World Champions felicitated by Indian President

The Cricket World Cup is back with India after a gap of 28 years. India last won the Cup in 1983.

"I don't mind crying," said Sachin Tendulkar, who was hoisted up by the players on their shoulders for the victory lap round Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

Yuvraj dedicated the victory to Sachin, who, in turn, credited the team and coach Gary Kirsten.

Kumar Sangakkara said when you play India, anything below 300 or 350 does nto seem to be enough. "Both Sri Lanka and India are very proud of the way we played here today."

"Congratulations India. You were the better team today. Great for us... the finals... disappointed, but the better team won today," he added.

Man of the Match was Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The six-wicket win for the 2011 finals saw Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a huge six to seal the victory. The final saw him complete 6,000 runs in his ODI career. Gautam Gambhir was denied a well-deserved century. He was out for 97 to Perera.

The final saw Mahela and Dhoni come back to form with their highest scores in the competiton.

Full scoreboard in the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday:
Sri Lanka
U. Tharanga c Sehwag b Zaheer 2
T. Dilshan b Harbhajan 33
K. Sangakkara c Dhoni b Yuvraj 48
M. Jaywardene not out 103
T. Samaraweera lbw b Yuvraj 21
C. Kapugedera c Raina b Zaheer 1
N. Kulasekara run out (Dhoni) 32
T. Perera not out 22
Extras (bl, lb3, w6, nb2) 12
Total (6 wkts, 50 overs) 274
Did not bat: L Malinga, S Randiv, M Muralitharan
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Tharanga), 2-60 (Dilshan), 3-122 (Sangakkara), 4-179 (Samaraweera), 5-182 (Kapugedera), 6-248 (Kulasekara)
Bowling: Zaheer 10-3-60-2 (1w); Sreesanth 8-0-52-0 (2nb); Patel 9-0-41-0 (1w); Harbhajan 10-0-50-1 (1w); Yuvraj 10-0-49-2; Tendulkar 2-0-12-0 (3w); Kohli 1-0-6-0
India
V. Sehwag lbw b Malinga 0
S. Tendulkar c Sangakkara b Malinga 18
G. Gambhir b Perera 97
V. Kohli c and b Dilshan 35
MS Dhoni not out 91
Yuvraj Singh not out 21
Extras (bl, lb6, w8) 15
Total (4 wkts, 48.2 overs) 277
Did not bat: S Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, M Patel, S Sreesanth
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Sehwag), 2-31 (Tendulkar), 3-114 (Kohli), 4-223 (Gambhir)
Bowling: Malinga 9-0-42-2 (2w); Kulasekara 8.2-0-64-0; Perera 9-0-55-1; Randiv 9-0-43-0; Dilshan 5-0-27-1 (1w); Muralitharan 8-0-39-0 (1w)
Result: India won by six wickets
Man-of-the-match: MS Dhoni (IND)
Man-of-the-tournament: Yuvraj Singh (IND)
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Aleem Dar (PAK)
TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
afp11

Earlier, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli stabilised India's innings taking it to 105 for 2 by the end of the 20th over. Their 50-run partnership came in 21 overs. Virat was out in the next over having made 35 runs, caught and blowled by Dilshan. Indian captain Dhoni came in next ahead of Yuvraj.

Lasith Malinga struck early twice taking the scalps of Virendar Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar - the first leg before on the second ball and Sachin caught behind by Sangakkara, with India reeleing at 31-2 in the seventh over. 

Mahela Jayawardana stroked 103 off 88 balls to take Sril Lanka to 274 for six - a possble World Cup winning score against India in the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. But it was not enough.

Jayawardene made 103 not out in an innings where captain Kumar Sangakkara's 48 was the next best score.
 

Left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh (two for 49) and paceman Zaheer Khan (two for 60) were the pick of India's bowlers.

Both teams were bidding to win the World Cup for the second time following India's victory in 1983 and Sri Lanka's success in 1996.

The last overs flourish brought the stadium to a silent respect for the powerplay by Mahela.

Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat as the final World Cup match between arch Asian rivals India and Sri Lanka kicked off this noon in Mumbai. 

Frenzied fans, ticket touts and paramilitary police promised a heady mix of carnival and caution for the cricket World Cup final in Mumbai on Saturday between hosts India and South Asian rivals Sri Lanka.

Roads were blocked around the Wankhede Stadium venue, with some 3,500 police personnel out in force to ensure the safety of the two teams and the 32,000 spectators, who include both countries' presidents.

The match is Mumbai's highest-profile sporting event since the 2008 attacks, which saw 10 militants kill 166 people in strikes against landmark targets, including the Taj Mahal Palace hotel where the teams were now staying.

Khaki-clad police equipped with bamboo sticks were joined by paramilitaries with full body armour and automatic weapons, as coastguard and navy patrols kept watch on the Arabian Sea and a no-fly zone was imposed over south Mumbai.

Officers will monitor security cameras at the ground, where fans face searches for an extensive list of banned items, including food, drinks and electronic equipment, before entering.

Despite the stringent security, ticket touts have been out in force around the stadium for days, seeking to cash in on the clamour for seats.

Television news channel NDTV said its reporter had been offered black market tickets for the sell-out game for up to $3,300 each.

The 'Mumbai Mirror' tabloid said that customs officers at the city's airport offered to waive import duty on a replica of the World Cup trophy in return for seats at the final.

"We can say they asked for a substantial number of tickets," an unnamed official from the sport's governing body the International Cricket Council was quoted as saying. The actual trophy is already at the ground.

With favourites India looking to win the trophy for the first time since 1983, newspapers summed up the mood of expectation, with many focusing on whether local hero Sachin Tendulkar could secure a victory on his home ground.

"A Nation Holds Its Breath," 'The Times of India' daily said on its front page.

The 'Hindustan Times' quoted batsman Gautam Gambhir as saying that he would dedicate an India win to the victims of the Mumbai attacks.

Indians from cycle-rickshaw drivers to film stars to the prime minister have been swept up in the anticipation.

"Keep it up is all I would say. I hope India wins," said India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who watched the men in blue beat arch rivals Pakistan in Wednesday's semi-final.

Bollywood film stars, who are expected to be among the crowd, added their encouragement on Twitter, while Indian model Poonam Pandey sought to justify her pledge to strip naked for the team if they win. "Any thing for my country to get home the World Cup so India cheer with me that we need 1983 back" she tweeted on Friday.

Many ordinary fans have already got into the party mood, with their faces and hair painted in the saffron, white and green of the Indian tricolor.

Cycle-rickshaw driver Sheru Khan, 35, showed his dedication by riding nearly 1,500km from his home in northern Uttar Pradesh state to Mumbai after being promised a free ticket by a local politician.

Across the financial hub, businesses were either not opening at all or closing early.

"Most offices in the area are shut, so I won't get any customers," said Om Gupta, a 51-year-old stall holder in south Mumbai. "It will hit my business but it's fine for half a day," he told AFP.

Ramesh Bhatt, who serves tea to office workers with three other 'chaiwallahs', said the match would eat into their combined earnings of about Rs4,000  a day. "The civic authorities have already told us that we can't make the chai on the road. We won't come to work but we don't have any option," said the 42-year-old.

Other businesses are expecting a windfall, with some bars charging up to $150 a head for an all-day match package.

Fans wanting the atmosphere of a large crowd can also see the match at multiplex cinemas but most will be watching with family and friends.

"I'm excited about it," said Vipin Vijayan, 40, who works for a shipping firm. "What we saw against Pakistan was just a rehearsal. We know we can do it again."

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