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Aleem Dar, Taufel, J J Crowe, I J Gould

%
! Tharanga, Dilshan, Sangakkara (C/W), M Jayawardene, Samaraweera,
Kapugedera, Perera, Kulasekara, Malinga, Randiv, Muralitharan
c! Sehwag, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni (C/W), Raina,
Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, Sreesanth, Patel

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, while Jayawardene became the first player to score a hundred in
the final and finish on the losing side.
Meanwhile, it was a sad end to the incredible career of Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah
Muralitharan who, having battled injuries throughout the event, failed to take a wicket in his last
international match. And when the Sri Lankan inquest begins, they will surely regret the decision
to make four changes for the final, only one of which was enforced.
With off-spinner Ajantha Mendis dropped, replacement bowlers Thisara Perera, Nuwan
Kulasekara and Suraj Randiv managed only one wicket between them from 26.2 overs.
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.
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 Kulasekara, but hopes of him
reaching the 100 century landmark in the final 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.
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 Perera to give Sri Lanka hope.
With the score on 241-4, Sri Lanka thought they had run out Dhoni when 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 got the innings back on track 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 Kapugedera, 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 healthy 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.
%
6(
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-0(
Runs Balls 4s 6s
Tharanga c Sehwag b Z Khan  20 0 0
Dilshan b Harbhajan Singh 44 49 3 0
Sangakkara c Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh $3 67 5 0
M Jayawardene not out  4 88 13 0
Samaraweera lbw b Yuvraj Singh  34 2 0
Kapugedera c Raina b Z Khan  5 0 0
Kulasekara run out (Dhoni) 4 30 1 1
Perera not out  9 3 1
)%( 2nb 6w 1b 3lb 
0- for 6 "$ 78 5
01(9

Bowler O MR W Fall of wicket

Z Khan 10.0 3 60 2 17 Tharanga
Sreesanth 8.0 0 52 0 60 Dilshan
Patel 10.0 0 48 0 122 Sangakkara
Harbhajan Singh 9.0 0 43 1
179 Samaraweera
Yuvraj Singh 10.0 0 49 2
182 Kapugedera
Tendulkar 2.0 0 12 0
Kohli 1.0 0 6 0 248 Kulasekara

c6(
c.(
#
-0(
Runs Balls 4s 6s
Sehwag Lbw b Malinga 2 0 0
Tendulkar c Sangakkara b Malinga 3 14 2 0
Gambhir b Perera 2" 122 9 0
Kohli c and b Dilshan 48 49 4 0
Dhoni not out 2 79 8 2
Yuvraj Singh not out  24 2 0
)%( 8w 1b 6lb 8
0- for 4 "" 7$35
01(9

Bowler O MR W Fall of wicket

Malinga 9.0 0 42 2 0 Sehwag
Kulasekara 8.2 0 64 0 31 Tendulkar
Perera 9.0 0 55 1 114 Kohli
Randiv 9.0 0 43 0
223 Gambhir
Dilshan 5.0 0 27 1
Muralitharan 8.0 0 39 0