“I have no words to explain. It has been outstanding,” said Ganguly of India’s victory after having remained literally glued to his seat throughout India’s epic run chase in the afternoon.

It was clear that not clinching the home series against England after leading 2-1 had rankled Ganguly.

For, soon after Kaif and Zaheer completed the winning run, he took off his shirt in the manner Andrew Flintoff had done in Mumbai as England won the nerve-wrecker of a match in the final encounter.

Ganguly admitted what happened that January evening was a painful moment for him as an Indian captain.

He also said the Lord’s win maintained the team’s unbeaten record in a one-day series in 2002.

“We have won every series we have played this year. The word final is missing but we have won the deciders,” said Ganguly, making a reference to critics’ point that India has struggled to win finals in recent past.

Until yesterday, India had failed to win nine of the one-day finals they played on the trot since 1998. They were tied 3-3 by England in the six-match series at home early this year but beat the West Indies 2-1 in the Caribbean before arriving in England.

Ganguly praised the efforts of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif who revived the Indian innings with a 121-run stand for the sixth wicket after the team had slumped for 146 for five.

“This is one of the greatest one-day innings (from Kaif) we must have seen. Those two batted like champions,” said Ganguly.

He ran on to the field after India won, straight to Mohammad Kaif and pinned the youngster down on the field in an overt display of emotion with a hint of tears in his eyes.

Ganguly said he thought India were out of the game after having lost five wickets for 146.

“We thought we were out of the game. We got off to a good start but then lost important wickets.”

Yuvraj Singh and Kaif would return home in a couple of days as they were not part of the Test squad but Ganguly had words of encouragement for them.

“They have a lot of cricketing years ahead of time and it is only a matter of time,” said Ganguly.

Man of the match Kaif said his understanding with Yuvraj Singh was the key to their successful partnership.

“I think both Yuvraj and I are good runners between the wickets and we have good combination.” Kaif said the experience of sitting out a lot and not playing matches in the last two years has toughened his approach to the game.

“I have been in the one-day team for the last couple of years but didn’t get a chance to play in the final eleven.”

For England captain Nasser Hussain too, it was the same memory of Flintoff’s act that helped him and his team believe in themselves till the end but the result was a bit different this time.

“We have some good memories against India and even when Flintoff came back and took those two wickets, we thought we could still win.

Hussain was wholesome in praise for Kaif and Yuvraj Singh and said India do produce talented youngsters at an early age.

“India do produce a lot of young players. They have Yuvraj and Kaif and boys like Wasim Jaffer in the Test team. “Yuvraj in particular played very well. We tried various things at him... but he seemed to hit it in all areas.”

Hussain put it on the inexperience of his bowlers to handle pressure when faced with the onslaught by the Indian batsmen.

“We still lack experience in bowling. Nearly every bowler you turn to lacks experience. When they are up against a batting like that, it is going to catch you off a little bit.”

Hussain said Indians had shown great form in the summer so far and it would be some task to tackle this line-up in the upcoming Test series.

“They have shown a lot of class in this tournament. All of their batsmen, whether at number seven or eight, have shown a lot of class and we can’t take them for granted.

“Indeed, we have four more Tests to go against them and need to work out how to get this side out twice.”

Hussain was candid enough to explain his gesture of pointing out his gersey number in the direction of the media after he scored his maiden century in one-day internationals earlier in the day.

“I was trying to make a pointed reference at one or two gentlemen. A few ex players. I had to prove a point and I did it on the biggest of stages.”

Former England cricketers, Ian Botham and Jonathan Angnew, both cricket commentators now, had repeatedly asked Hussain to leave the number three spot for someone like Flintoff and move to open the innings with Marcus Trescothick.

“They have put pressure on me and that’s what is disappointing.”

“There was no disgrace in losing to India,” said Hussain, who did not think the defeat should reflect poorly on his team.

“I have said we take two step forward and one back but I wouldn’t say we took a step back today because India beat us well.

“It has been one of the great games of cricket in recent times especially when one-day internationals seem to fizzle out.”

Hussain chose the moment to raise the point of too much of cricket being played by England cricketers these days.

“People are going to struggle in both forms of the game. You would have people retiring and things like that. If that’s what cricket authorities want, fine.” PTI

Extended rounds of hugging and back-patting followed the initial explosion of joy which saw the Indian team run on to the ground to celebrate their most famous victory since the 1983 World Cup triumph at this very venue.

The men of the moment - Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh - were repeatedly crushed by the hugs of their team-mates but they seemed to be enjoying every moment of it.

Both the youngsters were totally overwhelmed by the occasion and were almost in tears as the significance of their magnificent achievement slowly sunk in.

The team popped up champagne in the dressing room and everybody, including team manager Rajeev Shukla, drenched themselves completely.

The celebrations continued late in the night after the team returned to their rooms as the hotel authorities had arranged a party on their own.

Later, Shukla took the boys out for dinner but not to an Indian restaurant - the team had a raucous dinner in an Italian joint.

After completing one of the most audacious run-chases in the history of the game, Kaif ran up to the sightscreen, shouting himself hoarse with helmet in one hand and bat in the other as he looked at a bunch of supporters and a few friends sitting in the stands.

Harbhajan Singh was so overwhelmed with the moment, he lifted Kaif, with his pads and all, over his head as the others joined in the victory dance.

Just a few hours earlier, it was time for recriminations and apportioning of blame for England scoring a huge total of 325 for five.

Everyone was of the view that they hadn’t fielded as well as they should have but still wanted to go out and give it their best shot.

“We were put on trail by the rollicking opening stand between Ganguly and Virender Sehwag but when we lost those wickets in the middle, even the captain thought we had lost the game,” said Shukla.

He said the team started to beleive in their chances only after India had crossed 250 with Yuvraj and Kaif continuing in full flow.

“When Yuvraj was out, the heads were downcast in the pavilion. Harbhajan was sent with a specific instruction to stay with Kaif and not to lose his wicket in a moment of excitement,” said Shukla.

“When Harbhajan was out, Kumble was preferred ahead (of Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra) because he is sensible and steady, a cool head required in such tense moments.”

“Zaheer too was on a specific instruction not to try anything beyond himself, not to play a hero, but to just support Kaif.”

The build-up to the winning climax was an edge of the seat affair, literally, in the Indian dressing room.

Saurav Ganguly kept his feet up in the railing in a particular fashion throughout the stand between Yuvraj Singh and Kaif.

As India came into the final over requiring two runs for victory, Ganguly started to feel a bit of cool wind around him and looked around for a sweater but Sachin Tendulkar shouted down anyone who got up in a bid to provide warmth to his captain.

“Winning this final especially after being at the losing end for most of the game, will give steel and confidence to the side which can be expected to surface in the Test series,” The Sunday Telegraph, said.

Describing it as a stunning game of cricket, but a bitter pill to swallow for Nasser Hussain and his team, The Observer said, “In the past many (of the Indians) have enchanted us with the wristy magic of their batsmen. This Indian side contains plenty of those, but there is also a steel and an athleticism that was often absent from their predecessors.”

“This was exemplified by Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, who fashioned the crucial partnership when their side appeared to be out of the contest.”

The memory of this game, the Sunday Telegraph said, would certainly be alive on February 26 next year when England meet India in their World Cup qualifying match in Durban.

“England’s bowlers, in particular, won’t need reminding of the day when they had so many runs to play with and gambled them all away: India were 146 for five in their 24th over, their last specialist batsmen at the wicket, yet still won with two wickets and three balls to spare.”

Saurav Ganguly was thrilled with India’s win, and “cheekily took his revenge on Andrew Flintoff by taking his shirt off and waving it round his head”.

Flintoff had similarly gone topless when England levelled the series 3-3 in New Delhi in February.

Ganguly led the celebrations by going into the crowd and asking for a supporters’ flag. The MCC had stuffily issued a ban on flags and klaxons but it was ignored by many of the Indians in the capacity 30,000 crowd, the Sunday Times said.

India did a lap of honour and their pace spoke of joy and adrenaline, for they had not previously won a final in nine attempts and had been in trouble almost throughout.

“Undeterred, and led by the younger element in a spirited touring party, the Indians charged across the line in thrilling style and the crowd rose to them.

“Nor did India depend upon their champions to secure their famous win, for Sachin Tendulkar failed with the bat and Rahul Dravid was butter-fingered and incontestably human. Rather, it was Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh who caused such merriment among supporters that they were quite beside themselves,” the newspaper said.

The Sunday Times also singled out the youngsters for their grit and determination.

“Kaif was captivating as he threaded the ball around the field, supple limbs and a still head adding to a sound technique and an eye for a gap. He seemed to score off every ball and to remain unruffled even as the scoring rate grew to eight an over,” the newspaper said.

“Yuvraj was a more belligerent presence, a cracker of the ball to put beside his young partner’s sinuous style. Yuvraj planted boundaries over midwicket and stood his ground as the bowlers thundered and glowered.

“Virender Sehwag belongs to the same school and produced the stroke of the day, a straight drive pushed past the bowler that sped to the boundary as if propelled by some unseen force. PTI

For India this victory will be memorable because it was the youth brigade that fired. Sure, Ganguly played a crucial hand at the top of the innings, but that in isolation would not have added up to much. It was Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif who kept their heads, believed in themselves when everybody else had started to write obituaries, and won the day. I cannot believe that Singh and Kaif will not stay back for the tests after such a performance. Are you trying to tell me that on current form they will have to make way for VVS Laxman and others? It’s ridiculous to argue that they cannot play Test cricket because you can’t learn it if you don’t play it. I would put those these guys ahead of VVS Laxman right now, but I guess the Indian selectors are not going to change their minds.

Finals are important affairs and it was only natural for both captains to get demonstrative and emotional. Nasser Hussain pointing to the No 3 on his jersey and Saurav Ganguly whipping his shirt off were both spontaneous gestures, which are now common in any professional sport. If there is any tut-tutting about these not being acceptable in the gentleman’s game, I would ask the critics to go home and watch a hand of bridge.

Professional sport is all about emotions and spontaneity. After all, it’s not a game of tiddlywinks or an evening bout within a mother’s knitting circle. We are talking about national pride and colossal expectations, and everything is fair and acceptable under that stress. The other issue that worries me is that the murmurs about Sachin Tendulkar not playing in finals will again be heard. Those who doubt his capabilities know very little about the game, and even less about recognising genius. They should simply crawl back into some cave and remain there till they learn a bit about both. India’s performance in this tournament has once again proved that they are a major force in one-day cricket. This side should be the nucleus for the World Cup, where they are sure to be serious contenders.

England too have taken massive strides since the NatWest Trophy of last year where they lost all their matches to Pakistan and Australia. This team has plenty of potential and is improving all the time. Hussain’s men have no reason to feel ashamed at being second best.

Even yesterday, the hosts batted impeccably in the first half of their innings, with Marcus Trescothick playing yet another blinder. Looking back however, maybe they should have scored 340, considering they were going at well over six even till the 30th over. I think England lost it when they sent Michael Vaughan ahead of Paul Collingwood and Ronnie Irani.

They are more equipped to attack a demoralised bowling attack, and might have provided England the push that would have taken them to 340 and over.

However, post-mortems are futile in a match where 650 runs have been scored. What matters is that the wonderful crowd at the Lord’s got its money’s worth in a match that will be counted among the best to have ever been played. (Gameplan)

Our team had been struggling to keep its place among the great teams in the world but after playing like champions, India can now take on any of the top teams in the world, including world champions Australia. Nobody can afford to take us lightly.

Indian batting is formidable, and without doubt the best in the world while our fielding also looks of international standards. We have two very good spinners and our medium-pacers are also raring to go. The balance of the team is good and if India manage to win the Test series against England, their confidence will go up further

In Sourav Ganguly, India have a fierce leader. Though he did not score too many runs, he can come good any day. In fact, it was Ganguly’s batting which exposed the limitations of the English attack. Full marks to the captain and his proud team. They have given us happiness and made us feel proud with their stupendous showing.

Credit goes to John Wright for the way he foresaw the Indian weak spots and devised ways to deal with them. With a physio and a trainer the team looks fit and very sharp and though it is too early to commit oneself, more results are in the offing.

But this team has to guard against complacency and not get carried away. Success can mean so much to the Indians but a couple of points need to be analysed first. Rahul Dravid was exposed as a wicketkeeper yesterday though he had done well in earlier matches. I suppose it was because India used spinners mostly and spin to me is the true test of a wicketkeeper.

Our selection policy also needs to be examined critically. What was the need to play two spinners when English conditions demand an extra seamer. Ajit Agarkar would have been pretty successful in these conditions and it was only because of his absence that England piled on so many runs.

The other Asian team in the series, Sri Lanka, played miserably. They depend heavily on off-spinner Muthiah Muralitheran and I feel his injury disheartened his teammates. Without him their bowling was ordinary in the series, as they allowed India and England to bat freely. Lanka won only one match and there will be a big post-mortem when they fly back home. I was surprised to see their batting fail. Maybe their batsmen are not suited to the English pitches where the ball swings a lot. But Lanka had been in England for more than a month before the one-day series. Their batsmen should have adapted themselves to the pitches and conditions.

Lanka not only lost the tri-series, England beat them in the Tests also. I feel Sanath Jayasuriya’s captaincy will be under scrutiny. His poor form with the bat will also be a factor.

England could have very easily become the champions yesterday but they could not defend a score of 325. Without Andy Caddick their bowling lacked penetration as Darren Gough was also bowling after an injury lay-off.

Malswam Tluanga, Ashim Biswas, Bungo Singh and Syed Rahim Nabi found the target during a 15-minute blitz late in the second half of the match enabling India emerge victorious in the group-IV qualifiers.

India enjoyed overwhelming superiority for almost entire 90 minutes in the flood-lit encounter but missed a number of chances in the first session that ended goal-less.

Midfield talent Malswam Tluanga emerged the hero of the day for the hosts as he played a key role in each of the four goals and was adjudged man of the match.

Kyrgyzstan had to play the last 15 minutes with 10 men as Chavelashvili Revaz was given marching order by referee Ramkrishna Ghosha after his second booking for bringing down an Indian defender.

India needed at least a 2-0 margin to get a passport for the final round after Tajikistan beat Bhutan 3-0 in the earlier match today.

India will now join 11 others at the final round of the AFC under-20 championship to be played in Qatar in October.

After managing to hold the much superior rivals goal-less in the first half, Bhutanese players meekly surrendered in the second as the Tajiks scored the goals within a span of just 19 minutes at the Salt Lake Stadium.

The winners went ahead in 61st minute as Faridun received well an Ismailov Jamshed cross from the left and pushed home to the right of Bhutan custodian Puspalal Sharma.

Faridun, who replaced Borotov Murodali, late in the first half, again found the target a minute later when he netted with a fine bicycle volly after getting a loose ball inside the box.

The Tajiks continued to attack and Faridun completed his hattrick in the 88th minute when he outwitted Bhutanese defender Thinley Dorjee and put the ball in from close.

Tajikistan thus finished their group engagement with seven points and a 5-0 goal difference.

India, having secured four points from their first two outings, need to beat Kyrgyzstan later this evening by at least a two-goal margin to move to the final round of the tournament to be played in Qatar in October.

The Tajiks could have increased the margin had Djabarov Sharif not missed a penalty in the 34th minute when his shot went straight to Bhutan goalkeeper Puspalal Sharma, who punched the ball out. The rebound shot was ballooned over the bar by another Tajik striker. PTI