India beat Sri Lanka with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni guiding the run chase on Saturday to deliver Iindia a grand victory.
Dhoni scored an unbeaten 91, sharing a 109-run stand with Gautam Gambhir (97) and finishing with a giant six, as India chased down Sri Lanka’s 274-6 to win by six wickets.
India became the first team to win batting second in a final since Sri Lanka beat Australia by eight wickets in 1996.
There was no winning farewell to international cricket for Muttiah Muralitharan, the only survivor from Sri Lanka’s ‘96 winning squad.
India lifted their first-ever Cricket World Cup, way back in 1983 when they beat the West Indies in a sixty-over a side final at Lord’s.
Earlier, electing to bat, Sri Lanka made 274 for six in the stipulated 50 overs. Former Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 103 off only 88 balls.
India began the run-chase disastrously losing both their openers with only 31 runs on the board in 6.1 overs. Virender Sehwag returned to the pavilion in the very first over. He fell leg before wicket to Malinga without opening his account. Sachin Tendulkar was out for 18.
The third-wicket partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli then steadied the innings with 83-run partnership. At that stage, Kohli departed at his individual score of 31.
Earlier, elected to bat, Sri Lanka made 274 for six in the stipulated 50 overs.
Former Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 103 off only 88 balls.
President Pratibha Patil and her Sri Lankan counter-part Mahinda Rajapaksha are among the high-profile personalities who watched the India-Sri Lanka World Cup final match at a fully packed Wankhede stadium.