India beat Pakistan by five runs in a thrilling final in Johannesburg on Monday to win the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup.
The Indians, who went into the tournament with the experience of just one match in cricket's newest format, showed great character under new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] to emerge triumphant.
Batting first, India posted a modest 157 for five in their 20 overs, but came back strongly with a disciplined effort with the ball to bowl out Pakistan for 152.
For India, opener Gautam Gambhir [Images] led the way with a solid knock of 75, hitting eight boundaries and two sixes in his 75-ball knock. He offered solidity in the middle overs, even though wickets kept falling at the other end.
Irfan Pathan [Images], making his comeback, bowled a magical spell of 3 for 16 in four overs to break the backbone of the Pakistani batting and was rightly adjudged the man of the match.
R P Singh also made a notable contribution, claiming 3 for 27 in four overs, along with Joginder Sharma, who bagged 2 for 20, including the final wicket.
The young side, missing the likes of Sachin Tendulkar [Images], Sourav Ganguly [Images] and Rahul Dravid [Images], showed great determination and kept their cool even in tense situations.
Special praise is due to Dhoni, who led the side with distinction, even though it was his first outing as the captain of the team.
Join us in congratulating him and his boys on the historic achievement!
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