Sambit Bal, ring-side at Johannesburg, homes in on the two major points about India's performance:
Throughout the tournament, India have played with a refreshing energy and positiveness which, on top of their natural flair, has endeared them to the fans. Not surprisingly, they have featured in the most exciting contests in the tournament. In his excitement, Dhoni perhaps forgot the loss to New Zealand when he referred to a "cent percent" record, but even in that match India stayed competitive for the most part. While it's premature to call this a new dawn, the signs are palpable: India's future in the shorter versions lie in the men who have a future. The close series against England masked some of the flaws, but this tournament has made the strengths obvious. It's now up to those who matter to see the signs.
While Mahendra Singh Dhoni - to his credit - singled out the bowlers for praise even over a batting lineup that has exceeded expectations (and how rare is that, when set against previous captains who have lavished praise on the batting with, at best, a perfunctory nod for bowlers who have as a unit routinely performed better than expected?), S Rajesh singles out India's newest captain for his share of plaudits:
Along with the excellence in each of the three departments, what has also stood out has been Dhoni's captaincy in his first full series in charge. He has shrugged off his contribution as a leader, but throughout this frenetic tournament, he has kept a cool head in difficult circumstances, thought clearly, and backed his hunches. Bowling the impressive Joginder Sharma in the last over instead of Harbhajan Singh - who had a rare off day - was one such call which worked perfectly, just like it had against Ausralia. Dhoni wasn't shy of speaking to the bowlers when they weren't doing the job - more than once today he ran up to Sreesanth when things weren't going right for him. Dhoni clearly has the respect of the team, but the bigger challenge is for him to sustain the intensity and the relish for a job which can often get too much even for the most hardened pro.
Elsewhere, the international media is full of praise for the final, with Simon Briggs in the Telegraph calling it a mini-epic and suggesting it is the best World Cup final we have seen in a long long while. In terms of quality cricket, I thought the India-Australia semi-final shaded this by a long way, but when it comes to edge-of-seat excitement, the final could have been directed by Quentin Tarantino in one of his more manic moods.
A Richard Hobson piece in the Times produced a bit of a surprise:
The surprising defeat of West Indies at Lord's 24 years ago had a profound effect on cricket in India and this success may resonate just as deeply, with 20-over cricket likely to seize its one unconquered market in the leading countries. For Dhoni, the cool, impressive captain, even greater riches await.
Australia, too, could be significant beneficiaries. Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire, has pledged $5 million (about £2.47 million) to a winner-takes-all game between the world champions and a composite team from his own Caribbean event in Antigua next June. With the India board reluctant to release its national side, Australia are on standby.
Say what?! Apparently the Indian board does not want to enter its team in a 'private event' - never mind that the 'private event' has the full imprimatur of the West Indies Cricket Board (which confers official status on the Stanford League), and never mind too that the actual invite will come not from Stanford but from the WICB. The board is clearly so worried about establishing a precedent the ICL may exploit, that it will give up the prestigious one off (and deprive the team of a chance to relive its moment of glory) rather than do the right thing.
Triumph will be cherished: Dhoni
Advertisement
