MUMBAI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni clouted a soaring six to secure India's first World Cup title in 28 years and the first for the great Sachin Tendulkar in six attempts with a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Saturday's final. Skipper Dhoni scored an unbeaten 91, sharing a 109-run stand with Gautam Gambhir (97), 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. Tendulkar didn't get his 100th international hundred, but earned a cherished Cup title and he was lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates for a victory lap. “It's the ultimate thing and I'm experiencing it,” Tendulkar said. “I couldn't have asked for anything better. It's the proudest moment of my life.” Tendulkar was out for 18 but he's done enough in two decades for his teammates to dedicate the victory to him. “He carried the hopes of the nation for 21 years so it's time we carried him on our shoulders,” batsman Virat Kohli said. Tendulkar, 37 and the leading runscorer in international cricket, praised his teammates, too. “It's never too late as they say. Thanks to all my teammates. Without such fabulous performance and such consistency it would never have happened,” he said, adding that he wasn't too proud to shed a tear. They were happy tears, so I wouldn't mind crying.” Muralitharan, the leading wicket taker in international cricket, was visibly hampered by niggling injuries that slowed him down and didn't allow him the spring he needs for the extra spin that has bamboozled batsmen for a generation. The result also made Mahela Jayawardene the first batsmen to score a century in a World Cup final and end up on a losing team. The match tilted twice, with India on top at the start before some late hitting led by Jayawardene and the middle order. Lasith Malinga removed both Indian openers in an express pace opening spell to keep the visitors on track, but India's long batting lineup remained calm enough to keep grinding the target down. There was traffic chaos on the adjoining Marine Parade, with the road jammed with cars and motor bikes honking horns, waving Indian flags and letting off firecrackers. Yuvraj Singh, who scored an unbeaten 21 in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Dhoni and was voted player of the series, said the Indians “batted like champions.” “This is unbelievable. This is the most special one for whole of India, for Sachin, for the whole team. It's just amazing. We batted like champions.” Sangakkara said he was proud of the way his Sri Lankans pushed the tournament favorites to the limit, in the closest final since 1992. “I'm very proud of everyone, especially Mahela Jayawardene who rose to the occasion with a great hundred,” he said. “It's been a great tournament for us.” When Malinga removed Virender Sehwag, lbw for a duck on the second ball, and Tendulkar India was 31-2 in the seventh over and the Sri Lankans were celebrating. But Gambhir and Kohli (35) combined to revive the innings in an 82-run partnership which took some momentum away from the Sri Lankans. Gambhir was on 30 and the total at 68-2 when he played an ill-advised shot to Suraj Randiv's third ball and was lucky to survive as Nuwan Kulasekara was unable to take a catch at his feet near the long-off boundary. Tillakaratne Dilshan broke the partnership with a brilliant return catch. Dhoni promoted himself up the order with the total at 114-3 when a captain's steadying influence was required. He passed 6,000 runs in ODIs when he reached 42 and brought up his 50 with an imperious backfoot cover drive against Muralitharan. Dhoni and Gambhir combined for 118 balls before Thisara Perera finally ended the first century stand of the match when Gambhir succumbed to another rush of blood, stepping down the pitch in a bid to reach his hundred with a boundary, only to lost his middle stump. That left India requiring 52 runs from 52 balls with six wickets in hand. Not a problem for Dhoni. Earlier, Jayawardene scored a calm and composed 103 from 88 balls to post only the sixth century in a World Cup final. The 1996 champion made an uncharacteristically sluggish start after winning the toss, the top three of Upul Tharanga (2), Dilshan (33) and Sangakkara (48) slightly misfiring for a rare time in the tournament. Zaheer Khan bowled impeccably and didn't concede a run in his first three overs, taking a vital early wicket to remove Tharanga as the Sri Lankans crawled to 31-1 in 10 overs. He finished as the equal leading wicket taker in the tournament with 21. The Sri Lankans scored 63 runs in the last five overs in a batting powerplay, including 24 in the last nine balls. Nuwan Kulasekera (32) shared a valuable 66-run sixth-wicket with Jayawardene and Thisara Perera pulled Zaheer for six on the final ball to finish unbeaten on 21 from nine balls.
