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Monday, April 4, 2011, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 2:30 am (IST)

Saluting Team India
WHEN did we last see such outpouring of sheer joy on the streets of India and in the hearts of Indians as the nation celebrated the success of Team India which emerged triumphant in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup! Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s last sixer not only lofted his team to the top, but also lifted the smog of a season of scandals that had recently engulfed the country.

The Indian cricket team poses for a group photo with President Pratibha Patil during a tea party at the Governor's House in Mumbai on Sunday. — AFP

The cup of joy overflows
Chandigarh, April 3
People had prayed, observed fasts, some stood on one leg and others resolutely gave the loo a miss during Saturday’s final in the belief that they could will Team India to win. The victory, when it came, uncorked spontaneous outbursts of joy around the country as fireworks lit up the sky, crackers contributed to the deafening cries as people danced through the night.

Editorial: A much-awaited euphoria
More World Cup stories on Sports page

The road to glory
Just a few yards down from the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, off Marine Drive, lay three labourers sleeping, dead to the world around them that had gone mad with joy. As horns blared and people screamed, sang and danced down the street, these three lay on the sidewalk motionless, a tiring day possibly putting them beyond these noises. But they lay there in their Team India shirts, spanking new, reflecting India's climb to the top.
(Details on Sports page)

The script could’ve been different

Mumbai, April 3 The story of the World Cup final could have been different. There were little twists and turns in the game where the script could have changed. One never knows, but the equations of cricket can be extremely dodgy. Take the toss for example. Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara claims he called ‘heads’ the first time and Dhoni heard ‘tails’. So when the coin landed heads up, the Indian skipper thought he had won the toss, but the Sri Lankan insisted he had. Fans on a high

Murali walks into the sunset
With 39-year-old spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan bowing out of international cricket at the end of the 2011 World Cup, his fans wistfully recalled the breath taking performances of the affable cricketer. While Murali, as he is fondly referred to by his fans, would have liked to retire from the game with a win for Sri Lanka, the defeat did not take away from the elaborate send off he received on arrival in Colombo on Sunday.

In this photograph taken on March 29 this year, Muttiah Muralitharan is carried back to the dressing room after Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in the ICC World Cup semifinal.

It was a total team effort A nation roared and the whole world sat up to notice the Indian team’s supremacy over world cricket. A volcano of joy erupted as Dhoni slammed the final six of the game. It was pure passion that won us the match last night and we can all proudly say ‘Saare jahaan se acha, Hindustan hamara.’ After the win I felt like a proud man, but above all a proud Indian. Cricket fans celebrate victory over Sri Lanka in Siliguri.