful Captain ever has brought in another prize.

MS Dhoni has completed 6000 runs in one day internationals. Indubitably, he would count the runs he has scored today as some of the most important of those. He walked in with India in a pressure situation, with all of India demanding a captain's knock, and acutely aware that he had not performed at all with the bat in the World Cup 2011.

Along with partner Gautam Gambhir, the skipper kept the score ticking after the departure of Virat Kohli, brilliantly caught and bowled by Tillakaratne Dilshan for 35 when India were 114. But, there was heartbreak when Gambhir departed for 97, a mature knock that came when needed most. He was bowled by Thisara Perera and India were 223 for 4. Yuvraj Singh, who has scripted several India wins in this tournament, is out to bat.   

Kohli's was the third Indian wicket to fall and Dhoni came in to bat ahead of Yuvraj Singh keeping a right-left batting combination going, put his head down to play responsibly with left-handed Gambhir, who got his fourth 50 of the tournament. 

The two have took India's score across the 200 mark and not only managed to keep adding to the score with some great shots, but also put the Lankan fielders to test, forcing them to make mistakes and allow the extra run. 

Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara has constantly experimented with changes in bowling, but even the mighty Muttiah Muralitharan, playing his last international match and fairly economical, has failed to make a dent.  

The India innings began with a deafening silence. And if the roaring stadium went quiet when Virender Sehwag fell LBW second ball to Lasith Malinga, it was fairly funereal when local boy Sachin Tendulkar was out after scoring an exquisite 18 runs. Sachin edged one to skipper-wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara. Strike two for Lasith Malinga.

Every eye was on the board that asked for 275 to win. In the stands, the drooping shoulders of the legendary Rajinikanth said it all. Or then, the sad slump of Nita Ambani.

Then, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, stitched together a partnership of runs, with Gambhir completing his 50 in a pressure situation. He got a lifeline at 30 when Nuwan Kulasekara failed to reach the ball at long off. Incidentally, the 100th dropped catch of the tournament. He also survived a run out scare. Gambhir has also now completed 4000 runs in ODIs.  

1st Innings

The Lanka batsmen built their innings steadily and with precision to finish at 274 for 6. The slog overs brought a flawless century from Mahela Jayawardena, and some fireworks from Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera. They also brought a spot of drama when Kulasekara was left stranded mid-field and a direct hit from skipper Dhoni brought the bails off. Scoring a six off the last ball of their innings, Lanka set a target that seems challenging from here.  

It doesn't get bigger than this. Thirty-seven-year-old champion batsman and local boy Sachin Tendulkar ran full steam and flung himself to the ground to stop a ball from crossing the tape. The crowd roared. Watching from the stands among a host of celebs is the legendary Rajinikanth. 
 
Zaheer Khan began his first spell with an inspired three maidens and gave away just six runs in five overs. Those stellar figures, however, were negated in his last five overs when he was hit for 54 runs. Zaheer Khan picked up two Lankan wickets as did Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh took one. With the wicket of Chamara Kapugedera, Zaheer took his 21st wicket in the tournament to become the joint highest wicket-taker along with Shahid Afridi.
 
India had got an early breakthrough breaking up the tournament's most successful opening pair when a seventh-over Zaheer Khan delivery found the outside edge of Upul Tharanga's bat. Virender Sehwag completed a diving catch at the first slip. (Read: Superb Zaheer buries the ghost of 4 years ago) Wickets came at regular intervals thereafter, but Mahela Jayawardane held on, scripting a good Lankan score. 

Double toss and Celeb Watching
 
The final toss of the 2011 World Cup was won by Sri Lanka and Sangakkara opted to bat first. The toss had to be done twice as Indian skipper MS Dhoni's call could not be heard because of the noise at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. (Read: Coin tossed twice in final)
 
Some more goosebump moments as the Men in Blue, a packed stadium and an entire nation in homes and restaurants and even outside shops stood as a man and sang the national anthem. Among a host of celebrities at the stadium - Nita Ambani and Aamir Khan standing side by side along with spouse Kiran Rao and Mukesh Ambani, BJP patriarch LK Advani, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa too is watching the match live at the Wankhede. Bollywood celebs like Ranbir Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta are dotting the stands. Finally spotted, Rajnikant. (In Pictures: Aamir, Mukesh, Nita at Final)
 
S Sreesanth has come in to replace Ashish Nehra as India's second opening bowler. Muttiah Muralitharan is playing for the Lankans for one last time and Kapugedera comes in for Chamara Silva. Suraj Randiv also gets to play this match. (Read: Muttiah Muralitharan included in playing XI)

Teams

India: Virender Shewag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (c), Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and S Sreesanth.

Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (c), Mahela Jayawardena, Thilan Samaraweera, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chamara Kapugedera and Thisara Perera.

Scorecentre

Pitch report: The pitch at the Wankhede stadium has been relaid, has red soil and has been rolled evenly. Once the ball gets older, batsmen can look to seize advantage but will need to set their eyes in. Spinners will have a big role to play according to pitch curator Sudhir Naik and he reckons a target in excess of 260 is possible and will be challenging for the team batting second. Dew too, is likely to play a part towards the evening. It is expected to be a sporting track though. (Read: Determined Sri Lanka watched Team Dhoni practice)


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Story first published:

Sri Lanka 274/6 (50 ov)

India 277/4 (48.2 ov)

India won by 6 wickets (with 10 balls remaining)

  • India RR 5.73
  • Batting PP 32/0 (3.2) RR 9.60
  • Last 5 ovs 38/0 RR 7.60
  • Sri Lanka RR 5.48
Refresh scorecard
Current time: 23:39 local, 18:09 GMT ODI career
BatsmenRuns B4s 6sSR This bowlerLast 5 ovs Mat RunsHSAve
*MS Dhoni(rhb) 9179 82115.18 17 (9b)22 (12b) 1866049 183*48.78
Yuvraj Singh(lhb) 2124 2087.50 7 (5b)16 (18b) 2748051 13937.62
 
BowlersOM RW Econ0s 4s6sThis spell MatWktsBBI Econ
*Nuwan Kulasekara(rfm) 8.20 6407.68 2081 1.2-0-18-0 89105 4/404.53
Lasith Malinga(rf) 9.00 4224.66 3140 2-0-14-0 84127 6/384.96

Recent overs . . . . 2 1 | 1 4 1 4 . 1 | 1 4 4 . 1 1 | 1 6

Current partnership 54 runs, 7.0 overs, RR: 7.71 (Dhoni 31, Yuvraj Singh 21)

Last Bat G Gambhir b Perera 97 (187m 122b 9x4 0x6) SR: 79.50

Fall of wicket: 223/4 (41.2 ov); Partnership: 109 runs, 19.4 overs, RR: 5.54 (Dhoni 60, Gambhir 43)

Umpire reviews remaining India 1 (0 successful, 1 unsuccessful); Sri Lanka 1 (0 successful, 1 unsuccessful)

Sachin Tendulkar comes out running with that lovely smile. Dhoni has been lifted by couple of players. Gautam Gambhir, the man who played that icy-cool knock under pressure, is also there. Every one is hugging each other. The fire works are in display. Yuvraj hugs Gambhir and ruffles his hair. They scream. Tears of joy from Yuvraj.

The Sri Lankans slowly get back to the pavilion. The Indian huddle is on the ground. They hop and jump in joy. Harbhajan is crying. With the Indian flag in hand. Yusuf pathan hugs him. He is still crying. Last tIme Sri Lanka won the tournament, and beat India, one Indian cricketer left the arena in tears of sorrow. Now it's the opposite. Crazy scenes out there. Camera pans to Dhoni who has his cap pulled down, his right arm wipes off some sweat. slowly he looks up and high-fives with a team-mate. Gary Kirsten is out there. All smiles.

Gambhir: "All credit goes to Sachin Tendulkar. We played for him. Beating Australia and Pakistan and now this, its a dream come true."

Meanwhile Tendulkar is being carried on the shoulders of Virat Kohli. Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan and Harbhajan hold him from the side. The team takes the victory lap. Tendulkar holds the Indian flag aloft. He can't stop smiling. He checks with Kohli and Raina, who are carry8ing him, whether they are ok. More laughter. He stays on top. The lap continues. The flag waves. The crowd roar.

Now Yusuf Pathan and Raina carry Tendulkar. The whole team is behind them, with them. At the back, are the support staff: Gary Kirsten, Eric Simons and the whole lot. Zaheer takes time out to rush to them and he walks with them. Out in the front, Tendulkar is still being lifted and carried by his admiring team-mates. Sehwag puts a hand around Dhoni and Gambhir. And now finally, Tendulkar gets down to the ground. He immediately spreads the Indian flag.

And now its Gary Kirsten's time to be hoisted on the shoulders. Virat and Raina again are the men. Kirsten is up and laughing. Gary gets down now.

The Sri Lankan camp troop out. Murali is in conversation with Sanga who looks on at a distance, at nothing in particular.

Harbhajan singh: " It means the world to me. I have been part of the three world-cups. This is for the nation. Thank you very much, we love you. This cup is for the people. Love you India!"

Virat Kohli: "This goes out to all the people of India. THis is my first world cup; I can't ask for more. Tendulkar has carried the burden of nation for 21 years; It was time we carried him. Chak de India!"

Tendulkar: "Couldn't have asked for anything more than this. Winning the world cup is the proudest moment of my life. Thanks to my team-mates. Without them, nothing would have happened. I couldn't control my tears of joy. Thanks to the support staff. Thanks to Mike Horn, who has helped with the expectations and pressure. The team stuck together in the rough phases and proved people wrong who doubted our ability. Self belief has been always there but in the last two years, we have been very consistent. It's been great honour to be part of this team. Thanks to Gary and Paddy Upton.

ZAheer: "I can't explain this feeling. It's for this special man (tendulkar)."

Yuvraj :" It was for Tendulkar. We did it!"

Man of the match is Dhoni

Player of the tournament is Yuvraj Singh.

The Sri Lankan team come one by one to accept the medals. Crowd cheer. Huge roar for Malinga but the biggest is for Muttiah Muralitharan. Great cheers for Sanga as well.

Sangakkara: "Very proud of everyone, especially Mahela who rose up to the occasion and put up a great hundred. When you look at this Indian team anything less than 350 looks less! They deserved this title, the way they played in front of a great crowd. Both Sri Lanka and India will be proud with the way they have played. Thanks to Sri Lankan fans. Congrats India, you were the better side today. The only way to stop India is to get atleast 7 wickets. Gautam was outstanding and Dhoni stepped up and performed."

Man of the tournament Yuvraj Singh: "This is unbelievable. Under-19 World cup, then Twenty20 but this is the most special. For Sachin, for everyone else. I want to dedicate this to my guru ji, for my mother and my friends. Last time we were in World-cup final, we made lots of mistakes. Batting second is lot of pressure but Gauti and MS played outstandingly. They played like it was a normal game. We batted like champions. We don;t have a proper left-arm spinner and so it was my job to do it. Narendra Hirwani has been helping me and I have been working hard. Tonight is going to be good night! Thank you India!"

The Indian team step out to collect their winning medals. As ever, its Tendulkar who brings the roof down.

Dhoni: "I took a quite few decisions tonight, if we hadn't won I would have been asked quite a few questions: Why no Ashwin, Why sreesanth. Why no Yuvraj, Why did I bat ahead?! That pushed me and motivated to do well.The pressure had got to me in the previous games. In this game, I wanted to bat up the order and Gary backed me and by the senior players. I had a point to prove to myself. Virat and Gautam batted brillantly; lots of singles. Then with the help of bit of dew , we put pressure on the spinners. I would have liked Gautam to go on and get that big hundred."

Dhoni gets the cup, the team is with him in the podium and fireworks begin. The Indian team roar and roar. They pose for the pictures. BCCI has announced that 1 crore to each team-member of the Indian squad. Gary Kirsten and his support staff get rs 50 lakh each. The selectors get 25 lakh each. Show me the money!

We shall leave you with this final image.

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is now holding that cup that eluded him for so many years. And he screams in joy. What a night.

Good bye and good luck.

48.2

Kulasekara to Dhoni, SIX, Thunderous wallop! Start the tuk tuk indeed. A stunning crashing blow to achieve it. It was a full delivery and Dhoni has sent the white ball flying over long-on. Indian contingent have gone mad. The dressing room erupts with joy. Dhoni had a poor batting record in World cups. 34 was his highest. And what does he do? He promotes himself and has played a fine knock to pull this off. Yuvraj envelops him with a hug. What a knock from Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni. Spare a thought for Mahela Jayawardene who unfurled a sublime knock to set up this target. It's India's night though. It's Dhoni's night. India are the world champions.

48.1

Kulasekara to Yuvraj Singh, 1 run, full delivery outside off stump, squeezed out to point for a single

Nitin: "Thnx cricinfo...u have just messed up the suspense of Player of the tournament for the millions who r NOT on twitter!" Ha! It was my pleasure!

End of over 48 (11 runs) India 270/4 (5 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 5.62, RRR: 2.50)
Yuvraj Singh    20* (23b 2x4)      SL Malinga    9-0-42-2
MS Dhoni    85* (78b 8x4 1x6)      KMDN Kulasekara    8-0-57-0

"Start the tuk tuk!" has been David Lloyd's cry for a while now. Start it I say

47.6

Malinga to Yuvraj Singh, 1 run, low swinging full toss, on the off, pushed out to long-on for a single

47.5

Malinga to Dhoni, 1 run, full delivery outside off stump, jabbed out to point for a single

47.4

Malinga to Dhoni, no run, A yorker - enough of those slower ones- and its outside leg. Dhoni is in a tangle. The ball is racing towards his boot. He lifts his right leg and allows the ball to go between his legs! Sanga dives to his left.

47.3

Malinga to Dhoni, FOUR, The end is nigh. India's cup of joy is brimming. Dhoni drags this slower one,, and a full toss, to square-leg boundary!

47.2

Malinga to Dhoni, FOUR, Wankhede security guards are also jumping in joy! Dhoni picked this slower one and whipped a powerful flick to square-leg boundary.

Sena: ".. Kula what have you done?! --- The question should be Sanga why did you bring him back"

Why would ICC announce that so early and not wait for the presentation ceremony? Hmmm they have killed the suspense

47.1

Malinga to Yuvraj Singh, 1 run, the player of the tournament crashes this to deep cover for a single

ICC have just tweeted that Yuvraj Singh is the Player of the tournament! Congrats boss!

End of over 47 (11 runs) India 259/4 (16 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 5.51, RRR: 5.

Sri Lanka 274/6 (50 ov)

India 277/4 (48.2 ov)

India won by 6 wickets (with 10 balls remaining)

Sri Lanka innings (50 overs maximum)R M B4s 6sSR
View dismissal WU Tharanga c Sehwag b Khan 230 20 00 10.00
View dismissal TM Dilshan b Harbhajan Singh 3387 49 30 67.34
View dismissal KC Sangakkara*† c †Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh 48102 67 50 71.64
DPMD Jayawardene not out103 159 88 130 117.04
View dismissal TT Samaraweera lbw b Yuvraj Singh 2153 34 20 61.76
View dismissal CK Kapugedera c Raina b Khan 16 5 00 20.00
View dismissal KMDN Kulasekara run out (†Dhoni) 3241 30 11 106.66
NLTC Perera not out22 10 93 1 244.44
Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 6, nb 2) 12
Total (6 wickets; 50 overs; 246 mins) 274 (5.48 runs per over)
Did not bat SL MalingaS RandivM Muralitharan
Fall of wickets1-17 (Tharanga, 6.1 ov)2-60 (Dilshan, 16.3 ov)3-122 (Sangakkara, 27.5 ov),4-179 (Samaraweera, 38.1 ov)5-182 (Kapugedera, 39.5 ov)6-248 (Kulasekara, 47.6 ov)
BowlingO MR WEcon
View wickets Z Khan 10 3 602 6.00 (1w)
S Sreesanth 8 052 0 6.50 (2nb)
MM Patel 9 041 0 4.55 (1w)
View wicket Harbhajan Singh 10 0 501 5.00 (1w)
View wickets Yuvraj Singh 10 0 492 4.90
SR Tendulkar 2 012 0 6.00 (3w)
V Kohli 1 06 0 6.00
India innings (target: 275 runs from 50 overs) RM B4s 6sSR
View dismissal V Sehwag lbw b Malinga 02 2 00 0.00
View dismissal SR Tendulkar c †Sangakkara b Malinga 1821 14 20 128.57
View dismissal G Gambhir b Perera 97187 122 9 079.50
View dismissal V Kohli c & b Dilshan 3569 49 40 71.42
MS Dhoni*† not out91 128 79 82 115.18
Yuvraj Singh not out21 39 242 0 87.50
Extras (b 1, lb 6, w 8) 15
Total (4 wickets; 48.2 overs; 230 mins) 277 (5.73 runs per over)
Did not bat SK RainaHarbhajan SinghZ KhanMM PatelS Sreesanth
Fall of wickets1-0 (Sehwag, 0.2 ov)2-31 (Tendulkar, 6.1 ov)3-114 (Kohli, 21.4 ov)4-223 (Gambhir, 41.2 ov)
BowlingO MR WEcon
View wickets SL Malinga 9 042 2 4.66 (2w)
KMDN Kulasekara 8.2 0 640 7.68
View wicket NLTC Perera 9 055 1 6.11 (2w)
S Randiv 9 043 0 4.77
View wicket TM Dilshan 5 027 1 5.40 (1w)
M Muralitharan 8 039 0 4.87 (1w)
Match details
Toss Sri Lanka, who chose to bat
Series India won the 2010/11 ICC Cricket World Cup 
Player of the match MS Dhoni (India)
Player of the series Yuvraj Singh (India)
Umpires Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and SJA Taufel (Australia)
TV umpire IJ Gould (England)
Match referee JJ Crowe (New Zealand)
Reserve umpire SJ Davis (Australia)
Match notes
  • Powerplay 1: Overs 0.1 - 10.0 (Mandatory - 31 runs, 1 wicket)
  • Powerplay 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0 (Bowling side - 27 runs, 0 wicket)
  • Sri Lanka: 50 runs in 12.5 overs (79 balls), Extras 5
  • Drinks: Sri Lanka - 56/1 in 14.0 overs (TM Dilshan 31, KC Sangakkara 17)
  • Sri Lanka: 100 runs in 23.6 overs (146 balls), Extras 6
  • 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 56 balls (KC Sangakkara 21, DPMD Jayawardene 30, Ex 0)
  • Drinks: Sri Lanka - 128/3 in 29.0 overs (DPMD Jayawardene 34, TT Samaraweera 5)
  • Over 31.3: Review by India (Bowling), Umpire - Aleem Dar, Batsman - TT Samaraweera (Struck down)
  • Sri Lanka: 150 runs in 33.1 overs (201 balls), Extras 7
  • DPMD Jayawardene: 50 off 49 balls (6 x 4)
  • 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 56 balls (DPMD Jayawardene 27, TT Samaraweera 19, Ex 4)
  • Over 38.1: Review by India (Bowling), Umpire - SJA Taufel, Batsman - TT Samaraweera (Upheld)
  • Over 43.1: Review by India (Bowling), Umpire - Aleem Dar, Batsman - KMDN Kulasekara (Struck down)
  • Sri Lanka: 200 runs in 43.3 overs (263 balls), Extras 11
  • Powerplay 3: Overs 45.1 - 50.0 (Batting side - 63 runs, 1 wicket)
  • 6th Wicket: 50 runs in 44 balls (DPMD Jayawardene 23, KMDN Kulasekara 31, Ex 1)
  • DPMD Jayawardene: 100 off 84 balls (13 x 4)
  • Sri Lanka: 250 runs in 48.3 overs (293 balls), Extras 11
  • Innings Break: Sri Lanka - 274/6 in 50.0 overs (DPMD Jayawardene 103, NLTC Perera 22)
  • Powerplay 1: Overs 0.1 - 10.0 (Mandatory - 41 runs, 2 wickets)
  • Over 0.2: Review by India (Batting), Umpire - Aleem Dar, Batsman - V Sehwag (Struck down)
  • Powerplay 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0 (Bowling side - 40 runs, 0 wicket)
  • India: 50 runs in 10.6 overs (66 balls), Extras 2
  • Drinks: India - 81/2 in 15.0 overs (G Gambhir 40, V Kohli 19)
  • 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 53 balls (G Gambhir 28, V Kohli 19, Ex 3)
  • G Gambhir: 50 off 56 balls (6 x 4)
  • India: 100 runs in 19.3 overs (117 balls), Extras 7
  • India: 150 runs in 29.5 overs (179 balls), Extras 10
  • 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 60 balls (G Gambhir 25, MS Dhoni 22, Ex 3)
  • Drinks: India - 165/3 in 32.0 overs (G Gambhir 79, MS Dhoni 23)
  • India: 200 runs in 37.5 overs (227 balls), Extras 11
  • MS Dhoni: 50 off 52 balls (4 x 4)
  • 4th Wicket: 100 runs in 106 balls (G Gambhir 40, MS Dhoni 54, Ex 6)
  • Over 44.3: Review by Sri Lanka (Bowling), Umpire - Aleem Dar, Batsman - Yuvraj Singh (Struck down)
  • Powerplay 3: Overs 45.1 - 50.0 (Batting side - 32 runs, 0 wicket)
  • India: 250 runs in 46.2 overs (278 balls), Extras 15
  • 5th Wicket: 50 runs in 42 balls (MS Dhoni 31, Yuvraj Singh 21, Ex 2)
  • http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/engine/current/match/433606.html

02/04/2011

Saturday noon fever grips India

Here is why Saturday is going to be a crazy day as India pads up to lift the World Cup in Mumbai

Sonakshi Sinha gets hate mails from Pak fans

Sonakshi Sinha gets hate mails from Pak fans

Pakistan cricket fans showered hate mails on Sonakshi Sinha's Twitter handle after she posted a morphed picture of what looked like Virender Sehwag hitting Shahid Afridi on the butt with his bat. Not just that, she captioned the picture De Ghumaake.

One of the post read, "Sonakshi just because of this cheap act of yours . . . I am unfollowing you, you should be a goodwill ambassador between your country and other countries, itna har waqt Salman Khan Salman Khan karti rehti ho.. usse hi kuch seekhlo tum (learn something from Salman Khan).

Sonakshi asked her fans to take it sportingly. "Pak fans very upset. Jung ke maidan mein ladne se toh accha hi hai khel ke maidan mein ladein (it's better to fight in a game then in a war). I am all for love thy neighbour. Be a sport yaar," the Dabangg actress tweeted.

Her current Twitter message reads, "No jokes today. Too many people here without a sense of humour. Boo."

Well, seems it's not just a 'game' of cricket when it comes to India and Pakistan!

Saturday noon fever grips India

Diety draped in cricket T shirt, devotees upset

Ahmedabad: The priests of a well-known temple here landed in trouble on Friday when worshippers found the idol of the deity draped in a blue T-shirt - the colour of the Indian cricket team.

Deity draped in cricket T-shirt, devotees angry

The temple's deity Bhadrakali Devi is considered by devotees as the "Nagardevi" (Goddess of the city).

Apparently caught up in the whirl of Saturday's World Cup cricket final in Mumbai, the deity was draped in Indian colours, which created an uproar among devotees.

The Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) took serious exception to the incident.

"This is despicable," said Kaushik Mehta, Gujarat general secretary of VHP.

The criticism led the priests to immediately remove the T-shirt from the idol.

Saturday noon fever grips India

A ghee lamp for India

Bhubaneswar: A lamp with five kilogram of ghee that was lit at an Orissa temple before the World Cup semifinal at Mohali continues to burn bright as devotees pray for India's victory against Sri Lanka in the final Saturday.

In a Shiva temple in Cuttack city, 26 km from here, the lamp with five kg ghee was lit for India's win in the Mohali semifinal against Pakistan Wednesday. Ghee or clarified butter is normally used to soak the wick in Indian temple lamps. Devotees say the lamp would be put out only after India wins the World Cup.

Cricket lovers organised special prayers in temples across Orissa.

Many thronged the famous Jagannath temple in Puri and the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar.

Many hotels across the state have made special arrangements for public viewing of the match by putting up mega TV screens, LCDs and projectors. That certainly is the main attraction for customers, who would watch the World Cup final while they dine.

Rajapaksa prays for team at Tirupati, leaves for Mumbai

Rajapaksa prays for team at Tirupati, leaves for Mumbai

Tirupati: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday left for Mumbai to watch the World Cup final, but not before praying at Tirumala temple here for his team's success in the match against India.

Accompanied by his wife, the visiting dignitary, who had a 'darshan' of Lord Venkateswara and offered special puja Friday evening, participated in the special rituals Saturday morning.

Rajapaksa, an ardent devotee of the deity, participated in 'suprabhatam', the first rituals of the day amidst chanting of the Vedic hymns. According to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of India's richest temple, suprabhatam seva is performed to wake up the Lord from his celestial sleep.

The Sri Lankan president stayed overnight atop Tirumala Hills after offering prayers Friday evening.

Rajapaksa later left for Mumbai by the special aircraft from the Renigunta airport. He will watch the final at the Wankhede Stadium along with his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil.

A large number of Indian fans too offered prayers and organised special 'yagyams' in the temple town. Holding the Indian flag and pictures of players, they also took out a huge rally.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, himself a cricket player during his college days, also visited Tirupati to offer prayers. However, officials said his visit was a routine one and had nothing to do with the match.

Reddy told reporters he was confident that India would win the World Cup after 29 years. He conveyed his best wishes to the team.

Match screening allowed, Lucknow fans throng theatres

Ticket cost soars to Rs 750 in theatres

Ticket cost soars to Rs 750 in theatres

Lucknow: Cricket fans here thronged theatres Saturday to watch the India-Sri Lanka final, elated that the authorities had given their nod now after having refused permission to screen the India-Pakistan semifinal on the big screen.

"Cricket fans are flocking to our counters for purchasing tickets. We have only a few tickets left now," Shahdab Ali, duty manager at Pheonix Mall, told reporters here Saturday.

"We have a total of 432 seats reserved for the match. The tickets range from Rs.350-750. As fans were left disappointed by the district authorities who did not allow the theatres to show the India-Pakistan match Wednesday, they now don't want to miss the chance of watching the match on the big screen," he added.

Pashupati Pandey, a bank official, who came to the Phoenix mall to buy tickets, said: "It's really heartening that the restrictions have been removed by the authorities. We hope the final match would be as exciting as the semifinal."

Rohit Prakash, a research scholar at Lucknow University's Chemistry Department, said: "Though we had to do some work in the lab today (Saturday), we managed to convince our guide not to come and instead watch the match."

Citing "security reasons", the district administration did not allow the multiplexes and cinema halls to show the semifinal. As a result, the theatres had to refund money to those who had already purchased tickets.

According to Lucknow District Magistrate Anil Sagar: "There are no restrictions now. The match can be shown on big screens and theatres."

Besides Phoenix, malls like Wave in Gomti Nagar and some cinema halls have made arrangements to showcase the 'grand finale'.

Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal said: "We have directed the authorities to do the needful in terms of security arrangements with regard to the final match at the district level."

Mumbai's crowds vanish from streets

Mumbai's crowded thoroughfares shed their vast multitudes as cricket fever gripped the city with passionate fans packing themselves into restobars, pubs and multiplexes to watch the titanic tussle for cricket's most coveted trophy.

As afternoon approached, the weekend crowds started vanishing from bustling streets and marketplaces, city's lifeline--suburban local trains--stopped gobbling up and disgorging faceless streams of commuters, as everybody--from a humble roadside hawker to corporate honcho headed to watch the captivating contest.

Cricket lovers who were not lucky enough to secure a place at the Wankhede Stadium, made frenzied attempts to book the remaining seats in multiplexes and restaurants to watch the India-Sri Lanka grand finale, or chose to enjoy the game in the cozy confines of their homes over house parties.

"We will chill out and cheer team India. If they win, we will raise a toast, and if they lose, we will drown our disappointment in the bubbly," said Ratish, raising his mug of beer at a suburban restobar.

According to sources in the hospitality sector, Mumbaikars guzzled over 70,000 litres of aclohol during the Wednesday's semi-final clash between India and Pakistan.

Sources said most of the 7000 restaurants and bars in the city have been reserved already and owners made a last minute rush to replenish their stocks.

A number of crazy fans were seen blowing vuvuzelas, popularised during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, while getting painted the Indian tricolour on their faces and bodies near Churchgate station. The team India and bleed blue jerseys were much sought after stuff.

After taking the government to task for not providing passes to them, several legislators were granted their wish, but some complained they got just one.

BJP leader from North Mumbai Jaiprakash Thakur organised special pooja at the Hanuman temple in Malad west seeking divine intervention for team India's victory.

The Maharashtra government has declared a holiday for its staff, while several private sector entities and educational institutions are having half-day.

The Western and Central Railways and BEST have made arrangements for running special trains and buses to ferry the fans back home after the match.

Though the event lacked the high-profile diplomatic sideshow of Mohali that heralded "re-engagement" between India and Pakistan, it had its own quota of dignitaries present at the revamped Wankhede Stadium that included President Pratibha Patil and her Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajpaksa.

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani, party president Nitin Gadkari, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, former minister Shashi Tharoor, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Bollywood actor Preity Zinta were also there to cheer the Indian team.

"We want India to win and so we are cheering for Dhoni and his men. We will be delighted if they win and disheartened if they lose, but the great game of cricket will win in any case," said Siddharth, one of the lucky few, who had a ticket for the Wankhede.

Goa taverns go high on World Cup final

In one-dayers, a drinks break may come twice in every innings, but in Goa, drink breaks beckoned from every corner Saturday as the India-Sri Lanka cricket World Cup final got underway in Mumbai.

Taverns and eateries in Panaji put their best foot forward to cash in on the cricket fever generated by the clash at the Wankhede Stadium. At Marietta bar and restaurant, the chairs were out of the dimly-lit interiors and on to the bright and sunny pavement.

Indian flags fluttered and a television set brought home the excitement at the Wankhede. There were crisp fish cutlets and beef cream cutlets for the tavern's patrons. For those looking for more zingier snacks, there was beef chilly fry to be polished off with soft bread.

Beer was the flavor of the warm day and cold, watery rings on the tables left behind tell-tale signs of pints of chilled beer devoured. "The fish cutlets are selling at a faster rate than the Sri Lankan run rate," Steven Rodrigues, proprietor of Marietta bar and restaurant told IANS as Sri Lanka struggled to score against the disciplined Indian bowling in the early part of the innings.

At Temptation, a hip bar located in Miramar, there was more chaos. Every one of Zaheer's dot balls were cheered and so were Kumara Sangakara's silken drives. "Cricket, it's cricket for godsakes. We'll cheer every wicket, every run and every ball bowled," Alwyn Fernandes said, downing his vodka with cranberry juice.

Just about half-way into the Sri Lankan innings and Goa was already soaking in cricket. At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, however, the drinks break was still several overs away.

Source: IANS

This World Cup is for Sachin Tendulkar, says Gambhir
Updated on Saturday, April 02, 2011, 23:29
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Mumbai: Gautam Gambhir was in a state of daze after Mahendra Singh Dhoni`s helicopter shot brought home the Cup that Counts.

"We wanted to win it for Sachin Tendulkar. This World Cup is for him," an emotional Gambhir said in a television interview moments after the match ended.

"It`s yet to sink in and I don`t know when it will sink in," said the southpaw whose brilliant 97 will be etched in the memories of the cricket crazy Indians.



When asked about Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh who were seen shedding tears of joy, Gambhir said, "They have seen nightmare of 2007, so they know how it feels to win World Cup."

"Spectators love to see fours and sixes, but when you lose two-three wickets, you need to change your approach. When you have 270-280 runs on the board, batsmen want to play big shots"
Mar 13, 2011 The Canadian Press (107 occurrences)

World Cup 2011: Yuvraj is Man of the Series, Dhoni Man of the Match 

Economic Times - ‎25 minutes ago‎
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Wish lamps in Mahi hometown Calcutta Telegraph

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IBNLive.com - ‎Apr 1, 2011‎
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Calcutta Telegraph - Smitha Verma - ‎19 hours ago‎
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India Today - ‎12 hours ago‎
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Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in Mohali, on Monday. Picture by Prem Singh 

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Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Photo: Reuters 

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Times of India - ‎6 minutes ago‎
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Times of India - ‎6 hours ago‎
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Calcutta Telegraph - Jhinuk Mazumdar - ‎Mar 31, 2011‎
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Swing is king at the World Cup 

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Saina, Mongia wish luck to India 

Indian Express - ‎Mar 30, 2011‎
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