India were crowned World Cup champions for the second time after they beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a captain's innings as he weighed in with an unbeaten 91 off 79 balls as India, chasing 275 for victory, reached 277 for four with 10 balls of their innings remaining.
Full ScoringIndia, the 1983 champions, had looked in early trouble as they slipped to 31 for two with Virender Sehwag (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) both dismissed by paceman Lasith Malinga.
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli (35) started India's recovery with a third-wicket partnership of 83 before Kohli was superbly caught and bowled by off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan to leave the home side on 114 for three.
PICKING UP RUNS AT WILL
Gambhir and Dhoni then took charge of the match with a well-paced fourth-wicket partnership of 109.
Both batsmen looked unflustered at the crease as they seemingly picked up runs at will. Gambhir, who was dropped by Nuwan Kulasekara at long-off with his score on 30, made his way to 97 off 122 deliveries before he was bowled by seamer Thisara Perera.
Dhoni, who had struggled for runs during the tournament, shrugged off his patchy form as he raced to his fifty off 52 balls.
He eventually struck eight fours and two sixes during his masterful innings and it was fitting that he struck the winning runs when he lofted a six over long-on.
Malinga was the most successful Sri Lanka bowler on show and he ended with figures of two for 42 while off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, playing his last international match, finished wicketless while his eight overs cost 39 runs.
SUPERB CENTURY
Mahela Jayawardene had earlier crafted a superb century as Sri Lanka posted 274 for six.
Jayawardene hardly played a rash stroke and his innings was based more on proper cricket strokes and timing than brute strength but the elegant right-hander still scored very quickly to end not out on 103 off just 88 balls.
The 33-year-old batsman struck 13 fours while compiling his 14th one-day international ton as Sri Lanka launched a savage attack towards the back-end of their innings.
Ninety-one runs were scored off the last 10 overs with 63 of the runs coming off the last five overs, when Sri Lanka utilised their batting powerplay.
Jayawardene was ably supported by Thisara Perera with the left-hander ending not out on 22 off just nine balls thanks to three fours and a six.
ZAHEER STARS
Sri Lanka started slowly, with just nine runs scored off the first five overs. Left-arm quick Zaheer Khan was the star with the ball at the start of the innings with an opening spell of 5-3-6-1 and he had Upul Tharanga (2) caught at first slip by a diving Sehwag.
Dilshan (33) was bowled off his glove by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh before Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara added 62 runs for the third wicket.
Sangakkara looked set for a big score but he edged a long-hop from left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh to keeper Dhoni to be dismissed for 48.
Thilan Samaraweera (21) was trapped leg-before by Yuvraj before Zaheer had Chamara Kapugedera (1) caught at short extra cover as Sri Lanka slipped to 182 for five.
But Nuwan Kulasekara (32) and Jayawardene settled matters with a sixth-wicket partnership of 66 to set the platform for the late assault.
Zaheer, after having figures of 7-3-16-2, ended with two for 60 off 10 overs after suffering at the hands of Perera while Yuvraj picked up two for 49.
Teams
Sri Lanka - Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara (capt, wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedera, Thilan Samaraweera, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Suraj Randiv.
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