A magnificent inning from Indian Captain M.S.Dhoni (91 runs off 79 balls) and Gautam Gambhir (97 runs off 122 balls) guided India to glory with the six wickets win over Sri Lanka to became the ICC World Champions after 28 Years.

India recaptured the crown which was first lifted by Kapil Dev team 28 years back at Lord’s in 1983 and 28 years later the team achieved the same under the Captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

At one stage it seems everything is lost when chasing the target of 275 for win, India lost their two big wickets with just 31 runs on the board in the 7^th over. Virendra Sehwag was first to go without troubling the scorer and then Sachin Tendulkar who looked in good touch during his stay also nicked L.Malinga wide delivery to break the heart of billions of fan across the globe.

But two young guns of Indian team, Virat Kohli (35 runs off 49 balls) and Gautam Gambhir steadied the Indian ship which was bobbling at start. Both put on valuable 83 runs for third wicket before Kohli dismissed with the score reading 114/3 in the 22^nd over.

Indian captain who has struggle for form in last 6 months promoted himself in the batting order and that was yet again a master stroke from Dhoni because he knew Sri Lanka has two off spinner bowling well so instead of sending Yuvraj Singh after Kohli dismissal he arrived at the crease with India still 161 runs behind form the target.

He played some remarkable and effortless stroke to keep the required run rate under check and keep the scorecard moving along with Gautam Gambhir. M.S.Dhoni hit 8 fours and two huge sixes during his knock. Both put on 109 runs for the 4^th wicket before Gambhir fell three short of well deserve century in the 42^nd over with India still needed 52 runs from 52 deliveries.

However Yuvraj Singh (21 runs off 24 balls) and Dhoni kept their cool to guide India over the line without any further hiccups. Dhoni hit the winning runs by swatting a huge six over the long-on boundary.

Earlier Kumar Sangakkara won the re-toss and elected to bat first. With the help fine century from Mahela Jayawardne (103 runs off 88 balls) and some late Sri Lankan assault they manage to put 274/6 in their 50 overs.

Sri Lanka able to take 63 runs in the batting powerplay and that’s made the difference in the score of 250 and 274. Zaheer Khan, who bowled three maidens and gave away just six runs in his first five overs, was plundered for 54 in his last five overs.

For India Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh picked up two wickets each, while Harbhajan Singh took one wicket.

M.S.Dhoni was declared Player of the Match for his brilliant unbeaten inning of 91 runs from just 79 balls.

Yuvraj Singh was declared Player of the Tournament for his all-round effort with bat and ball. He has taken 15 wickets in the tournament and scored 362 runs with an average of 90.50.

BCCI also awarded each of the 15 players Rupees 1 Crore and 50 lakhs to each supporting staff and 25 lakhs to each of the Indian selectors.

Delhi Cricket Board also announced the award with each of the three players Sehwag, Gambhir and Nehra will get rupees 1 Crore each while M.S.Dhoni will be awarded 2 Crore.

Match Summary (India Won by 6 Wickets)

Sri Lanka Inning– 274/6 in 50 Overs

M.Jayawardne- 103* K.Sangakkara–48

Yuvraj Singh– 10-0-49-2 Z.Khan- 10-3-60-2

India Inning– 277/4 in 48.2 Overs

G.Gambhir- 97 M.S.Dhoni – 91*

L.Malinga– 9-0-42-2 T.Dilshan- 5-0-27-1

Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final after holding their nerve to beat a spirited New Zealand by five wickets.

The Black Caps looked set for a competitive score in Colombo, but they collapsed from 192-4 to 217 all out.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (73) and Kumar Sangakkara (54) sent Sri Lanka charging towards victory before a flurry of wickets brought the match to life.
But Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews kept their cool to see the hosts home with 13 balls to spare.
Sri Lanka, the 1996 winners and 2007 finalists, will face the winner of Wednesday's showdown between India and Pakistan in Saturday's final in Mumbai.
And although they will be leaving the comfort of home soil, Sangakkara's men will go into the showpiece in confident mood, and all the better for having had their mettle tested by the ever-gutsy Kiwis.
When Chamara Silva was dismissed to leave the co-hosts 185-5 in the 43rd over, their score was almost identical to New Zealand's at the same point in their innings.

"Sri Lanka went into this game as favourites and walked away as winners, but New Zealand made it difficult for them. It's a remarkable performance for them to reach two consecutive finals - they were tipped as one of the favourites and they've played accordingly.." BBC Test Match Special's Tom Moody, former Sri Lanka coach

With men crowded around the bat and runs hard to come by, the Kiwis sensed the chance to reprise their sensational quarter-final fightback against South Africa.
But composed batting from Samaraweera (23) and some big-hitting from Mathews (14) defused the tension and saw the hosts over the line - in the process condemning their opponents to a sixth World Cup semi-final defeat.
The victory also ensured that Muttiah Muralitharan will bow out of international cricket on the biggest stage of all, after the spinner marked his farewell appearance on Sri Lankan soil with the wicket of Scott Styris for 57 from the final ball of his spell.
Chasing a modest 218, Upul Tharanga gave the Sri Lanka innings lift-off with a gloriously clean straight six off the third ball of the first over, bowled by off-spinner Nathan McCullum.
And the batsman continued his positive approach with four more boundaries before a lusty thrash was brilliantly caught one-handed by a diving Jesse Ryder.
Dilshan made a watchful start to his innings and was happy to deal mostly in singles as Sangakkara played himself in at the other end.
But the sight of the scoreboard ticking round to 100 in the 24th over seemed to provide the signal for a more aggressive approach as Dilshan pulled Jacob Oram for six and Sangakkara sent two crisp cover drives sailing to the fence.
Dilshan overtook Jonathan Trott as the competition's highest run-scorer as he careered past fifty, but hopes of a third century were dashed when he picked out Ryder at backward point.

Murali takes wicket with last home ball

Mahele Jayawardene was quick to follow as Daniel Vettori trapped him leg-before for one and when Sangakkara edged World Cup debutant Andy McKay to Styris at third man the game was very much alive.
A nail-biting and intense passage of play ensued as six overs passed without a boundary.
Silva eased the tension with two fours off Ryder before taking a swing at Southee and chopping onto his leg stump.
With the game in the balance, Samaraweera abandoned his cautious approach to clout Tim Southee through midwicket for four before the otherwise impressive McKay gave away five wides just when New Zealand could ill afford it.
Mathews brought the end into sight by clubbing the same bowler over his head for a six and a four in the space of three balls, and Samaraweera clinched the victory with an edge between the wicketkeeper and first slip.
For New Zealand, there will be disappointment at yet another defeat at this stage of the competition, but there is no disgrace in losing to Sri Lanka in Colombo, and the Black Caps can take pride from their performances in the group stage and their toppling of South Africa.
The semi-final started well for the Kiwis as Vettori, playing in what turned out to be his final match as skipper, won the toss and opted to bat.
New Zealand then made a steady start through openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill in reaching 32-0 after seven overs.
But McCullum's desire to clear the boundary proved his undoing as he swung wildly at a Rangana Herath delivery and was bowled.
Ryder was caught behind off Muralitharan and Martin Guptill (39) was castled by a trademark toe-crunching yorker from Lasith Malinga to leave New Zealand on 84-3.
Styris and Ross Taylor (36) rebuilt the innings with a partnership of 77, which looked to be laying the platform for the type of late charge that has served New Zealand so well in the tournament.
A long-hop from Ajantha Mendis provided the perfect opportunity to launch the assault, but Taylor's heave caught the toe-end of his bat and sailed straight to Tharanga at deep square-leg.
Kane Williamson, who escaped a run out when Jayawardene missed the stumps, helped himself to successive fours off Murali as New Zealand took 21 runs off the first two overs of the batting powerplay.
But any momentum was short-lived as he was trapped in front by Malinga attempting to clip the ball away to leg.
Having been made to work hard for the first five wickets, Sri Lanka wrapped up the New Zealand innings with apparent ease.
Nathan McCullum was caught behind off a faint edge to give Malinga his third wicket before leaving the stage for Muralitharan to raise the roof at the R Premadasa Stadium.
The sixth ball of his tenth over was a textbook off-spinner pitched well outside the stumps, which gripped and turned sharply into Styris's front pad, with the batsman trapped on his crease.
The euphoria that greeted umpire Steve Davis's raised finger was briefly interrupted by a referral but as replays confirmed the ball would have hit leg stump, Murali's adoring fans were free to resume their celebrations.
The final three wickets fell in the next two overs as Dilshan had Oram caught slogging and Mendis removed the final pair in the space of three balls.

---

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara: "The pressure was building at the end, we lost three quick wickets when we had been cruising at one stage, but everyone was pumped to give Murali a great send-off and they did a great job.
"Murali is an icon of Sri Lanka, a champion on the field and off the field. As a human being no-one matches him and he's the ultimate team man, you can't ask for anything more.
"I wish we could take the crowd with us but we know they'll be supporting us and thinking of us. But we haven't won anything yet, we need to work hard to be fresh and hungry for the final.
"We don't care who we're playing, just as long as we're there. We'll give it everything and hopefully that will be enough.
New Zealand's outgoing captain Daniel Vettori: "We scrapped pretty hard and gave ourselves a chance, but we just missed out. The top order really set it up. We needed to be better.

 Indian cricketers Suresh Raina (L) Zaheer Khan (2nd L) yuvraj Singh (3rd L) and Munaf Patel celebrate after winning the second semi-final match of The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011between against Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Associaton (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011. India...

 Indian cricketer Ashish Nehra reacts after taking the wicket of unseen Pakistan batsman Umar Gul during the second semi-final match of The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 between India and Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Associaton (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011.

 Pakistan bowler Wahab Riaz celebrates the wicket of Indian batsman mahendra Singh Dhoni during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011.

 ndian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011.

 Pakistan bowler Wahab Riaz celebrates the wicket of Indian batsman mahendra Singh Dhoni during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011.

  Pakistani fastbowler Wahab Riaz (R) reacts after taking the wicket of Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag during the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final match at The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011.

 Indian fast bowler Munaf Patel (C) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan batsman Abdul Razzaq during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011.

 Indian cricketers celebrate victory over Pakistan during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011. India beat Pakistan by 29 runs.

 Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (L) plays a shot as Pakistani wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal(R) looks on during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011.

 Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag (L) and Sachin Tendulkar take a run during the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final match between India and Pakistan at The Punjab Cricket Associaton (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on March 30, 2011.

'If six specialist batsmen haven't done the job for you, then what're the chances that the seventh will?' That's the argument often put forward by those who advocate playing only six specialist batsmen - including the wicketkeeper - in a one-day side, and going with five frontline bowlers. That might be sound logic in a normal one-day game on a normal flat pitch, but in World Cup 2011, conditions haven't been as perfect for batting as was earlier expected, and there's been enough evidence to suggest that a seventh batsman has a key role to perform.

In some of the vital games of the tournament, the runs scored or not scored by the No.7 batsman has gone a long way in deciding the outcome. India have experienced the benefit of changing their personnel at that position in the last two knockout matches. In both matches, Suresh Raina came in to bat at exactly the same score - 187 - at almost the same stage of the innings - after 37.3 overs against Australia in the quarter-final, and after 37 overs against Pakistan. In the first game, there was the danger of a run-chase that seemed in control going completely awry at the end; in the semis, the team could have collapsed for around 230, which would have been a hugely below-par score. On both occasions, Raina kept his composure under pressure, showed superb shot-selection, and batted right till the end to bail India out.

Luke Wright, Colin Ingram and David Hussey are some of others who've made important contributions at No.7. Wright's 44 off 57 on a difficult pitch in Chennai ensured England had enough runs in a must-win game against West Indies. Ingram rescued South Africa after they'd slid to 117 for 5 against Ireland, while Hussey's 38 off 26 balls against India at least Australia a reasonable total to defend.

Batting at No.7 is a tough enough job in ODIs, but it's become even tougher in this tournament because of the nature of the pitches. The turn and the lack of pace has made it extremely difficult for batsmen to get on with the job of run-scoring from the moment they arrive at the crease. In the tournament so far, the No.7s from the nine Test-playing teams have averaged a mere 17.41 runs per wicket, with Ingram's 46 against Ireland being the highest, and Wright's 44 the only other 40-plus score. That's a drop of more than 31% from the average of the No.7 batsman in the couple of years preceding it. Also, there were 23 fifty-plus scores in 357 innings during that period - that's an average of one such score every 15 innings. The difference between the numbers in the last two World Cups are even more prominent - a drop of almost 39%.

No.7s in World Cup 2011, and before*

Period	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
Jan 2009 - Feb 18, 2011	357	6950	25.45	87.85	2/ 21
In the 2011 World Cup	51	714	17.41	84.39	0/ 0
In the 2007 World Cup	54	967	28.44	87.11	0/ 6

* for the nine Test-playing teams only

The stats by batting position in the 2011 World Cup shows what you'd expect to see - high averages and strike rates for the first four slots, but lower averages and scoring rates for Nos.5 and 6, which indicate that scoring gets tougher against the softer and older ball. Not surprisingly, the overall average and run-rates in the last ten overs in this tournament are only 16.48 and 6.98, down from 21.42 and 7.17 in the couple of years preceding the World Cup.

Stats by batting positions for the top nine teams in World Cup 2011

Position	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
Openers	5096	42.82	85.30	11/ 27
No.3	2374	41.64	76.65	2/ 18
No.4	2177	41.07	85.87	6/ 11
No.5	1529	33.97	78.77	0/ 13
No.6	1091	24.79	79.75	0/ 4
No.7	714	17.41	84.39	0/ 0

The team-wise stats for No.7 batsmen show that, in terms of runs scored, the two finalists are at the two ends of the spectrum: India's No.7 batsmen have scored the most runs, and Sri Lanka's the least. In five innings, Sri Lanka's No.7 batsmen - Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews and Chamara Kapugedera - have managed only 41 runs at an average of 10.25. Pakistan have been similarly poor, with Shahid Afridi contributing only 62 in five innings. India's numbers look especially good thanks to Raina, who has scored 70 in 67 balls without being dismissed.

Team-wise stats of No.7 batsmen

Team	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike rate	Highest score
India	7	139	46.33	93.28	36*
New Zealand	6	111	18.50	83.45	35
England	6	98	19.60	82.35	44
Australia	4	91	45.50	118.18	38*
South Africa	6	78	15.60	77.22	46
Pakistan	6	65	10.83	118.18	20
West Indies	6	47	7.83	65.27	24
Bangladesh	5	44	11.00	47.82	21*
Sri Lanka	5	41	10.25	85.41	18

The middle-order problems in this World Cup extend to the No.5 slot as well. In the 2007 World Cup, there were four batsmen who scored more than 200 from the No.5 position: Sri Lanka's Chamara Silva was in excellent form and scored 350 runs at an average of almost 44, while Paul Collingwood and Ramnaresh Sarwan had excellent numbers as well. In this World Cup, Misbah-ul-Haq is the only batsman with more than 200. JP Duminy's 99 against Ireland has been the highest by a No.5 batsman in this World Cup, followed by Kieron Pollard's 94 against the same team. In 2007, Brad Hodge had scored a century, while there were 18 other scores of fifty or more.

Surprisingly, though, the stats for the No.6 position are pretty similar in the two World Cups - in fact, both the average and the strike rates are slightly higher in this tournament than in the previous one. That, though, seems to be an exception in a World Cup that has been a tough one for the lower-middle-order batsmen.

Nos. 5 and 6 in the last two World Cups*

	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
No.5 in 2007 World Cup	69	2281	43.86	85.55	1/ 18
No.5 in 2011 World Cup	59	1529	33.97	78.77	0/ 13
No.6 in 2007 World Cup	60	1096	21.49	77.29	0/ 4
No.6 in 2011 World Cup	53	1091	24.79	79.75	0/ 4

* for the nine Test-playing teams only

The two best teams in the tournament, and by no coincidence led by the two finest captains, will contest the final. Nothing can be better for what has been an outstanding event. The World Cup has given new life to the 50-over game and it has been hosted with great passion in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and in India. Now it has a dream final.

India will start favourites because they seem the more rounded of the two sides. They have players for most occasions and have batting match-winners of extraordinary pedigree. More important, as the tournament draws to a close, they seem to have a better idea of the combination they must believe will bring the World Cup home.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar are the best opening pair of the tournament, though by sheer weight of runs Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan will contest that. After the 175 against Bangladesh, Sehwag has been playing cameos, a bit like a brilliant actor working two shifts and leaving quickly after having delivered his lines impeccably. But even if he only does that, he makes it much easier for the batsmen to follow; especially, he takes the load off Tendulkar, who, apart from a quixotic phase in the semi-final, is batting as well as he ever has. The one thing he doesn't have in his gallery, a winner's medal, is a step away and I will be very interested in seeing how he keeps ambition at arm's length in the final.

India have resolved what is becoming a key position in this World Cup: Suresh Raina has batted with much confidence against Australia and Pakistan. Truly he has won back his spot and it has been wonderful to see him field, an area India are rather thinly endowed in. And Dhoni's extraordinary handling of Yuvraj Singh means he has the option of playing an extra seamer as he did against Pakistan. By working on his bowling Yuvraj has given himself the time to rediscover his batting form, paradoxical as that might seem.

India will come to Mumbai with their confidence soaring after back-to-back wins against opponents against whom they have had their most bruising encounters. And I have no doubt that Dhoni will not allow a win against Pakistan to be rated higher than any other. It cannot be so. It was a semi-final, not a final.

Indeed, Dhoni's leadership has been outstanding. He has backed his hunches and taken calls that might have seemed bizarre at the time, but always he has stayed calm and in control. It is a wonderful quality for a leader to possess. Having taken India to a World Twenty20 title, to the No. 1 spot in Test cricket, he now has the opportunity of winning a World Cup.

Arrayed in front of him are Kumara Sangakkara's mild, humble men, who become mighty competitors on a cricket ground. They have the most wonderfully innovative bowlers, men with unique styles and actions and who come at you from different angles. The top four batsmen are in brilliant form, and like India they are led by a man with extraordinary poise and assurance. Unlike India, though, they haven't quite ticked all their boxes yet.

Dilshan, Tharanga and Sangakkara have batted with great assurance, but after them, Mahela Jayawardene, another big-match player, hasn't had enough time in the middle, and Nos. 5, 6 and 7 appear a bit fragile. I believe Angelo Mathews should be the highest of those numbers, but he seemed to be in some pain in the quarter-final. If he is handicapped, and cannot bowl, for example, the Sri Lankans will lose the one outstanding feature they possess: the balance to the side. Mathews must bowl, otherwise the bowlers will start occupying positions from No. 7, and that would be dangerous. It must be a worry, too, that neither Thilan Samaraweera nor Chamara Silva has looked in good form. Sri Lanka look vulnerable if someone can penetrate their excellent top order early.

Hopefully Muttiah Muralitharan will be ready for the big day. He has had an extraordinary sense of drama to his life, picking up wickets with the last balls he bowled in Tests and in one-dayers in his country. Winning a World Cup and retiring would be a dream come true. In the home dressing room, too, they will be aware that the best present they can give Tendulkar is a World Cup medal. There will be some emotion in both camps.

Hopefully it will be a match worthy of a final, but even if it isn't - and the last three haven't been - it will not take away from what has been a really good World Cup.

Across India and Sri Lanka, separated by a stretch of water and a well-concealed rivalry, the word carries with it the forceful belief of possibility, shared between men and women, board room and assembly line, students and teachers, cops and crooks. The players, in their hotel rooms next to the Gateway of India, tussle against the idea of tomorrow, constantly reminding themselves to keep everything light: food, conversation, thoughts.

In a long, corkscrewing, exhausting World Cup, this suddenly becomes the best of times. Everyone involved in the World Cup final cannot escape the passing thought about how everything that they have done till now - picking up a bat or a ball, their first century, their first five-for - has telescoped into these hours. When it's done late on Saturday night, the champion will be swept away by adrenaline, the loser by regret.

Today, though, before it all begins, they will all feel like winners.

Just around noon on Friday, MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara descended from staircases, on either side of the sightscreen at the pavilion end of the Wankhede Stadium, to come together for an official photograph. They will walk down the same staircases for the toss on Saturday, knotted inside, their sang-froid a mere mask. On Friday, though, they were at ease; relaxed; Sri Lankan and Indian, lean and brawny, joking during the photo shoot, together hanging on to an 11kg silver and gold trophy that only one of them will be entitled to lift tomorrow. Maybe even the trophy was relieved; there were rumours it had been detained by Mumbai customs upon arrival.

Sangakkara spoke of a state of "controlled excitement" in the Sri Lankan dressing room, but he could have been speaking for everyone. Dhoni, usually glib, and often on auto-pilot with his media-conference replies, did have his Captain Cool cape on, but even he seemed a bit respectful of where he finds himself, "20 or 14 hours before the start of the game." Like he has always done, he will stay away from the bowlers meeting on Friday night, saying it helps him formulate his own alternative plans, if the bowling begins to fray on the field the next day.

He is happy that India have had a short and sharp two-day gap between the semi-finals and the final, saying it "helps you to not think too much." In the packed media conference room where both captains' press conferences were held, Dhoni and Sangakkara accepted that the contest had a greater meaning than the cliched "normal match". No matter what the price of the final tickets or how small the stadium, Dhoni said he knew every Indian would be watching. Sangakkara said victory would bring joy to a troubled nation, remembering those "who had down their lives for our country."

Dhoni reminded a foreign reporter of the truths of Indian cricket, telling him he had been swapping channels and saw footage of celebrations outside his house after the semi-final. "Not to forget that was the very house where in 2007 a few other things also happened, but that's what happens in India, so it's better to be at your best," he said alluding to the attack on his house after India's last World Cup campaign ended in disappointment.

India's best in this World Cup has slowly gained strength in the knockout rounds in contrast to how comfortably the Sri Lankans have gone. The lack of anxiety en route to the finals has not made Sangakkara anxious though. "It is hard to say which one of them is better for us [winning comfortably or through tough games]. We are happy that we are here. We have had to win games; we didn't get any walkovers in our journey here. We are pretty confident of the fact that we have been one of the best sides of the tournament."

The rivalry between India and Sri Lanka is neither as old as England-Australia, nor as fervent as India-Pakistan. Its ferocity lies not in its history, nor in the actual contest, but among its fans and the growing animosity among its diaspora. In the past three years, the India v Sri Lanka fixture has been repeated so often that it can leave the most diligent of watchers wondering, in jest, about what on earth could make this an occasion.

It was Sangakkara who spelt it out, saying the subcontinent, and the teams that represent it, is the "best place" to play cricket. "No other place can match the buzz, the hype, the excitement around the game. When you play a tournament of this magnitude here, it kind of lifts the entire occasion, makes that occasion a lot more glorious."

ICC chief Haroon Lorgat, in his enthusiasm, may have over-anticipated the moment of possibility, when before India's quarter-final on March 24, he asked a dumbstruck press corps, "How about this scenario of Sachin Tendulkar scoring his 100th century at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in the final?" The Sri Lankans will not be amused, but they may be happy to be seen as invisible. When Mahela Jayawardene ran into an acquaintance at the ICC awards six months ago, he was told that his team were one of the strongest contenders for the trophy. He held up his hands and laughed, "Keep it quiet, keep it quiet."

It can be kept quiet no longer. In reply to a question in Sinhala, Sangakkara reminded his countryman that since 1992, the World Cup final had always featured one Asian team. Now there are two, and the comfort in home conditions has played a big role in them getting there. At the same time, India and Sri Lanka deserve credit for their admirable endurance of the public expectation they move around with; something other teams didn't have to face.

South Asia's World Cup has been everything for everyone. It has dimmed the horrors and failures of 2007, reinvigorated the 50-over game, and kept a six-week marathon around three countries and 13 venues alive. The cricket has been entertaining, the sub-continent has struck one back for the bowlers so much so that an event mournfully advertised as the "batsman's" World Cup with "par scores above 300" has actually been a gritty contest between bat and ball. Only three times have there been 300-plus first innings scores in games featuring two Test playing nations in this tournament. The Cup's top ten wicket-takers are equally split between the spinners and the fast bowlers. Still there have so far been 254 sixes and 1850 fours in the tournament.

On Friday evening, the sun went into the sea on the west, and Mumbai's famous local commuter trains clattered away every few minutes to the east of the Wankhede, carrying thousands home to a night of dreaming. Out in the centre, a machine called the Toro Greensmaster rumbled, trimming the outfield to make it faster, and a man carrying a vat full of chemicals hosed over it to prevent the onset of dew.

Advertising hoardings were being painted and swept by a broom. In this new-look, newfangled ground, men were still needed to clamber over a 25-foot high bamboo framework that made up the temporary sightscreen for net practice. Of all Indian grounds at the World Cup, it was only in Mumbai that the players could train on either side of the centre wicket.

While waiting for their to turn to bat or bowl, both India and Sri Lanka's players would have looked over at the strip - bare, brown, like a piece of land close to cracking with drought - and thought about their tomorrows. The batsmen on both sides went skyward during practice, trying to marry elevation with distance. They hit the boundary boards, scattered balls into the stands like stones, and looped them over the sightscreens. The bowlers tossed the ball up, lips curling into disdain when the batsman was entrapped into hurrying, miscuing or mistiming the ball into areas that are expected to be manned. If Toro Greensmaster has his way, fielding is not going to be the happiest part of the warm-ups on Saturday.

The World Cup doesn't do those lovely photographs any more, of all the participating teams lined up behind their captains and looking at a photographer high in the sky, be it at Lord's or Eden Gardens, in front of Sydney Opera House or on a South African ice-breaking naval ship. It is the only time the cricket world can actually stand together, but it doesn't happen anymore. Tomorrow, symbolically, again they will have a chance.

So, when the two umpires shake hands with each other and walk out, they will represent the rest of the cricketing world who have returned home, all defeated, some disappointed, some optimistic. It will be Australian Simon Taufel's first chance to stand in a World Cup final. His partner Pakistani Aleem Dar will look up to the sky and make a familiar gesture: touch his heart and then the ground. He does this in memory of the daughter he lost when officiating in the 2003 World Cup, a reminder that man comes from and returns to the earth. It is both a remembrance and a reminder that in the manic few hours before a World Cup final, it will help everyone in cricket - those on the field and those watching outside - to always stay grounded.

At 9pm, the trains rattled and the floodlights at the Wankhede shut down, one tower at a time. They won't come on until sunset on Saturday.

One of the most important benefits from India's scrappy World Cup semi-final victory over Pakistan - apart from the sound and sight of a hundred firecrackers going out around the PCA stadium on a Mohali night and the adoration of millions - is their team's sense of being in what captain MS Dhoni equated to a good spell.

Dhoni said the format of the World Cup had helped the Indians get to a stage just before the final where off-field distractions and on-field pressures could both be handled. "The format really helped us. We have had quite a few close games where we were tested. Some of the youngsters were tested. They were at the crease at a time when a big performance was needed from them. Slowly they are getting into the groove."

Dhoni said India's performances in the knockouts had given the team a greater sense of comfort going into the final, with regard to the pressures of the event. He compared the last week of the World Cup to a bowler bowling at more than 150kph. "Once you do that you don't think whether you are bowling 155 or 160. So I think after the semis, the final won't feel much different. The feeling (of the importance of a game) has been static for a while and hopefully that will really help us."

In the semi-final, Dhoni said the Indians had read the wicket incorrectly in deciding to opt for a 3-1 attack, replacing offspinner R Ashwin with left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra. It was driven, he said, by India's part-time options as well as Pakistani batsmen generally being at ease against spin. "We can manoeuvre with the part-timers. We thought on a normal Mohali pitch, you don't see assistance to spinners. The ball doesn't turn big time. Here the ball was stopping.

"I felt it was better to go with safer option, but we went with a safe option and misread the wicket."

The Indians, Dhoni said, had paced their innings against Pakistan well, particularly when compared to how they had handled the World Cup's middle and end overs prior to this game. The track, he said, became slower at the halfway stage, and with the Pakistanis bowling tight and India losing Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh off consecutive deliveries, it had become difficult to rotate the strike. "Their spinners bowled really well, even Mohammad Hafeez was able to capitalise." The innings calculation had then been tempered down. "After losing two wickets in the middle overs it is important to bat 50 overs in big games, you shouldn't look to score 300-320. If the wicket is behaving in a different way, re-adjust your target."

Dhoni said he had thought India's total of 260 was "a good score not a safe score" and India's immediate target had been to "not give away runs with the new ball."

All that Dhoni was willing to comment on about the first-ever all-Asian World Cup final to be held on April 2 was to praise the Sri Lankans for their progress through the tournament. India he said, "have also really been tested more often than not and it will be a really good game. It's not about what your rating is but how good you are on the day. You have to be at your best."

Walking in to the freshly rebuilt Wankhede Stadium the day before the World Cup final, the most arresting visuals are the huge hoardings featuring Indian cricketers in body paint and primal scream. There's MS Dhoni looking slightly out of character; there are Harbhajan Singh and Virat Kohli in an extension of their on-field persona; and there is Virender Sehwag looking brooding and intense.

One cricketer is significant by his absence. Sachin Tendulkar doesn't endorse this cola brand anymore.

But just as well. For all of India, the World Cup has built itself up for the perfect finale, the dream finish: The Indian team winning it as the perfect gift for its greatest ever cricketer. It would complete the Sachin Tendulkar story. Throw in the hundredth hundred and the whole nation could die in peace. But Tendulkar isn't the only legend due a fairytale. There is another team in the match and what a farewell would it be for Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lanka's greatest cricketer.

And if precedent is anything to go by, the force is with Murali. The final ball of his Test career yielded a wicket, his 800th. The final ball of his international career at home fetched another and led to a comfortable win in the World Cup semi-final. Injury or not, who'd bet against him bowing on one leg and walking off the field with a handsome smile?

Fans in the subcontinent can sometimes be accused of missing the bigger picture by obsessing with individuals and certainly no one man can win the World Cup by himself. But that Tendulkar and Murali lend this World Cup final a certain poignancy and romance is unquestionable. Neither deserves disappointment but that's the cruelty of sport: for one dream realised tomorrow, there will be one broken. Murali has already been part of a World Cup-winning team but, if India lose tomorrow, Tendulkar will never know the feeling.

	Neither deserves disappointment but that's the cruelty of sport: for one dream realised tomorrow, there will be one broken. Murali has already been part of a World Cup-winning team but, if India lose tomorrow, Tendulkar will never know the feeling.

Their craft and ways are different, but there are remarkable similarities between Tendulkar and Murali. Their careers have almost run concurrently and they have built records that are unlikely to be ever broken. Neither has allowed fame to corrupt them or divert them from their path. Both have made their nations proud not merely by their achievements on the field, but also with the dignity and grace they have conducted themselves off it. The controversies that Murali's action generated were not of his making; if anything, the way he has dealt with them has merely enhanced his reputation. And if Tendulkar can be accused of anything it is of being too reticent.

They have even had similar rivals. When they dazzled, Brian Lara and Shane Warne were more magical and compelling, but Tendulkar and Murali have endured because their devotion to the game was purer and they allowed nothing to distract them. And over the years they have become strong symbols of national identity in a way Lara and Warne could never have become.

And from their team-mates they have not merely earned respect but genuine affection. Murali has always been the soul of the Sri Lankan dressing room. Both Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara spoke endearingly about what a "nuisance" Murali is with his constant chattering about cricket. "He perhaps thinks he knows more about batting than Sachin," Jayawardene said. Murali, already a star, was the first team-mate to take him out for a meal when Jayawardene was a nobody, and he was neither the first nor the last one to receive his kindness. "Murali is always there for you," Jayawardene said.

Tendulkar has never been as effusive by nature but, from all accounts, young players are drawn to him. Unlike some of his predecessors whose presence was intimidating, Tendulkar has been a calming influence in the dressing room, leading not merely by example but by doing little things to put at ease younger players who might have otherwise been star-struck by him.

If there is anything lacking between them, it's the absence of the kind of rivalry forged between either Tendullkar and Warne, and Murali and Lara. Leave aside a grand series, or full innings or a spell, it's hard to remember a moment of magic involving them. And remarkably, even though India and Sri Lanka have played each other incessantly in the last few years, our ball-by-ball records show only 91 balls in ODIs and 366 balls in Tests between Tendulkar and Murali.

The World Cup can have only one winner tomorrow. Neither Tendulkar nor Murali would mind personal failure in their final World Cup match if their team ends up on the winner's podium. For cricket's sake, though, let's pray that these two titans rouse each other to a battle worthy of them.

The Big Picture  

The defending champions didn't make it, the mercurial outsiders stumbled, the strong contender choked, the Ashes winners ran out of gas, and after six weeks of high drama, we have come to this: the first all-Asian World-Cup final. And they deserve to be there: five of the top six run-getters, two out of top five wicket-takers, the fielder with the most catches and the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals will all be on show. The two teams have rallied around two of the best modern-day captains: MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara.

Sangakkara is a fiercely ambitious man. Arjuna Ranatunga was almost the freedom fighter, infusing self-respect and clearing the colonial hangover, Mahela Jayawardene was the astute captain who brought so much tactical nous and cricketing intelligence, and Sangakkara is trying to add ruthlessness. Ranatunga pushed the boys to become men, Jayawardene made the men self-aware, and Sangakkara is trying to turn them ruthless. The evolutionary journey has produced a World Cup triumph, a runners-up finish and now, a chance to win it for the second time.

Sangakkara's dream, however, has been hit a nightmarish blow with the injury to Angelo Mathews. Even Muttiah Muralitharan won't be 100% fit. Mathews' absence severely affects the balance of the team and adds huge pressure on an already brittle lower-middle order, where Chamara Silva and Thilan Samaraweera haven't exactly set the tournament alight. Silva, who dazzled in the 2007 edition, has proved combustible in this tournament. Samaraweera is there to manage a collapse, and he did that really well in the curtailed game against Australia. Neither has Mathews' talent to turn a 225 score into 275.

To state the obvious, Sri Lanka will now heavily depend on Tillakaratane Dilshan, the captain and Mahela Jayawardene if they are to put up or chase down a daunting target. They will now have to bat with the knowledge that the lower middle order might not withstand a top-order collapse. Dilshan, though, is in great form, Sangakkara has looked as gritty as ever and while Jayawardene is yet to really flow, he can be always be counted on to come good in pressure games. And Sri Lanka have a varied bowling attack to defend even relatively unsafe totals and the ability to restrict the opposition from piling up too much.

MS Dhoni is a quietly ambitious man. Sourav Ganguly was passionate, Rahul Dravid was process driven, Anil Kumble led from the front with his grit, while Dhoni has been an intuitive captain. He is level-headed, and shrewd enough to marry passion and process. He has soaked up the pressure of being India's captain, is smart enough to know the value of his own brand, and keeps his star-heavy team rolling smoothly with the aid of Gary Kirsten. India's previous two victories, against Australia and Pakistan, have ironed out many of the flaws seen earlier in the tournament. However, those two wins also raise the question of India being emotionally drained. Do they have fuel left in them to raise their game one final time?

The batsmen, who had perhaps tried too hard to compensate for the relatively weak bowling attack by trying to do too much in the end overs and collapsed in the batting Powerplay, seem more aware of identifying a viable target. Someone or other has taken charge during tricky chases. Yuvraj Singh showed tenacity in the chase against Australia, and Suresh Raina maturity in his shot selection against Pakistan.

The poor performance in the early part of the tournament seems to have freed up the bowlers. Expectations are lower and the pressure is off in some ways, allowing them to show better discipline and skill. Munaf Patel has greater control over his legcutters and Harbhajan Singh has slowed up the pace to give himself a better chance to take wickets.

In the last two years, Sri Lanka and India have won eight games apiece against each other. In the last year, the record stands 4-3 in Sri Lanka's favour. In their last five encounters in India, though, the record stands 3-1, with one no result, in the home side's favour. However, these two teams have played each other so often - tomorrow's final will be the 30th time since July 2008- that they should know everything there is to know about each other.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

IndiaWWWLW
Sri Lanka WWWWW

Sachin Tendulkar has the records, the mountain of runs and memorable Man-of-the-Match performances but there are a few things that have eluded him: a Test innings like Brian Lara's 153, a Ponting-esque record in World Cup finals and, indeed, a winner's medal. He has openly talked about his thirst for that World Cup triumph and has played his part in India's journey to Mumbai by being their top scorer. Will he achieve his dream tomorrow?

Muttiah Muralitharan has written some great scripts for himself: a memorable last Test match where he took the last wicket to get to the magical 800, a fabulous performance almost on one leg in his last ODI at home and now, with one World Cup winner's medal in the bag, he has the chance to end with another. He will fancy his chances against the Indian middle-order; he is likely to go around the stumps and aim for lbws with his off breaks and edges with his doosras. Can he script yet another great farewell?

Virender Sehwag's knock against Pakistan, defying the nerves of a World Cup semi-final, was vital in ensuring India could soak up the middle-over wobbles and reach a competitive score. If there is one man who can put up a nerveless display again in the final, it's him. It will be interesting to see how he plays the Sri Lankan spinners. Will he continue to, as he has done during this tournament and perished a few times, try hitting the spinners almost solely through the off side?

Mahela Jayawardene hasn't scored much after that 100 against Canada but all along, and even ahead of the tournament, he has been talking about his itch to perform in the big games. He has the skills to tame the Indian attack and the elegance to do it in style. It was a hundred in the semi-final of the 2007 World Cup against New Zealand that proved a major turning point in his career. "That hundred gave me confidence that I can do it at this big stage," Jayawardene said. "Ever since that moment I have probably lifted my game quite a bit and turned into a big-match player." Will he turn up for Sri Lanka tomorrow?

Team news

Ashish Nehra has been ruled out of the final and the Indian camp hasn't made it clear whether R Ashwin or Sreesanth will play. This is what Dhoni said when asked a direct question: "That is a tricky one. If you see the Mumbai track there is a bit of pace and bounce for the seamers initially. Also if there is reverse swing going the third seamer can have an impact on the game. At the same time if the three seamers are bowling well I can easily manoeuvre the bowling. But with four spinners and two fast bowlers there is not much room to manoeuvre too much."

And just when you think that's a clear hint Sreesanth will play, Dhoni adds, "If one of the fast bowlers has an off day it gets difficult. Still, not to forget, in whatever opportunities Ashwin got so far he has done really well. We have confidence in him. But we have not yet thought our bowling combination yet."

India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Suresh Raina, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Sreesanth/Ashwin, 11 Munaf Patel.

Sri Lanka have drafted Suraj Randiv into the squad but in Mathews' absence they will most likely turn to Thisara Perera, who almost doubles his career average of 19, and has a strike rate of 146.98, when he plays against India. It remains to be seen whether they will take the brave decision to play Randiv ahead of Rangana Herath. Randiv has played 13 games against India, with 12 wickets at an economy rate of 4.57, while Herath has played just one game against India. Herath has been playing regularly in this tournament, though, while Randiv has been drafted in from the cold.

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Lasith Malinga, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Suraj Randiv/Rangana Herath.

Try picking the XIs for tomorrow's game by playing Team Selector.

Pitch and conditions

The hot summer has transformed the nature of the pitch from the one on which Sri Lanka beat New Zealand. It's a dry surface and the curator Sudhir Naik was quoted in Times of India as saying that 260-270 will be an excellent score batting first.

There have been only ten day-night games at this venue and Sri Lanka achieved the highest successful chase, overhauling India's 225 in 1997. The highest score by a team batting second under lights is 250. The chasing team has won four out of ten games under lights though.

Stats and trivia

Dhoni's career ODI average is 48.04 but it falls to 22.37, with a highest score of 34, in 11 World-Cup games.

The Sri Lankan openers average 97.90 at a strike-rate of 90.10, while the Indian openers average 53.90 at a strike-rate of 102.06.

India have a better DRS record than Sri Lanka. India have made 14 appeals out of which three have been successful. Sri Lanka have had only one successful appeal in 10 attempts.

Yuvraj Singh is the third Indian, after Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, with five fifties in a single World Cup.

"I am a bit concerned about Sri Lanka's middle order. Mahela Jayawardene has failed to fire and the middle order is struggling a fair deal."
Arjuna Ranatunga, former world-cup winning captain, sweats over potential pitfalls

"You want to end the tournament on a good note. It's a big game for all of us. Irrespective of what the result is I am proud of the team I have."
MS Dhoni on the eve of the final

Sri Lanka overcame a serious bout of the jitters to book their place in Saturday's World Cup final in Mumbai, as New Zealand bowed out in the last four for the sixth time in ten campaigns, though with their pride fully intact after another fabulous never-say-die performance in Colombo.

In a strange amalgam of the one-sided thrashing that Sri Lanka handed out to England in their quarter-final on Saturday, and New Zealand's last-eight fightback against South Africa in Dhaka, the favourites duly progressed, and by a seemingly comfortable five-wicket margin. However, the closing stages were fraught in the extreme as a raucous home crowd was forced to postpone a party that had been in full swing for more than three-quarters of the contest.

Defending a mediocre total of 217 after a spirited batting effort had unravelled in a clatter of late wickets, New Zealand's lust for a scrap kicked in with a vengeance just when it seemed the match was finally out of their reach. At 160 for 1 in the 33rd over, with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara entrenched in a game-breaking partnership of 120, what little attention had been on this, the less glamorous of the two semi-finals, had already begun to drift towards Wednesday's epic match-up in Mohali.

But then Dilshan, cruising on 73 from 93 deliveries and seemingly destined for his second hundred in consecutive matches, slapped loosely at Tim Southee and picked out Jesse Ryder at point, whose second catch of the innings was a far less breathtaking affair than his earlier one-handed pluck off Sri Lanka's pace-setter, Upul Tharanga.

Three balls later, the new man Mahela Jayawardene was beaten in flight by a beautiful dipping delivery from Daniel Vettori and nailed plumb lbw for 1, whereupon Sangakkara's habitually cool head deserted him, as he attempted to steer the lively Andy McKay over the keeper for four, but ended up dollying a simple chance to Scott Styris at third man.

Sri Lanka had lost three wickets for eight runs in 22 deliveries, and just as had been the case in the throttling of South Africa, New Zealand's bowlers ramped up the aggro while maintaining supremely disciplined lines and lengths. On the same worn wicket that had been used for the England quarter-final, runs suddenly became excruciatingly hard to come by as Sri Lanka's untested middle order was fully exposed to the limelight.

Chamara Silva and Thilan Samaraweera scraped together nine runs in six overs as the asking-rate climbed to close to five, and it took a message from the dressing room, delivered with a drink from Dilhara Fernando, to persuade them out of their defensive mindset. Silva responded with two fours in consecutive deliveries as Ryder's seam-up was brought into the attack, but three balls later he tried to get aggressive against the extra pace of Southee and chopped onto his own stumps for 13.

	Muttiah Muralitharan was chaired off the field after his final match on home soil © AFP Enlarge

Samaraweera, however, had the experience to see his team home. A short ball from Ryder was fetched over midwicket for four, before a wild throw from Oram gifted him another four as the ball sailed over the keeper's head. Another error lopped five more precious runs off the total as a McKay wide slipped through the keeper's grasp, and though McKay responded with a beauty to Angelo Mathews that was sent to be reviewed for caught-behind, the lack of Hot Spot meant there was no evidence available to reverse the on-field decision.

And with a smoking six off Southee in the next over, the game was finally relieved of its tension - even though it took two winning shots to seal it, after Mathew's initial carve through the covers was called a dead-ball due to a firework exploding right at the moment of delivery. Instead, Samaraweera nudged through third man to wrap up the game with 13 balls to spare.

Such a nerve-jangling finale could not have seemed further from the agenda while Sri Lanka's innings was in full flow. From the moment Tharanga launched his third ball, from Nathan McCullum, straight down the ground for six, Sri Lanka were always ahead of the asking-rate. His departure for 30 from 31 balls did change the tempo of the Sri Lankan innings, but neither Dilshan nor Sangakkara had any reason to rush towards a modest victory target.

Sangakkara had an early let-off when he edged Oram at a catchable height through the vacant slip cordon, while Dilshan - who had been so combative against England - took 28 deliveries to score the second boundary of his innings, and his 50th of the World Cup to date. But he went on to pass 400 runs for the tournament, en route to overtaking Jonathan Trott as the leading run-scorer, and as Sangakkara finally began to nail his trademark cover-drives, New Zealand looked to have run out of ideas.

In hindsight, the Kiwis will look back on the closing stages of their own innings with regret, for a late collapse of 5 for 13, including 4 for 4 in 12 balls, undermined much of the good work they had put into the early part of their innings. The bed-rock was provided by Scott Styris, a centurion against Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup, who ground out a responsible 57 from 76 balls. But when he was extracted lbw by the final delivery that Muttiah Muralitharan will ever bowl on home soil, Sri Lanka responded euphorically to scythe through the tail and leave seven precious deliveries unused.

Whether a 240 target would have made any difference will remain a matter for conjecture. Though they fared better than any other team in the tournament so far in taking 41 runs off Sri Lanka's bowlers in the batting Powerplay, they were ultimately undone by the depth and variety of their attack, with Lasith Malinga's yorkers scalping three key wickets at critical moments.

Too many of New Zealand's batsmen made starts without going on. Martin Guptill flicked Malinga's fifth delivery through midwicket in a 65-ball 39, only for Malinga to york him superbly when he returned for his second spell, while Brendon McCullum slog-swept Rangana Herath for six, only to be bowled for 13 playing the exact same stroke. Taylor, whose ferocious hitting could have been so valuable at the death, launched a Mendis long-hop straight to deep midwicket just when he looked ready to build on his 36 from 55 balls.

But as Vettori takes his leave of the New Zealand captaincy, he can reflect on yet another campaign in which his team rose to the challenge of the big event in precisely the manner that too many of their supposed betters - namely England and South Africa - consistently fail to do. Sangakkara and his men, meanwhile, march on to their second final in consecutive World Cups, where Muralitharan - his broken body notwithstanding - will attempt to complete his career on the highest high imaginable.