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.
India vs Sri Lanka, Final at Mumbai, , Apr 02 2011 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
Final (D/N), Wankhede, April 02, 2011, ICC Cricket World Cup
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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
6
Kulasekara to Dhoni, SIX runs
48.1
1
Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 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 4811 runs
IND: 270/4CRR: 5.62 • RRR: 2.50
Yuvraj Singh20 (23b 2x4)
MS Dhoni85 (78b 8x4 1x6)
Lasith Malinga 9-0-42-2
Nuwan 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
1
Malinga to Yuvraj, 1 run
low swinging full toss, on the off, pushed out to long-on for a single
47.5
1
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
4
Malinga to Dhoni, FOUR runs
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
4
Malinga to Dhoni, FOUR runs
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
1
Malinga to Yuvraj, 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 4711 runs
IND: 259/4CRR: 5.51 • RRR: 5.33
Yuvraj Singh18 (21b 2x4)
MS Dhoni76 (74b 6x4 1x6)
Nuwan Kulasekara 8-0-57-0
Lasith Malinga 8-0-31-2
46.6
1
Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 1 run
Another low full toss, Yuvraj whips it away uppishly to long-on
46.5
•
Kulasekara to Yuvraj, no run
Another full toss. Yuvraj drills it hard to the off but its intercepted at cover. Camera pans to a grim Sri Lankan dressing room
46.4
4
Kulasekara to Yuvraj, FOUR runs
Slapped! A full toss. .. Kula what have you done?! Desperate attempt at yorker ends up as a full toss and Yuvraj whacks it with glee through midwicket
46.3
1
Kulasekara to Dhoni, 1 run
drives this hard to left of long-on and though there is a slight fumble, they just take one run. Dhoni now gets across for a chat with Yuvraj. Kapugedera was the fielder and there was a direct hit at the non-striker's end. DHoni was home, though,.
46.2
4
Kulasekara to Dhoni, FOUR runs
Blasted past mid-off! The pressure-relieving shot. It was the overpitched delivery outside off and Dhoni took the chance and crashed it through to the left of mid-off
46.1
1
Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 1 run
goes for the yorker, serves a low dipping full toss, driven out to long-on for a single
Ram: "Pink Floyd: 'Hanging on quiet desperation is the English way'. Very apt description of this match; for both teams." Who will be comfortably numb at the end of it?
Mager: "Here comes the biggest threat.. Batting powerplay. Please don't collapse. For the last time.."
end of over 463 runs
IND: 248/4CRR: 5.39 • RRR: 6.75
Yuvraj Singh12 (17b 1x4)
MS Dhoni71 (72b 5x4 1x6)
Lasith Malinga 8-0-31-2
Suraj Randiv 9-0-43-0
Ziad Safdar: "Do not underestimate Malinga !! 1 good over from him can change the match."
45.6
1
Malinga to Yuvraj, 1 run
length delivery just outside off stump, punched out to long-on. Fine over this.
45.5
2
Malinga to Yuvraj, 2 runs
the fullish delivery, straight on the middle, slower in pace, Yuvraj flicks it through the on side for couple of runs!
45.4
•
Malinga to Yuvraj, no run
yet another slower one, on the middle stump line, Yuvraj picks it late, the ball is moving towards the pad, a lbw looms up but the bat comes down just in time to push the ball to the leg side
45.3
•
Malinga to Yuvraj, no run
the yorker this time, that bat comes down in a hurry and he digs it out to point. Yuvraj wants a single; Dhoni doesn't want a run out.
45.2
•
Malinga to Yuvraj, no run
another slower one, this one is outside off, Yuvraj goes for the cut but is too early into the shot. He makes no contact.
Third man comes inside. Long-off in place
45.1
•
Malinga to Yuvraj, no run
starts with a slower one, Yuvraj checks his bat-swing and pushes it out to cover
Srinivas: "@Mukhesh - Its not just courage, its the strategy of a left and right combination at the center. 100 run partnership..thts the way to do it"
Rohit: "Anyone up for a super over to spice things up ?" Let's see whether Malinga has any fuel left in him.
Ravi: "going for DRS against Aleem Dar proved to the useless thing of the tournament.. "
Shaeed: "So Dar is still undefeated. He should be getting the Best Umpire of the WC2011 award."
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