We're happy we could make everybody smile back in India - Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly was a very happy man after India's majestic six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in what many had described as the mother of all battles.

"It was a huge game back home, schools were closed offices were closed and we're so happy we could make everybody smile back in India," a smiling Indian skipper said after the contest, which saw the two sub-continental rivals lock horns in the international arena for the first time in three years.

Ganguly also praised Sachin Tendulkar, whose 75-ball 98 at the top of the order paved the way for the Indian win. "He's been in great form and it's not the first time (that he has played a match-winning innings), he's a champion in one word and the knock he played is one of the best I've seen him play," Ganguly observed.

With India now carrying eight points into the Super Six stage (four for beating one of the qualifiers and four more for their other wins), Ganguly went on to add justifiably that his team now had a bright chance of making the semi-finals.

Tendulkar, who was deservedly named the Man of the Match, meanwhile, rated his match-winning knock as one of his best innings, despite missing his 35th ODI ton after being dismissed by a snorter from Shoaib Akhtar.

"It's obviously one of the most important innings I've played and when it's a World Cup match against Pakistan that makes it a special innings and I'll put it right up there," the little master observed.

"I was picking the line and length quite early today and felt very comfortable there in the middle from the moment of playing the back foot cover drive off Wasim," he added.

Talking about his problems towards the latter half of his innings, Tendulkar said, "I started getting cramps and it went from bad to worse, there was a stage in the game when I even couldn't stand properly."

Losing skipper Waqar Younis, for his part, blamed the Pakistan bowlers. "Looking at the total of 270 it seemed a good one, but unfortunately we didn't bowl that well, we bowled both sides of the wicket."

He, though, gave credit to Tendulkar too.

"A brilliant innings, I think getting 110 in the first 11 overs took the game away from us," Waqar accepted, adding, "India played much better than us today. When we took Sachin's wicket we thought we came back into the game, Dravid came in and played like he normally plays and it was an excellent role,that was required."