Michezo magazetini leo...

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Abood kuiunga mkono serikali kuirejesha Five Stars


na Abdallah Menssah

MBUNGE wa Morogoro Mjini, Aziz Abood, ameahidi kuwa bega kwa bega na serikali katika ahadi iliyotolewa ya kulisaidia kujipanga upya kundi la mipasho la Five Stars.
Ahadi hiyo ya Abood, imekuja siku chache baada ya serikali kueleza kuwa, itahakikisha Five Stars inarejea upya, baada ya wasanii wake takribani 13 kufariki kwa ajali ya gari iliyotokea hivi karibuni Mikumi mkoani Morogoro.
Akizungumza kwa simu na mwandishi wa habari hizi kutoka mjini Morogoro jana, Abood alisema kuwa, anaamini kuundwa upya kwa kundi hilo itakuwa ni moja ya njia ya kuwaenzi wasanii wake waliopoteza maisha.
"Kiukweli, nimeguswa na tukio zima la vifo vya wasanii wa Five Stars pamoja na kusambaratika kwa kundi lao, hivyo naahidi kuwa bega kwa bega na serikali katika ahadi ya kulisaidia kundi hilo kurejea upya," alisema Abood.
Abood ni kati ya viongozi walioonekana kuwa mstari wa mbele kusaidia hili na lile tangu kutokea kwa ajali hiyo, usiku wa Jumatatu Machi 21.

 

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TP Mazembe watua Dar
• Watua na msafara wa watu 32 kwa ndege binafsi

na Dina Ismail

MABINGWA wa soka barani Afrika, TP Mazembe kutoka Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Congo (DRC), baada ya kusubiriwa kwa muda kuanzia jana asubuhi hatimaye waliwasili majira ya saa 12:45 jioni wakiwa na ndege ndogo ya kukodi.
Awali ujio wao uligubikwa na utata baada ya baadhi ya viongozi wa klabu ya Simba kuwa na taarifa ya kuwasili Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa Julius Nyerere majira ya saa 5:00 asubuhi ambapo pia ilikuwa wazungumze na waandishi wa habari makao makuu ya Shirikisho la Soka Tanzania (TFF), lakini hawakutokea.
Baadaye ikaelezwa kuwa mabingwa hao wangewasili na ndege ya Rais wao, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, majira ya saa 9 alasiri ambapo napo hawakutokea hadi majira ya saa 12 jioni, huku msafara wao ukiwa na watu 32 tayari kuwavaa Wekundu wa Msimbazi kesho kwenye Uwanja wa Taifa, jijini Dar es Salaam.
Ofisa habari wa Simba, Cliford Ndimbo, alisema maandalizi ya mechi hiyo yanaendelea vizuri na wamejipanga vema kushinda ili kuweza kuivua ubingwa timu hiyo.
Alisema, wachezaji wote wako katika hali nzuri na wameapa kucheza kufa na kupona ili kuhakikisha wanashinda na hivyo kuisukumiza nje kwenye michuano hiyo.
Simba ambayo ilifungwa mabao 3-1 katika mechi ya awali iliyopigwa machi 20 huko Lubumbashi, Congo, inahitaji kushinda mabao 2-0 ili kusonga mbele.

 

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Wajumbe TFF waonyesha uzalendo Stars
• Waimegea mil. 1.9 kuibwaga Afrika ya Kati

na Khadija Kalili

TIMU ya soka ya taifa ya Tanzania ‘Taifa Stars' ambayo inashiriki michuano ya kuwania tiketi ya kucheza Fainali za Kombe la Mataifa ya Afrika (CAN), mwakani huko Gabon na Ikweta ya Guinea imechangiwa sh 1,980,000 ili kufanikisha ushiriki wao.
Fedha hizo zilichangwa na wajumbe wa Mkutano Mkuu wa Shirikisho la Soka Tanzania (TFF), uliofanyika Machi 26 na 27 mwaka huu jijini Dar es Salaam.
Kwa mujibu wa Ofisa Habari wa TFF, Boniface Wambura, wajumbe wa mkutano huo walishuhudia mechi kati ya Stars na Jamhuri ya Afrika ya Kati iliyopigwa Machi 26 mwaka huu Uwanja wa Taifa, Dar es Salaam na kushawishika kuchanga kiasi hicho ikiwa ni katika kuipongeza baada ya kuibuka na ushindi wa mabao 2-1.
Taifa Stars iliyo kundi D, inakamata nafasi ya pili, nyuma ya vinara Afrika ya Kati huku Morocco ikikamata nafasi ya tatu na Algeria ikiburuza mkia, zote zikiwa na pointi nne lakini zinatofautiana uwiano wa mabao ya kufunga na kufungwa.
Wakati huohuo, Wambura alisema mechi namba 122 ya Ligi Kuu kati ya Simba na Kagera Sugar iliyochezwa Machi 29 mwaka huu Uwanja wa Uhuru jijini Dar es Salaam imeingiza sh 23,637,000.
Alisema, baada ya kuondoa asilimia 18 ya Kodi ya Ongezeko la Thamani (VAT), ambayo ni sh 3,605,644 fedha iliyobaki kwa mgawanyo kwa pande zote husika ni sh
20,031,355.93.
Wambura alifafanua kuwa jumla ya gharama za awali za mchezo huo zilikuwa ni sh 3,635,600 wakati kila timu ilipata sh 4,918,726.78, uwanja sh 1,639,575.59, TFF sh 1,639,575.59, gharama za mchezo sh 1,639,575.59, Baraza la Michezo la Taifa (BMT) sh 163,957.56, Chama cha Soka Mkoa wa Dar es Salaam (DRFA), sh 655,830.24 na Mfuko wa Maendeleo ya Soka (FDF) sh 819,787.80.

 

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Makocha wakiri ligi ilikuwa ngumu


na Ghisa Abby, Morogoro

MAKOCHA wawili wa timu za soka za JKT Ruvu na Ruvu Shooting wamekiri kuwa Ligi Kuu ya Vodacom mwaka huu, ilikuwa ngumu na yenye ushindani mkubwa ndio maana hadi sasa ubingwa bado ni kitendawili.
Charles Kilinda wa JKT na Boniface Mkwasa wa Shooting, kwa nyakati tofauti walielezea hali hiyo hivi karibuni kwenye Uwanja wa Jamhuri mjini hapa wakati timu hizo zilipopambana.
Katika mchezo huo, Shooting waliweza kuponyoka kwenye hatari ya kushuka daraja, baada ya kufikisha pointi 20 ambazo zilizishusha rasmi Majimaji ya Songea na AFC ya Arusha, kwenye Ligi Kuu.
Kilinda alisema kuwa nafasi ya kwanza na ya pili ya msimamo wa ligi kuu, bado ni ngumu kutabirika kutokana na timu zilizobaki kuwania nafasi hiyo, kuwa na ushindani na kukabiliwa na mechi ngumu kabla ya kumaliza michezo yake.
Kuhusu iwapo matokeo ya mchezo baina ya timu hizo mbili yalipangwa na maafande hao wa Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa (JKT), ili kuinusuru Shooting isishuke daraja, kocha huyo alikanusha, kwa madai kuwa, timu hiyo pinzani ilitumia jitihada za ziada kuhakikisha wanapata ushindi katika mchezo huo na kujinyakulia pointi tatu muhimu.
Naye Mkwasa alisema, ligi ya mwaka huu timu zote zilijipanga vizuri, ambako kila moja ilipokuwa ikijitahidi kufanya vema na nyingine ilikuwa ikifanya hivyo hivyo kuhakikisha inafanya vizuri, hivyo kufanya msogeleano katika msimamo kuwa wa karibu karibu.
Akizungumzia matokeo yaliyowanusuru kushuka daraja msimu huu, Mkwasa alishukuru kwa timu yake kujipatia pointi tatu muhimu na kwamba watarudi kujipanga upya, kwani hata raundi ya pili walirudi kukaa vizuri baada ya kuboronga raundi ya kwanza na kasi hiyo wataendelea nayo msimu ujao wa ligi kama wataanza vizuri.
Makocha hao wote kwa pamoja, waliwasifia waamuzi wa safari hii jinsi walivyochezesha kwa umahiri na umakini mkubwa, ambako walisema kuwa, ndio maana hakukuwa na malalamiko mengi na kuwataka waendelee hivyo katika ligi zitakazokuja.

 

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CHABATA chasongeza mbele kutuma majina


na Makuburi Ally

CHAMA cha Baiskeli Tanzania (CHABATA), kimesogeza mbele muda wa kutuma majina ya washiriki wa mikoa sita itakayowakilisha Tanzania katika mashindano ya umbali wa km 800 yajulikanayo kama ‘Cycling Tour of Tanzania' yatakayofanyika kuanzia Julai 17-24 na kupita katika mikoa mbalimbali.
Akizungumza jijini Dar es Salaam jana, Katibu Mkuu wa CHABATA, Lado Haule, alisema awali mwisho wa kuwasilisha majina ya wachezaji ilikuwa ni Machi 27, lakini kutokana na matatizo ya kiufundi wamesogeza mbele hadi Aprili 10.
Haule alisema, mikoa inatakiwa iwasilishe majina 10 kwa kila mkoa, ili kupanga taratibu za ushiriki wa mashindano hayo, ambayo ynafanyika kwa makubaliano kati ya CHABARA na SPORPUB ya Burkina Faso.
Katibu huyo, aliitaja mikoa ambayo ina viwango bora vya wachezaji kuwa ni pamoja na Dodoma, Arusha, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar na timu ya taifa.
Haule alisema, shindano hilo litagharimu sh milioni 150, ambako ni mara ya kwanza kufanyika Tanzania, hivyo inahitajika wachezaji kuwa wavumilivu.
Mbio hizo zitaanzia Bagamoyo, Dar es Salaam, Mlandizi, Morogoro, Dodoma, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Bunda, Serengeti, Karatu, Arusha, Segera, Chalinze na kumalizikia Dar es Salaam.

 

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King AY Mpore aipiga tafu Msisiri


na Ruhazi Ruhazi

MKURUGENZI wa Kampuni ya Mpore Investment ya jijini Dar es Salaam, Ibrahim Mpore maarufu kama King AY Mpore, amekabidhi vifaa vya michezo kwa klabu ya ngumi ya Msisiri Kinondoni.
Mrope alikabidhi msaada huo jijini Dar es Salaam juzi, kwa mmoja wa mabondia wa klabu hiyo Said Yazidu na kuahidi kutoa msaada zaidi kwa klabu hiyo na nyingine za ngumi.
Alisema kuwa, amefikia uamuzi wa kutoa msaada huo wa vifaa, zikiwemo glovu, ikiwa ni mfano na kuwashawishi wafanyabiashara wadogo kuanza kusaidia michezo.
"Nimeamua kuwapa klabu ya Msisiri msaada huu, ili kuwashawishi wafanyabiashara wadogo kama mimi, kuanza kusaidia michezo, kwa sababu makampuni makubwa yameshindwa kujitokeza kusaidia mchezo huu wa ngumi," alisema King AY Mpore.
Alisema kuwa, baada ya kuanza na msaada huo mdogo anajipanga kutoa msaada zaidi na huo ni mwanzo.

 

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Sunday April 03, 2011 Sports
Simba out to dethrone Mazembe

Simba coach Patrick Phiri




By JAPHETH KAZENGA, 2nd April 2011 @ 11:02, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 160

Simba's head coach, Zambian Patrick Phiri has vowed to guide his side to a memorable feat by knocking out the African Champions League's defending champions, TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The two sides meet in the return leg match of the first round at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

And Phiri said on Saturday his players are ready for the match and will play their hearts out in search of the crucial victory, which will propel them to the second round.

"We are looking forward to the match and the boys are ready for it," he said. He showered lots of praises to TP Mazembe, saying they deserve to be two-time African champions because they worked hard for the success, but pointed out that Simba will never be intimidated by the Congolese side's status.

"We are proud of TP Mazembe for their success. They have won the African Champions League twice (in 2009 and last year) and they also reached the final of the World Club Championship…they deserve to be African champions because they have worked very hard for the success," said Phiri.

"Even when they reached the final of the World Club Championship and lost to Inter Milan of Italy, everybody saw how Mazembe fought hard in the match, so, we are indebted to them for the hard work they have put for Africa", he added.

Phiri said his players will enter the National Stadium today knowing that they are playing against their ‘teachers,' but the former are ready to stun the continental giants and progress to the latter stage.

"Mazembe is a very good team…we are privileged to play such a great side but, on the pitch, it's 11 players against 11 players so, it's up to them (TP Mazembe) to defend their status," he said.

Phiri said TP Mazembe have been winning convincingly at their home venue, Stade de la Kenya, in continental assignments but their encounter with Simba in the first leg match, played a fortnight ago, happened to be a much tougher challenge to them.

Simba's skipper Musa Hassan ‘Mgosi' reiterated his coach's comments, saying the squad is ready to fight for Tanzania's pride today and he urged domestic soccer fans to turn up and support the home side.

"We are ready for tomorrow (today)'s match and we will do our best to secure good results. We know the magnitude of the task ahead of us and hopefully we will live up to the locals' expectations," said Mgosi.

TP Mazembe, on their part, will have a lot to prove performance- wise, considering that they will be playing on the back of fresh allegations that they attempted to bribe Egyptian referees who officiated in the first leg match.

The Congolese side team manager Frederick Kiteng'e strongly refuted the allegations, saying they were unjustified and mainly aimed at tarnishing his squad's shining image.

"If there was ever any plan to bribe the referees, it is obvious that one of the TP Mazembe officials was involved in the matter, so, the referees should name the official if they really do have the evidence", said Kiteng'e.

He also defended his team's failure to provide proper information on its arrival time in Dar es Salaam, saying their trip was delayed by some complications, which he, however, failed to mention.

"The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) had 10 days to inform us the match's date and the venue that will host the game but it (TFF) did so with only five days remaining.

We planned to arrive aboard a private chatter at 4pm, but there were some ‘complications' that delayed the trip," he said.

He said the squad has arrived with 20 players and all of them were in great shape and ready to show their mettle.

"We respect Simba the way we do to any opponent but we will never be afraid of them. Football is played on the pitch and we are ready to do what we can do best," said Kiteng'e.

Simba will be looking forward to repeating the African Champions League's 2003 feat in which they knocked out the then defending champions, Zamalek of Egypt in the second round and cruised to the quarter-finals played in league format.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Cecafa issues ultimatum to ZFA

By DAILY NEWS Reporter/ Agencies, 2nd April 2011 @ 11:02, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 68

THE Zanzibar Football Association (ZFA) has been given an ultimatum until today to confirm whether they will host this year's Kagame Cup.

It is still unclear if Zanzibar will go on to host this year's Kagame Cup Club Championship. More reports have emerged that internal wrangles within the ZFA have left the Cecafa secretariat hesitant.

The body's Secretary General Nicholas Musonye told 'Times Sport of Rwanda' on Thursday that they are still waiting for Zanzibar's stand.

"We are running out of time so Zanzibar has to make a confirmation before the end of the week," the official said.

Meanwhile, Cecafa officials have held several meetings in Kampala to study Zanzibar's case and also decide the teams that will feature in this year's edition.

ZFA's crisis goes back to the annulled December 31 general election which disqualified president Ali Ferej Tamim, his vice-president Haji Ameir, secretary general Mzee Zam following potential irregularities.

And several football stakeholders took ZFA officials to the court for allegedly staying in power contrary to its constitution.

However, there have been efforts made to solve the case out of the court to rescue ZFA from being banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda are some of the countries waiting in the wings should Zanzibar be scrapped off hosting rights.

Close to twelve teams are expected to compete in the event which was first held in 1974. APR won last year's edition after beating Ethiopia's St. George in the final. Over the last six years, the tournament has received an annual sponsorship package of $60,000 from President Paul Kagame.

 

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Dar Twenty/20 cricket league starts today

By JAPHETH KAZENGA, 2nd April 2011 @ 11:00, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 65

ACADEMY Boys cricketers meet Upanga Sports Club in the opening match of the new Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) Twenty20 League at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) venue on Sunday.

The league comes hot on heels of a similar competition whose division A's event came to a close at the same venue on March 20 with Upanga emerging champions.

It adds up to a series of domestic competitions designed to shape top flight cricketers, including the ones playing for the senior national team, ahead of continental competitions scheduled later this year.

The match will be a good opportunity for Academy Boys to revenge for their defeat to Upanga in the semi-final of the previous TCA Twenty20 League in which the latter claimed a four-wicket win.

Academy Boys, led by in-form diminutive all rounder Kassim Nassor, are expected to deploy their familiar aggressive all round displays in an effort to tame a rejuvenated Upanga squad, which has impressed many with its tenacity with both the bat and ball in recent competitions.

Meanwhile, Academy Boys' second string side dubbed Academy Boys Development will face Union Youth in the semi-final of the Division B of the earlier Twenty20 League at the Annadil Burhani venue the same day.

Academy Boys Development, which has endured an unexpected slump in form in the competition, will have a challenging task of overcoming their opponents, who are expected to make up for their equally less impressive showing in the event.

In another development, Kigogo Primary School thrashed Ndugumbi by five wickets in their opening match of the group D of the TCA Junior Twenty20 League played at the University of Dar es Salaam venue on Saturday.

Kigogo, who were the finalist in the girls' category of the last season's league, looked to have resumed their aggressive approach as they easily dominated the match.

Ndugumbi started batting and posted 65 runs losing all wickets and Kigogo, in response, went on to reach the target for the loss of five wickets whilst garnering plenty of runs courtesy of their opponents' erratic fielding.

The league's co-ordinator, Nassor, said the group's two other matches pitting Ali Hassan Mwinyi against Mkwawa B and Kigogo against Mkwawa B were called off because of downpour, thus all teams shared a point each.

 

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TP Mazembe in bribe scandal

REIGNING CAF Champions TP Mazembe of the Democtratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a group photo after winning the championship. (File Photo)

By DAILY NEWS Reporter/Agencies, 1st April 2011 @ 12:37, Total Comments: 1, Hits: 461

IN a dramatic turn of events CAF official confirmed that four Egyptian referees reported that the DR Congolese side TP Mazembe threatened them with their lives when they refused to accept $10 thousands bribe.

According to a story posted on Wednesday by Egypt's 'Ahramonline,' the Egyptian referees of the round 32 of the African champion league match between DR Congo team TP Mazembe and Tanzanian Simba reported to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that the Congolese side tried to bribe them before the match in Lubumbashi a fortnight ago.

"Egyptian referees Yasser Abdel-Raouf, Ayman Deguesh, Tamer Salah and Fahim Omar submitted a report to the CAF informing them that they were offered a negotiable $10 thousand bribe to ease TP Mazembe's mission against Simba," a CAF official told 'Ahram Arabic Portal.'

To make matters worse, after the Egyptian referees firmly rejected the corrupt deal, they were threatened with death if they reported it. The referees couldn't announce the offer until they returned to Cairo.

TP Mazembe, the two-time African Champions League winner and the title holder, won the match 3-1 and were set to arrive in Dar es Salaam late yesterday ready for the return leg tie at the National Stadium on Sunday.

Commenting on the saga, Simba's Chairman Ismail Aden Rage said he was shocked by the news and said they will play tomorrow's match under protest. He said they (Simba), have already written to the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), requesting them to communicate with CAF, so that an investigation into the matter is conducted immediately, according to the Article 24 of the CAF Champions League regulations.

The Article stipulates that, if in the three months following every match played within the framework of this competition, CAF is informed, no matter what the source may be, that a fraud infringing the sporting morality was committed by one of the teams, an enquiry shall be conducted immediately.

In case the assertion is proved, the following measures shall be taken:

(1) If the fraud has been committed in the preliminary round of the competition and discovered before the start of the following round, the last team which has been eliminated by the guilty team shall be called upon to take part in this round of the competition. The guilty team shall be suspended from all CAF competitions for two years.

(2) If the fraud is discovered after the start of the following round of the competition, the guilty team shall be eliminated from the competition in favour of its last opponent and will be suspended from all CAF competitions for a period of three years.

(3) If the fraud has been committed during the final match by the club which has been awarded the trophy, the club shall be asked to return the trophy which will be awarded to the runner-up. The guilty team shall be suspended for 3 years from all CAF competitions.

(4) If it is established that the National Association to which the team in question belongs has participated in the fraud by helping the guilty club, this association and all the clubs under its jurisdiction shall be suspended from CAF Inter-Clubs competitions for a period of three years.

 

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Mahendra Dhoni steers India past Sri Lanka in Cricket World Cup final

Sri Lanka 274-6; India 277-4
India win by six wickets
Relive the game with our over-by-over report

• Vic Marks in Mumbai
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 2 April 2011 18.31 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  India's captain, Mahendra Dhoni, plays a shot during the Cricket World Cup final against Sri Lanka. Photograph: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images Not without controversy or melodrama, the Indian dream came true. In the euphoric atmosphere of the Wankhede Stadium India won the 10th World Cup final by four wickets with 10 balls to spare.
  Ultimately, in the battle of the captains Mahendra Dhoni, after a dodgy start to the day, prevailed in a pulsating climax to the tournament. There were suggestions that Dhoni had been hoodwinked at the toss by Kumar Sangakkara, but it was the India captain who had the last laugh when the fireworks exploded into the night sky of Mumbai.
  Dhoni took the responsibility for winning the match with a brilliant innings of 91 from 79 balls. He has not been in great form in this tournament so what did he do? He promoted himself to No5 when the third wicket fell at 114 for 3, ahead of the man deemed to be the player of the tournament, Yuvraj Singh. The target of 275 seemed a long way off.
  Dhoni settled in leisurely fashion, or so it seemed, happy to pat the ball back in defence and to let Gautam Gambhir do most of the scoring. But, imperceptibly, it was Dhoni who took charge. Forget the fairytale finish that had Sachin Tendulkar or Muttiah Muralitharan contriving a tear-stained swan song. The epitome of new India dominated the match. Dhoni is young enough to lead India to the next World Cup when he will be quite a rich man.
  Tendulkar could only contribute the briefest of cameos in his home town, 18 in 14 balls. As for Muralitharan, initially he was treated with respect, but towards the end Dhoni punched him through the covers with awesome power. By the standards of old, Murali was bowling donkey drops and with his body creaking, he could not muster any more venom. Towards the end he held out his hands in exasperation at the wet ball, at the mis-fields, but the true cause of his despair was the realisation that he was impotent to stem the Indian tide. Sangakkara did not even turn to him when the position was dire.
  Meanwhile, Dhoni alongside Gambhir, the artisan within the India team, paced the chase with few frills. They added a crucial 109 together for the fourth wicket after Gambhir was bowled by Thisara Perera three short of his century. Out came Yuvraj, so much later than expected, but it was Dhoni, the most chilled man in Mumbai, who led his side to victory in a masterful innings. He finished it with a six.
  It may be that Sri Lanka tried to be too clever by half. They shuffled their side dramatically, making four changes from the semi-final, only one of them forced after Angelo Mathews's injury. Ajantha Mendis, the unorthodox spinner, was omitted on the basis that the Indians play him rather well. In this tournament Mendis has been bowling rather well, but that was not deemed to be sufficiently relevant.
  Who knows whether Sangakkara was trying too cute half an hour before the start as well? It is not often that the toss is a remarkable event in a cricket match, but it was here. With microphone in hand the host Ravi Shastri was his usual ebullient self, saying something along the lines of "this is the greatest match in the history of mankind".
  Mahendra Dhoni tossed the coin. No one quite heard what Sangakkara called. Shastri announced that the coin, specially minted (and soon available from the ICC via auction &#8211; they try not to miss any opportunity for making a bit more dosh) had come down displaying a head. Then there was confusion since Sangakkara was certainly not volunteering that he had called "tails". Briefly the captains stared at one another.
  Swiftly the match referee, Jeff Crowe, demanded another toss, which was undoubtedly won by Sangakkara. The whole episode was an embarrassment to the affable Crowe. In the final between Australia and Sri Lanka four years ago in Barbados he did not know when the game should finish. Here he could not get the final under way properly.
  So had Sangakkara pulled a fast one? One snippet for the prosecution: if Sangakkara had called heads the first time around surely he would have made much more of a fuss when there was the suggestion of another toss? He, like Dhoni, was very keen, to bat first. Instead, he was all equivocation. Being a lawyer, Sangakkara will have an articulate defence, albeit a soft-spoken one, I suppose.
  Steadily, Sri Lanka with their top-heavy batting line-up laid their foundations with Mahela Jayawardene to the fore. Immediately he suggested he was in sublime form and more than equal to the occasion. Singles were tapped from the middle of his bat. Then he began tapping the ball effortlessly to the boundary. There was never a crude shot.
  Sangakkara was caught behind off Yuvraj for 48 but Jayawardene's composure never wavered alongside handy allies Thilan Samaraweera, Numan Kulasekera and Perera, who walloped 22 from nine balls at the end.
  Sri Lanka caused mayhem in the final overs. In the batting power play, taken by necessity in the 46th over, they cracked 63 runs. Jayawardene cruised to his century in 84 balls. Zaheer Khan, who yielded six runs in his first five overs, gave away 54 in his next five, 18 off his last over.
  Virender Sehwag can shrink a target in no time, but he was lbw to Lasith Malinga's second ball. Arrogantly he wasted one of India's reviews. No matter; there was still Tendulkar. The man for whom this tournament seemed to be designed began in sublime form, stroking boundaries off Kulasekera. But Malinga soon destroyed that fairytale. At the start of his fourth over Tendulkar drove and edged and departed in an eerie silence.
  On 30, Gambhir was dropped at long-off from the bowling of Suraj Randiv, one of the startling Sri Lanka selections. Three days ago the lofty off-spinner was relaxing peacefully back at home. Now summoned as a replacement for Mathews he was thrust into a World Cup final.
  Gambhir and Virat Kohli had added 83 together when Dilshan, bowling his unassuming off-breaks, held a brilliant return catch. Dhoni appeared. For a while it looked an odd decision. By the end it seemed like a stroke of genius.
  
  

 

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India v Sri Lanka - Cricket World Cup 2011 as it happened

An immense captain's innings from MS Dhoni drove India to en emphatic victory and their first World Cup triumph since 1983

• Rob Smyth and Sean Ingle
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 2 April 2011 09.05 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  This is how it feels to win a World Cup. Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images Preamble Good morning. So, the World Cup final. After 43 days, 20,781 runs, 721 wickets, one tie, umpteen near coronaries, a couple of iffy typos, an innings for the ages from Ireland's purple-haired warrior, no meltdowns and enough man love to make world peace a tantalising possibility if only the entire globe could embrace cricket, we've reached the end.
  This might be the first World Cup final in any sport to come after the Lord Mayor's Show, but what a prospect it is. You could not ask for a more perfect final than this. India and Sri Lanka are the two best teams and the two co-hosts; they are so evenly matched that they even have the same strengths and weakness; and they have an all-time-great sniffing the mother of all fairytales: a 100th hundred for Sachin Tendulkar, or a matchwinning performance from Muttiah Muralitharan in his final match. Murali bowling to Sachin in a Super Over? Well, Dame Fortune, if you insist...
  Murali is fit to play &#8211; well, he'll play &#8211; but there is no news on how Sri Lanka will replace Angelo Mathews, who is a deceptively big loss. They have had a pretty easy route to the final, whereas India have already won two finals just to reach the final. Which is better? That bit of history will be written by the victors.
  This is the end, rubber-wristed friend Today is the final day of Muttiah Muralitharan's astonishing career, the last we'll see of those wild eyes, that child-like smile, and that superhuman wrist. So much has been written about him, and Mike Selvey's piece yesterday was a cracker, and there is very little to add. As well as being one of the greatest players of all time, he has been one of the nicest men ever to play the game. The dignity he has shown in the face of 15 years of whispers and moans, most of them factually incorrect, has been truly staggering and would be beyond at least 99.94 per cent of the population, while his simple, nerdish love of cricket remains totally infectious. The phrase is used a lot, but with Murali it is fair to say that we will never see the like again.
  It's time for the toss Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara, two devilishly cool characters who are textbook examples of modern masculinity, both look pretty relaxed. They even manage to stay completely calm when the toss goes completely wrong. The coin landed as heads, but because of the noise nobody heard Kumar Sangakkara's call and the match referee Jeff Crowe flicked the coin again. Sangakkara got it right second time, however. Sri Lanka have won the toss and will bat first.
  Team news Sri Lanka have made four changes, including the omission of Ajantha Mendis. There was a hint that might happen, because India play him pretty well (he averages 95 in India in international cricket), but it is still a shock. They have also completely changed the balance of their side, with five bowlers rather than four, and two spinners rather than three. Chamara Kapugedera replaces the out-of-form Chamara Silva at No5, Thisara Perera is in for the injured Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekera replaces Rangana Herath, and the offspinner Suraj Randiv &#8211; who only arrived a couple of days ago as a replacement &#8211; comes in for Mendis.
  India make just one change, with Sreesanth replacing the injured Ashish Nehra. That's a bit of a surprise, in that the pitch is expected to turn, but there should also be an unusual a
  India Sehwag, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c/wk), Raina, Harbhajan, Zaheer Khan, Patel, Sreesanth.
  Sri Lanka Tharanga, Dilshan, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Kapugedera, Perera, Kulasekera, Malinga, Randiv, Muralitharan.
  9.59am statement of the bleedin' obvious It's the World Cup final! We've not had a really close one since 1987, but I've a hunch that will change today. Super Over please!
  1st over: Sri Lanka 2-0 (Tharanga 0, Dilshan 0) The magnificent Zaheer Khan will open the bowling. The atmosphere is astonishing: part carnival, part bullring. His second ball is a gem that beats Upul Tharanga's nervous push. The first run comes from the fifth delivery, when Dhoni drops a wobbling delivery that goes for a bye. A quiet start. Sri Lanka's top four will bat carefully, with the exception of Dilshan, because there isn't much after them. If India can take two early wickets they will be in a helluva good position. "This is ridiculous, I'm genuinely nervous," says Jamie Kirkaldy. "I don't even know what I'm nervous about. I think it's because I desperately want two of the greats of the game to end today as a champion and I know that one of them will and one of them won't. And I have no idea which way round I want it." Agreed. The thought that either Thisara Perera or Sreesanth will end tonight as a loser is almost too much. Honk.
  2nd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Tharanga 1, Dilshan 3) Sreesanth, who was last seen disappearing all round Mirpur in the opening game, will share the new ball. He has wild, finger-in-the-plug-socket hair, and his first ball brings a preposterous LBW shout when Dilshan is hit on the pads that would have only just hit another set. Then he bowls a front-foot no-ball, but Tharanga can only work the free hit for a single, breaking his bat in the process. Sreesanth, a real ma verick, is a fascinating selection: he could be a matchwinner but he could also be a matchloser, especially if his figures are, say, 10-0-394-0. Dilshan throttles a couple through the covers. It's been a relatively quiet start. "So we know who the Guardian is supporting," says Kartikey Srivastava. "Sangakkara blatantly cheated at the toss, how can you not know what you called? It doesn't matter if the referee didn't hear, the two captains can sort it out themselves. But you just call it a misunderstanding." Yes, and that dastardly swine Sangakkara also doesn't have an alibi for when JFK was shot. Some people say he wasn't even born, but that sounds a bit of a convenient excuse to me.
  3rd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Tharanga 1, Dilshan 3) Tharanga looks a little nervous &#8211; you'd think this was a World Cup final or something &#8211; and hits the fielders with a couple of drives off Zaheer. He doesn't look nervous at all and is bowling with the certainty of an old don. Zaheer had an infamously diabolical start to the 2003 World Cup final, but this has been in total contrast: that's his second consecutive maiden. Outstanding stuff. "HAS ANYONE Won BATTING SECOND IN A WORLD CUP FINAL?" whispers Rahul Nayyar. Yes, but only two out of nine: 1996 and 1999.
  4th over: Sri Lanka 9-0 (Tharanga 2, Dilshan 4) The commentators, Ravi Shastri and Russel Arnold, reckon Sri Lanka need at least 270-275. That sounds fair on what looks a good wicket, but it does place a huge amount of pressure on their top four. Dilshan and Tharanaga seem conscious of that, because they have started pretty cautiously &#8211; even Dilshan, who usually bats in a deranged bubble of his own. Two singles from Sreesanth's over. "Good morning," says John Starbuck. "I thought for a moment when I saw 'This is the end, rubber-wristed friend' that you were talking, one-to-one, with each of your readers, so accustomed have we become to reaching out for F5. It's been a damn good tournament though. What accolades would you hand out, and to whom?" Well first, let's do the whole High Fidelity where-does-it-rank jazz. Instinctively I would say it's been the best since 1996, maybe 1987 at a push. I've enjoyed it enormously, although I am glad it's almost over.
  5th over: Sri Lanka 9-0 (Tharanga 2, Dilshan 4) This is brilliant from Zaheer, who is showing exceptional Tharanga management. He has now bowled 17 balls to him without conceding a run, and zips one past the outside edge in yet another maiden. Zaheer's figures are 3-3-0-0. In 2003, he was taken out of the attack after an opening spell of 3-0-28-0. As adverts for maturity go, this one's right up there. "In San Francisco," says Ankur Nagpal. "Ridiculously excited. No Americans here understand what the fuss is about. Alas. Come on India! Somewhat worried about Sreesanth I must add." He has started well, although you can tell India are also worried about him because they are given him enormous encouragement at the end of each over. It brings to mind that line in American Beauty: "Well done honey, I watched you carefully and you didn't screw up once!"
  6th over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Tharanga 2, Dilshan 12) Dilshan releases some of the asphyxiating pressure by clubbing Sreesanth for two boundaries in three balls. The first was a slightly contrived but well struck pull and the second a scorching cut past backward point. Sri Lanka really needed those. "Au contraire Mr Srivastava," says Gary Naylor. "Had Sanga wanted to cheat, he would have claimed to have called heads and nobody would have known had he called tails when the coin was in the air. The coolest of cats was honest and seized the initiative and the moral high ground all at once. And how ruthless is he, dropping Mendis? Hard heads to beat soft hearts and SL to win." Note to Indian readers, particularly those penning death threats: he said that, not me.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 17-1 (Tharanga c Sehwag b Zaheer 2) Upul Tharanga is put out of his misery. This has been a simply immense spell from Zaheer to Tharanga: 18 balls, no runs and now a wicket. Tharanga fiddles outside off stump at a good leg cutter and edges to the right of slip, where Sehwag takes a lovely low catch with both hands. Zaheer spreads his arms with an insouciance that says, 'Yeah, I am the man'. Damn straight he is. Tharanga made 2 from 20 balls; it was not one for the grandchildren.
  7th over: Sri Lanka 19-1 (Dilshan 13, Sangakkara 1) Sangakkara gets off the mark first ball; it's also the first run off Zaheer, from his 20th delivery. He is such an important man today. He has batted like a lord in this tournament, but if he fails today Sri Lanka could get rolled over. India have started brilliantly, driven by a powerful sense of destiny. Zaheer's figures are 4-3-2-1. Where's Ted Rogers when you need him?
  8th over: Sri Lanka 24-1 (Dilshan 16, Sangakkara 2) Munaf Patel replaces Sreesanth, and Sangakkara plays an unbecoming stroke, chasing a delivery that is called wide. If he's nervous, it must be a pretty big occasion. Dilshan then flashes a back cut that would have gone for four but for a brilliant stop by Zaheer Khan. India have been seriously sharp in the field. Meanwhile, this is a very interesting email from Raj: "Just saw that M Vaughan has tweeted suggesting that Sangakkara 'stuffed Dhoni at the toss', apparently his call of 'tails' could be heard clearly on air." Seriously? Oh my. If that's true, India will go ballistic if they lose this! Never mind the UDRS, the BCCI will want the toss banned. The ICC will probably agree to their entirely reasonable request that, as compensation, India automatically win the toss in every match for the next five years.
  9th over: Sri Lanka 28-1 (Dilshan 19, Sangakkara 3) Sangakkara's (alleged) funny business brings to mind Salim Malik in 1995 (search for 'bird' on this link). Anyway, Zaheer continues. Normally he wouldn't bowl this long a spell with the new ball, but he is bowling so well that it makes sense to keep him on. Four runs from another fine over. "I'm an Icelander currently in the US. I know nothing about cricket," says Kári Tulinius. "In fact, when I was a kid, I thought cricket and croquet were the same game (an episode of Young Indiana Jones set me right). I only knew about the World Cup because comedian and cricket writer Andy Zaltzman, whose podcast The Bugle I listen to, would be spending a month following it. Yet I've found myself paying attention to the Cricket World Cup with mounting excitement, drawn in by the human drama of Sachin Tendulkar's last tilt at a World Cup. And now it's 3:30 in the morning and I'm having a hard time falling asleep because the final is going on. I'm curious if there are more people out there who've been drawn in by this World Cup who didn't follow cricket before."
  10th over: Sri Lanka 31-1 (Dilshan 22, Sangakkara 3) Raina and Yuvraj have already saved at least 10 runs at backward point and in the covers, and Yuvraj adds to that total with a spectacular diving stop when Dilshan thrashes at one from Patel. Sreesanth then turns four into two with a diving save at deep backward square leg. It's hard to recall the last time India fielded so well. "Have to say I agree with your assertion that this is the best World Cup since 1996 and, should today's final live up to the hype, perhaps the best I can remember," says Jim Clear. "However, I wonder how much of that is due to the fact that Australia won't win it? Amazing team of course and all that but it's been great to see such an open tournament this year and of course we're all still revelling in an Aussie team of mere mortals aren't we?" Well, some of us aren't, but I take the point. And Australia were far too good in 2003 and 2007.
  11th over: Sri Lanka 34-1 (Dilshan 25, Sangakkara 3) Sreesanth has switched ends and will replace Zaheer. We're now in the bowling Powerplay, and there are just three runs from the over. Sri Lanka won't be too bothered by this slow start, not while these two are at the crease. This approach is dependent one one of Sangakkara or Jayawardene making a big score, ideally a century. They are two of the surer things in world cricket, but that's a heck of a burden. "It would be such a shame," says Phil Withall, "if this already highly promising final is spoiled by controversy. 'Tossgate', as the tabloid's will no doubt name it could leave a nasty stain on the match." It's not beyond the realms that he genuinely forget. After all, if any atmosphere could justify the phrase "you can't hear yourself think", it's this one.
  12th over: Sri Lanka 39-1 (Dilshan 26, Sangakkara 7) After a slow start &#8211; three from 16 balls &#8211; Sangakkara drives Patel deliciously through extra cover for his first boundary. Those are the only runs from the over. "For the benefit of those us having to use our imaginations could you please tell us which colours the teams are playing in," says Simon Henry. "As they have both played in blue throughout the competition is one of them now in their 'away' strip?" Nope, same strips. There's no need for an away kit in cricket, as it's not a contact sport. Well, except when Mark Ilott and Robert Croft have the battle fever on.
  13th over: Sri Lanka 54-1 (Dilshan 31, Sangakkara 16) An excellent over from Sri Lanka goes for 15. Sangakkara is into his stride now and takes consecutive boundaries off Sreesanth with an on-the-walk chip over mid on and a delicious push between Sreesanth's legs. Sreesanth is then given an official warning for a shocking haircut, a real abject disgrac running on the pitch, and follows that up with his second front-foot no-ball of the day. Dilshan takes advantage, edging the free hit to third man for four. Sreesanth looks a bit down on his luck. He could be India's weak link today. Sangakkara didn't cheat at the toss after all. Thanks to Pranay Sanklecha for pointing us towards this article on the subject.
  14th over: Sri Lanka 56-1 (Dilshan 31, Sangakkara 17) Another fine stop from Yuvraj at backward point, and then Sangakkara pushes a ball into the ground and up into his grille. What a great word 'grille' is. Two from Patel's over, and that's drinks. "Any chance for a plug for the final CWC Chuck Fleetwood-Smiths?" says our old friend Sam Collins. "It's got a Kiwi bowler with a water bottle, a Lion celebrating in the streets of Southall and an England seamer..." Don't tease us like that. IS IT SIMON BROWN?
  15th over: Sri Lanka 58-1 (Dilshan 32, Sangakkara 18) Here comes Harbhajan Singh, who was quite outstanding against Pakistan on Wednesday. He starts around the wicket to the right-handed Dilshan, which is unusual for him, and there are two singles from a good over. In other news, this is a lovely email from Ivor Leonard. "Murali really is a terrific bloke. We live in Hobart (we're English) and SL were playing Tasmania in a tour game in 2008 on the day our first born was released from hospital. At the time we lived around 500m from the hotel the SL team were staying in. I'd been following the tour match on the radio and realised that they would be making their way back to the hotel about half an hour after we got home. I asked my wife if I could take our four-day-old son out for a walk and she agreed. I headed for the hotel and the team shortly arrived. I asked Muttiah if he would mind holding George and he was more than happy. He said he was scared of dropping him, I told him that looking at some of the catches he puts down so was I... he laughed and thankfully he didn't drop him! George is now 3 and I've shown him the picture of the two of them when Muralitharan has been playing and he recognises him... hopefully he'll have a great story to tell when he gets older. India were playing in Hobart a month later and unfortunately I had an unavoidable work meeting. Otherwise I'd have stalked Tendulkar as well!"
  16th over: Sri Lanka 60-1 (Dilshan 33, Sangakkara 19) Two from Patel's over, including Dilshan's 500th of the tournament. He is currently the leading scorer, but that Tendulkar bloke is on 464 and could overtake him. For many teams this would represent an iffy start, but Sri Lanka do things differently because their batting order is so top-heavy, and they will be pretty relaxed. "Well," says Scott Poynting, "so much for M Vaughan's hearing then!" Maybe he had hearing problems when taking guard. That would explain all those dismissals playing down the wrong line at Brett Lee and Dale Steyn.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 60-2 (Dilshan b Harbhajan 33) What a freak! No not you, this dismissal. Dilshan tried to sweep a leg-side delivery from Harbhajan that bounced more than he expected, and the ball deflected off his wrist, back onto his body and finally onto the stumps.
  17th over: Sri Lanka 63-2 (Sangakkara 20, Jayawardene 2) This partnership is, without doubt, the most important of the match. They have scored almost 10,000 runs as a partnership in international cricket, and they need at least a further 50 today or Sri Lanka will be in huge trouble. "It's crazy here in Mumbai," says Mihir Vasavda. "Never seen anything like this. I'm a journalist and have never seen a newsroom buzzing so much. Even when our PM was been sworn in."
  18th over: Sri Lanka 65-2 (Sangakkara 20, Jayawardene 4) Jayawardene, who has had a quiet tournament, rolls the wrists to ping Patel through midwicket for two. That's the lot. "I used to have an assistant whose grandmother had held Murali as a baby," says Richard O'Hagan. "Cricketers holding babies is passe; holding baby cricketers is where it is at &#8211; as certain OBOers will be able to verify when my son makes his England debut in 15 years or so." An OBOer with assistants? Blimey.
  19th over: Sri Lanka 77-2 (Sangakkara 26, Jayawardene 10) Jayawardene drives Harbhajan gracefully through the covers for his first boundary, and then Sangakkara has a reprieve. He was beaten in the flight by a gorgeous delivery from Harbhajan that took the edge and flew through the gully region for four more. Twelve from the over. "Quite right that Sreesanth should be given an Umpires warning for his haircut," says Keith Flett. "Umpires should be able to intervene if a player inappropriately deploys hair on the field of play."
  20th over: Sri Lanka 83-2 (Sangakkara 27, Jayawardene 15) Sreesanth returns. This might be a good time to use up some of his overs, and there's also the chance he'll produce a snorter from nowhere. Not in that over, during which Jayawardene opens the face to steer the ball through the freshly vacant slip region for four. Sreesanth has a few words as a result &#8211; "Here he goes!" says a gleeful Bumble on commentary &#8211; but Jayawardene ignores him. He has started busily and has 15 from 16 balls. Sreesanth's figures aren't great: 6-0-39-0. "Here is a video of the toss," says Richard Neal. "Sounds more like heads to me but between YouTube and my laptop speakers, it's hard to tell."
  21st over: Sri Lanka 86-2 (Sangakkara 30, Jayawardene 15) Sangakkara survives an optimistic LBW shout from Harbhajan &#8211; he was well down the pitch &#8211; and then works the next ball through midwicket for two. Three from the over. Low-risk accumulation will be the plan for the next 15 overs. So much depends on these two; too much really. "How many times in this year's tournament has a side batting second won?" says Sam Blackledge. "It seems that runs on the board have been worth quite a lot after the lights come on." After a very quick and possible erroneous fumble with Statsguru, I make it 17 each in day-night matches, with one tie.
  22nd over: Sri Lanka 94-2 (Sangakkara 32, Jayawardene 21) Yuvraj Singh replaces the expensive Sreesanth. Do Sri Lanka target him? Ideally yes &#8211; as Sourav Ganguly says on Sky, Yuvraj was rattled when Umar Akmal took to him the other night &#8211; but they just cannot afford to lose a wicket for another 15 overs. Despite that, they are clearly going to put pressure on Yuvraj. Sangakkara comes down the track to loft a single, a nice statement of intent, and then Jayawardene pulls a poor delivery for four. Eight from the over. "Who'd be a friend of Geoffrey Boycott?" says David Wall. "During his last stint on TMS he laid into Jeff Crowe, beginning his criticism with 'I like Jeff but...'. He always did similar when commentating on the Ashes, particularly when having a go at Pietersen. It makes you wonder how much he does like the guy he's talking about, and certainly whether the admiration is mutual, in a similar way that the opening 'I'm not racist but...' immediately raises suspicions. That said, when he's sat with Agnew it's as good as commentary gets. Forget Blowers, Boycott is a national treasure and should be knighted (though not for services to mental health awareness obviously)."
  The auto-refresh tool isn't working properly. Sorry about this. It's worth pressing F5 every few overs, especially if you want to read about Dilshan's wicket and the like.
  23rd over: Sri Lanka 96-2 (Sangakkara 33, Jayawardene 22) Two singles from Harbhajan's over. There are no liberties to be taken against him. "Anand from the Netherlands, today in Belgium," says Anand from the etc. "I am totally unsettled today. Like the players, I also have my pre-match preparation and routine where I wake up with sufficient time to get rid of my morning drowsiness, find a good online streaming site and gradually slip into the game watching some of the so called experts talk about the game,
  checking if they agree with me. However, for the most important match that I would watch in my cricket watching career, which is longer than either Sachin or Murali's, things have gone astray. I am in Belgium visiting a friend. He has suddenly had to work and until now, i have limited access to a computer and they have a dodgy wi-fi. Like the Sri Lankans, I need time to recover. Please help me!"
  24th over: Sri Lanka 100-2 (Sangakkara 36, Jayawardene 23) Yuvraj hurries through his second over at a cost of &#8211; hang on, let me check &#8211; four runs, the last of which brings up the hundred. This is an ostensibly quiet but fascinating period of play, with both teams jockeying for position, knowing that the next wicket is huge. "I'm a Canadian of British heritage, but it wasn't until an extended motorbike trip around India that cricket and I crossed paths with any lasting dialogue," says Evan Herbert. "Now I'm up at 5am, slightly hungover, watching the final on some obscure website! Still learning the intricacies of fielding strategy, but otherwise fully engaged in a game that, other than our most recent South Asian arrivals, generally bores and confuses most Canadians."
  25th over: Sri Lanka 105-2 (Sangakkara 39, Jayawardene 25) Sangakkara gets an overthrow after a direct hit from Yuvraj deflects off the stumps. Harbhajan is bowling well, having dropped his pace a touch on a pitch that is giving him a decent amount of bounce. Five from the over, all carefully played ones and twos.
  26th over: Sri Lanka 111-2 (Sangakkara 40, Jayawardene 30) What a remarkable pair Sangakkara and Jayawardene are. They are outrageously good. Time after time they come together under pressure and make vital runs, apparently without breaking sweat. And, of course, with a style that could soothe the weariest eyes. In terms of the pantheon, I think they are a touch underrated actually, particularly Sangakkara. Jayawardene is worthy of the word 'great', too, and having missed one late cut at Yuvraj he connects with the second, placing it delightfully for four to bring an outstanding fifty partnership, an unobtrusive effort from only 56 balls. "I feel for Anand," says Clive Hedges, "and really would it be beyond the wit of the Guardian to give us BBB rather than just OBO?" I think the OBO format is much better, though obviously I would. Cricinfo do an outstanding job with the BBB, and I wouldn't fancy it, but OBO gives more scope for the digressions and riffs that some of our readers detest.
  27th over: Sri Lanka 114-2 (Sangakkara 41, Jayawardene 32) Harbhajan spits one past Sangakkara's attempted cut, and then Jayawardene misses a late cut at a beauty that cramps him for room. Splendid stuff from Harbhajan. Jayawardene gets the late cut right next ball, and Tendulkar saves a couple with a wonderful tumbling save on the boundary at third man. As Nasser Hussain says on Sky, it might be time for two overs from Zaheer to see if it reversing. He only has five left, but he has such a habit of taking wickets when MS Dhoni really needs them. "So did you attend the anti-cuts march last weekend?" says Tom Seavers. "After some of your typos this tournament, I would have loved to have seen your placard..." I was in the office, watching England get their arts handed to them by Sri Lanka.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 122-3 (Sangakkara c Dhoni b Yuvraj 48) I don't believe this has just happened. It's an almighty bonus for India. Sangakkara tried to cut a poor delivery from Yuvraj, but the execution was wrong and he top edged it into the gloves of Dhoni. He walked straight off, disgusted to have got out in such a fashion and at a time when Sri Lanka had the game under complete control. I really cannot believe that has happened.
  28th over: Sri Lanka 122-3 (Jayawardene 33, Samaraweera 0) That's yet another vital wicket for Yuvraj in this tournament. It would not be at all surprising if we look back on that as the decisive moment of the match. "Mahela eh?" says Gary Naylor. "Like VVS, he gives the lie to the impression that lefties are more elegant than right-handers. Are those two the last of a breed? Not many play like them these days." Haven't you been watching Cameron White?
  29th over: Sri Lanka 128-3 (Jayawardene 34, Samaraweera 5) Sreesanth returns, and that means more runs for Sri Lanka. Samaraweera opens the face to steer his first boundary to third man. He has not even scored 100 runs in the tournament, so well have the top four played, although he looked pretty calm at the death against New Zealand. That's drinks. "Is it too early to start the Man of the Tournament discussion?" says Ronit Bhattacharya. "If India win this thing, I'd nominate Yuvraj for his all-round performance." I have whittled it down to a choice or, er, five: Yuvraj, Tendulkar, Zaheer, Afridi or Sangakkara. But we won't know until the end of this match. I've never understood the football culture of giving out the Golden Ball before the final. What a load of unfathomable horse pucky!
  30th over: Sri Lanka 132-3 (Jayawardene 34, Samaraweera 9) Samaraweera makes room and late cuts Yuvraj for four. That's been a popular shot today. Those are the only runs from the over. So Sri Lanka are 132 for three after 30 overs; I reckon they'd be happy to double their score from here and leave it to the bowlers. "I'm still shocked that people don't 'get' the OBO concept," says Phil Withall. "I feel it's like having a lock-in at the pub. Strange people drift in and out, leaving their mark on the evening, but at the end of the day all know where they stand/slump. That is the joy of this site; long may it continue it's random meanderings." Exactly. Each his own. I completely understand why some people prefer ball-by-ball, or straight analysis. The worry is that so many people seem unable to comprehend that two grown men or women can have two different opinions or preferences. The sheer arrogance of the many 'change the OBO format, I don't like it' emails is breathtaking. I guess it's a natural consequence of the iGeneration.
  31st over: Sri Lanka 139-3 (Jayawardene 40, Samaraweera 10) Sreesanth is haemorrhaging runs. His third ball is cut firmly for four by Jayawardene &#8211; are they trying to induce a typo or what &#8211; and there are three additional singles. Sreesanth's figures are 8-0-52-0. I'd give his last two overs to Raina, Sehwag, Tendulkar or Uncle Bulgaria. "Always thought M Vaughan was the elegant leftie's right-hander of choice," says Mike Hatcher. "Except when he missed those straight ones. But Mahela is Bergkampesque with his right-sided elan." He's New Labour?
  32nd over: Sri Lanka 143-3 (Jayawardene 42, Samaraweera 12)
  Samaraweera gets in a muddle when he tries to lap Yuvraj, and the ball goes through to Dhoni. There's a big appeal for caught behind, turned down by Aleem Dar, but after a long discussion India decide to take a chance on a review. This is very tight you know. The ball hits the pad and then loops up in the air, but does it hit the glove as well? I think it does, but the evidence is in no way conclusive and so I reckon he will get away with this. Indeed he does, to huge groans around the ground. That's the right decision, but I reckon he might well have gloved that. Anyway, Samaraweera will bat on.
  33rd over: Sri Lanka 148-3 (Jayawardene 44, Samaraweera 14) This will get the ground going: Sachin is coming on to bowl. That's a smart move I think, to use up Sreesanth's last two overs. Mind you, it would be amusing to hear the silence if Samaraweera mowed him out of the ground. In fact, Tendulkar hurries through a decent over at a cost of five, four singles and a wide. "Post World Cup plans," says Aadik. "Are you going to sleep for a week? Triumphant India tour? The French Riviera on the Guardian expense account?" I'm off for a few days in the sunniest of climes. Copenhagen.
  34th over: Sri Lanka 155-3 (Jayawardene 50, Samaraweera 15) Jayawardene has looked in great from from the first ball, and he pulls Yuvraj very fine for four to bring up the 150. Then, from the final ball of the over, he nurdles a single to reach an outstanding half-century from only 49 balls. "Well Clive, I for one hope that the OBO goes on as it is, intact, forever," says Tom Jenkins. "If only for that glorious sensation &#8211; that wave of self-defeating righteous justice &#8211; that I experience immediately after having finally admitted to myself that, despite that jiggerload of F5s, Rob has once again, quite rightly, decided not to include that most recent half-polished filth which I've just tossed in his direction. He gives and He takes away - He saves me from from the public shame and He leaves me to my self-hatred and humiliation. I ask you: where else can I get that sort of service and not have to pay?" You don't need to answer that question.
  35th over: Sri Lanka 162-3 (Jayawardene 54, Samaraweera 16) A dodgy second over from Tendulkar includes two wides, but overall it costs seven, none in boundaries, and India will take that. Fifteen overs to go, from which Sri Lanka will want at least 100 more. "This may just be a matter of perception, but it seems to me that this tournament has seen a re-emergence of 'proper cricket' in the 50-over format," says Seth Levine. "Batsmen have thrived playing classical cricket strokes. Seamers have bowled good lines and lengths (no better example than Zaheer this innings &#8211; that opening spell would have graced any Test match). The best spinners have tossed it up. One of England's problems was playing pre-meditated sweeps and scoops, a la Twenty20 mode. Contrast that with the batting of the finalists, both of whom play the ball on the merits. I've enjoyed this tournament, as its been a reminder that 50-over cricket can be like a condensed Test match."
  36th over: Sri Lanka 168-3 (Jayawardene 59, Samaraweera 17) This is an unexpected bowling change, with Virat Kohli coming on to bowl some medium pace. Jayawardene, who is playing with such serenity, back cuts the first ball for four. It's his seventh boundary and the fourth to that area of the field. Kohli almost strikes with the last ball however. Jayawardene gets in a mess while trying a premeditated lap, and the ball falls not far short of the man at short fine leg. "It's a testament to the goodwill that cricket has garnered recently in Ireland that our local boozer has promised me to put the second innings on their telly for my benefit, despite the premier league being back on today," says Walter Jayawardene. "Hopefully my namesake will do the biz!"
  37th over: Sri Lanka 171-3 (Jayawardene 60, Samaraweera 18) Yuvraj replaces Tendulkar, and there are three singles from the over. Who's on top? Don't ask me. Ask William Goldman. "Aside from your strong case for inclusion for the sheet volume of coverage, I think you're on the mark with your men of the tournament &#8211; though I might also include Murali for the sheer cussedness of bowling on one leg throughout the knockout stages," says Andrew Stroud. "Performance of the tournament perhaps a bit predictable, but for the sheer unpredictability and jaw dropping Astle-like this-can't-possibly-be-happening-ness of it all then it has to be THAT game and THAT innings." Correct. I'm surprised that innings doesn't get more credit. Kevin O'Brien didn't just break the World Cup record, he took nearly a quarter off it.
  38th over: Sri Lanka 179-3 (Jayawardene 65, Samaraweera 21) Zaheer Khan is coming back. He's a champion with the old ball, and he still has five overs remaining. Theoretically, anyway: he is moving a little gingerly after hurting himself with a dive in the outfield earlier in the day. He goes for his first boundary of the innings when Jayawardene opens the face to glide one wide of Dhoni. What an innings he is playing; 65 from 61 balls now. If he gets a hundred it will be right up there with the great World Cup final innings. "I'd like to have an e-mail published in the World Cup Final OBO," says Colum Farrelly. "Can you let me know how?" I just can't say no.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 179-4 (Samaraweera LBW b Yuvraj 21) An excellent review from India, and that rarest of birds: a decision from Simon Taufel that is overturned. Samaraweera went a long way across and missed a premeditated lap at Yuvraj, who implored his captain to review the decision when Taufel said not out. Eventually Dhoni went upstairs, and replays showed that it hit Samaraweera in line and would have hit middle two-thirds of the way up.
  39th over: Sri Lanka 181-4 (Jayawardene 66, Kapugedera 1) The new batsman is Chamara Kapugedera, who is playing in the tournament for the first time. "If India win the World Cup, it would be despite Dhoni than because of him," says Rohit Negi. "Some of his team selections have been absolutely baffling: persisting with Chawla, not playing Ashwin, dropping Sreesanth after only one game then suddenly including him in the FINAL! And apart from general composure in the field, can't think of anything particularly extraordinary he's done as the captain. Of course, his batting has disintegrated almost entirely. Its just that he has a number of matchwinners in the team." 'Apart from general composure in the field'? And apart from the roads, what did the Romans etc? I take your point, but I think Dhoni has been wonderful in the field. You could certainly query the omission of Ashwin in the last two games, but you can understand why he wanted three seamers.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 182-5 (Kapugedera c Raina b Zaheer 1) Magnificent bowling from Zaheer Khan. Kapugedera was duped by a lovely slower ball and chipped it gently to Raina at short extra cover. Zaheer spreads his arms in that same I'm-the-man pose. Quite right, too. He has been awesome in this World Cup.
  40th over: Sri Lanka 183-5 (Jayawardene 67, Kulasekera 1) Kulasekera comes in ahead of Perera. Jayawardene's wicket is absolutely vital now. If he goes, Sri Lanka will struggle to reach 250; if he stays, they could push up to near 280. That's the end of another brilliant over from Zaheer, whose figures are a stunning 7-3-16-2. That's his 21st wicket of the tournament, so he is now joint top with Shahid Afridi. "OBOers may be interested in this," says Gary Naylor. "There's the movie and a Q and A after. OBOers shouldn't let my presence put them off." I saw it a few months back &#8211; it is very good indeed.
  41st over: Sri Lanka 186-5 (Jayawardene 68, Kulasekera 3) Excellent stuff from Yuvraj, whose final over goes for just three singles. He ends with good figures of 10-0-49-2. For a fifth bowler, he's had a seriously good tournament. "You want to be careful focusing on all those cut shots," says Robin Hazlehurst. "The typo has a doosra too, and while you're busy not making errors to the standard delivery of the cut, one will turn the other way and you'll have someone bunting the ball down long off's throat in an unfortunate way. Which may be quite amusing."
  42nd over: Sri Lanka 192-5 (Jayawardene 69, Kulasekera 8) Munaf Patel is on for Zaheer, who will bowl his last three overs right at the death. Kulasekera flicks one extravagantly round the corner, and Yuvraj Singh does very well to save the boundary. India have been so good in the field. Six from the over. "Walter Jayawardene has the best name in the world," says Paul Griffin. "Can I buy it off him, or even rent it on alternate Thursdays?"
  43rd over: Sri Lanka 199-5 (Jayawardene 72, Kulasekera 11) Here's Harbhajan, who has three overs remaining. The first of those goes for seven, fsix singles and a wide. "Is it me, or is today's OBO focussing rather worryingly on the actual cricket?" says Matthew Rimmer. "I was under the impression that this was a forum for sarcasm, fish finger recipes and slating Mac Millings."
  44th over: Sri Lanka 205-5 (Jayawardene 77, Kulasekera 12) Kulasekera survives a review for caught behind. He seemed to top edge a cut at Patel through to Dhoni. Patel didn't even appeal, going straight into a celebration, but Aleem Dar said not out. India decided to review the decision, but that's a risk with caught-behind decisions. There was no deviation but there was a definite noise on a couple of the replays &#8211; and that noise could only have been an edge. I am sure that's out. However, as with the earlier appeal, the evidence is not conclusive and therefore Kulasekera survives. After Tendulkar's let offs the other day, India and the UDRS is becoming the most torrid relationship this side of Heathcliff and Cathy. Anyway, that was the first ball of the over, and from the fourth Jayawardene plays a gorgeous square drive for four. He has 77 from 74 balls, and his heart hasn't yet skipped a beat.
  45th over: Sri Lanka 211-5 (Jayawardene 79, Kulasekera 16) Kulasekera has played pretty sensibly, content to turn the strike over as often as possible. Six from Harbhajan's over, all in ones and twos.
  46th over: Sri Lanka 220-5 (Jayawardene 85, Kulasekera 19) Sri Lanka take the batting Powerplay at the last moment, so that means a return for Zaheer Khan. After five singles from the first five balls, Jayawardene makes room to drive a yorker through the covers for four. That's a gorgeous piece of batting. Not quite as good as pinging a yorker over square leg for six, as Viv did in 1979, but still incredibly good. "You have to admire the evil genius of the marketing maven who came up with the idea of playing a gigantic heartbeat when the third umpire's taking a decision," says Shailesh Rai. "It forces me to go to the loo even when the decision's pretty straightforward. I can only imagine what it does to the spectators on the field."
  47th over: Sri Lanka 231-5 (Jayawardene 90, Kulasekera 25) A fine over for Sri Lanka, with Patel going for 11. Kulasekera pulls the first ball round the corner four, Jayawardene deliberately slices the third wide of short third man to the boundary, and there are three singles on top of that. "I love the OBO," says Joanna Quinn, correctly reasoning that brazen sycophancy will ensure email publication. "Don't go changin, Rob. I'm pretty new to cricket and have not yet developed the robot brain capable of working with a ball by ball format/geeky analysis. Plus, the general OBO discussion around the game helps a crikkit eejit like me learn more about it - and it makes me laugh. I still chuckle to myself remembering the man emailing in during the Ashes who was stuck in his office post-work-Christmas party (but had gone home to get his glasses?). Don't listen to the iNaysayers neither. I am repeatedly hitting F5 in furious defiance of their complaints."
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 248-6 (Kulasekera run out 32) What an over. It includes Jayawardene's hundred, 17 runs off Zaheer Khan, and finally a run out. When the ball goes through to Dhoni, Kulasekera takes one for the team, setting off so that Jayawardene can keep the strike. Dhoni hits the stumps and Kulasekera, who clouted Zaheer for six earlier in the over, goes for a superb 30-ball 32. There was a nice touch as he walked off, with Jayawardene putting an arm round his waist to thank him, both for the sacrifice and a very sensible supporting innings.
  48th over: Sri Lanka 248-6 (Jayawardene 100, Perera 0) Earlier in the over, Jayawardene reached an immense hundred with consecutive boundaries off Zaheer. It took just 84 balls, and this has been a staggeringly good innings. He has used a thread of silk for a bat and has been in a zone of almost perfect serenity. How can you play so well under such pressure? "If there was such a thing as a Champ Man for cricket, then Walter Jayawardene would be a classic re-gen," says Steve Betteley. "Right up there with my left back in year 2007 of a CM 93/94 game, Carlton Kanchelskis."
  49th over: Sri Lanka 256-6 (Jayawardene 102, Perera 5) The penultimate over of the innings, from Harbhajan, goes for eight &#8211; four singles and a primeval smear down the ground for four by Perera. Sri Lanka have scored 45 from four overs in this Powerplay.
  50th over: Sri Lanka 274-6 (Jayawardene 103, Perera 22) What a finish from Sri Lanka! Zaheer's last over of the innings goes for 18, with Thisara Perera smacking the last ball of the innings for six! That makes it a massive 63 from the batting Powerplay. Perera spanks a low full toss through extra cover for four, clubs another just over mid on, and then smashes the last ball of the innings into the stands. That's a wonderful piece of death hitting, 22 from 9 balls, while Mahela Jayawardene walks off after making a stunning 103 not out from 88 balls. That is a brilliant effort at the end from Sri Lanka, and now India will need 275 to win. Sean Ingle will talk you through the first part of the Indian reply in 10 minutes or so. You can email him on sean.ingle@guardian.co.uk
  INNINGS BREAK
  A charity plug, while you wait One of our team, Steph Fincham, is cycling across Sri Lanka next February for MAG (Mines Advisory Group), a humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict for communities worldwide. "Thousands of Sri Lankans remain in displacement camps, having been uprooted during the civil war," she says. "The presence of landmines remain a major obstacle to their safe return home. Large areas remain uninhabitable. I took my 12-year-old son to Sri Lanka for the cricket World Cup and we were bowled over (yes, really) by the beauty of the country and people..."
  You know what to do. But only if you want to, obviously. There's no peer pressure here. If you want to keep all your money and never give any of it to good causes, ever, and you can live with that, then that's fine. No, honestly, it's fine. Er, yes. Anyway, if you do wish to donate, here's the link.
  India innings So, how do you call this one? According to the odds, India are paper-thin favourites but I can't split them. What we do know is that the average ODI score in the last six games at the Wankhede stadium is 263, which suggests Sri Lanka's score is at least par. Meanwhile Colum Fordham writes: "Playing cricket with two young sons in Piazza Dante in Naples surrounded by enthusiastic Sri Lanka fans watching the match on an impromptu screen, whilst other Sri Lankan kids play as well, to general indifference/surprise of passing Neapolitans." Ah Naples, home of Pizzeria Michele, arguably the best pizzeria in Italy.
  WICKET! Sehwag lbw Malinga 0 Virender Sehwag has smashed a boundary off the first ball of six of India's eight matches at this cricket World Cup, but he's much more circumspect today, blocking Malinga's first delivery. Malinga's second - an inswinger - hits his legs, there's a huge appeal for lbw, and he's given out! Wait, Sehwag is immediately reviewing it. After a series of replies show there was no bat on ball, and the delivery was going to hit the stumps, Sehwag is given out "Cracking effort by the Sri Lankans, a genuinely great knock from Jayawardene, weathering the early pressure then hitting back memorably at the finish," says Martin Duckworth. "I'd venture those extra runs from Perera at the end will seem to be worth twice as much in a couple of hours time. If India can win this under the most extreme pressure in sport my hat will be well and truly doffed in their direction. Game on."
  1st over: India 4-1 (Gambhir 4, Tendulkar 0) Gambhir is immediately off the mark with a boundary off his pads which squirts past square leg. Sri Lanka are bringing in a widish leg slip here ... which is interesting, if unorthodox. "Seriously? You've slogged your way through the entire tournament and then your boss steps in to hog the limelight in the final innings?" fumes Brian Cloughley. "Shocker." Don't worry Brian, Rob is just have a short - and well deserved - break.
  2nd over: India 10-1 (Gambhir 5, Tendulkar 4) Sachin Tendulkar immediately gets off the mark to Nuwan Kulasekara's first delivery, steering it to backward point. A punchier shot later in the over to pick up another three runs. Early days, but he looks in good nick. "I've been backing Sri Lanka from the start and see no reason to switch horses now," pronounces Gary Naylor from his spot on Mount Sinai. "250 would have been a good score - 274 is surely a winning score." Bit early to say that Gary, surely?
  3rd over: India 15-1 (Gambhir 5, Tendulkar 9) Lovely stuff from Tendulkar, who flicks one his wrists to midwicket to pick up a couple before tenderly guiding a cover drive between two fielders for three more. Five off the over. "There's no way any pizza could be better than at Di Matteoon Via Tribunali, the world's best Margherita, best anything, lines around the block all day long," insists Jack Altman. "And while not so great at cricket, Napoli will surprise everyone and take both Milan teams for the scudeto."
  4th over: India 26-1 (Gambhir 7, Tendulkar 18) There's a danger of anointing an innings when it's still in its embryonic stages, but right now Tendulkar is playing with the beauty of a late Beethoven symphony. He prods Kulasekera down the ground for a boundary, then brutally cuts him away for another four. Eleven off the over. "How exciting is this already Sean?" asks Clare Davies. You should my pulse; it's thumping away like Yuvraj against Stuart Broad back in 2007. "India unsettled at the very start losing Sehweg &#8211; and you should here Vaughan berating him on TMS for his selfishness in wasting a review &#8211; and the mood of the crowd changing by the ball. Silence as the wicket falls, huge cheer for a single run. This is set up for a brilliant couple of hours." Amen to that.
  5th over: India 27-1 (Gambhir 7, Tendulkar 18) While the Indian batsmen are making hay against Kulasekera they are rightly respectful against Malinga, whose baseball-style sliders and toe-shattering yorkers have been right on the money thus far. Just one off the over, and he nearly enticed Tendulkare into an edge off the final delivery. "The cheek!" splutters PJ Connolly. "You've been here for two overs and you feel you have the authority to question the teachings of Gary Naylor?" In fairness, I did start the whole comments in live commentary thing back in 2002, PJ (check South Africa v Spain in the 2002 World Cup).
  6th over: India 31-1 (Gambhir 11, Tendulkar 18) Good stat from cricket betting writer Ed Hawkins, who tweets that 229-5 is the highest chase under lights at the Wankhede (Sri Lanka v India 1997). Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have made their first bowling change, bringing on Perera. It's a decent first over, the only runs from it are from a loose slash by Gambhir that was nearly caught at gully. "Beethoven symphony?" splutters Jeremy James, quite rightly before putting me right. "A piano concerto more likely, weaving his magic to a background of orchestra and cacaphony. Are you going to be the new Neville Cardus?" I wish.
  WICKET! Tendulkar c Sanggakara b Malinga 18 (India 31-2) Malinga takes Tendulkar's wicket! Tendulkar went at a slightly widish one and thick edged behind it to Sangakkara. As the noise in the Wankhede Stadium dropped about 120 decibels, Malinga went on spiralling 50-yard victory charge. Can you blame him?
  7th over: India 32-2 (Gambhir 12, Kohli 0) On Sky, the commentators are pointing out that India bat deep; at the moment it looks they will need to. Virat nearly edged Malinga behind there; chasing one that bounced higher than he expected. Malinga (4-1-11-2) finishes with a wicket-maiden. "If Tendulkar is playing like a Beethoven symphony would you say Sewhag was playing like James Blunt's 1973?" asks Jonah Gadsby.
  8th over: India 33-2 (Gambhir 13, Kohli 0) Like the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana Jones shoots the sword wielding baddie, losing Sehwag and Tendulkar this early wasn't in the script. So despite the return of Kulasekera the Indian batsmen are unsurprising watchful. Meanwhile Thomas Hopkins writes: "England may have invented football, but now it belongs to the world. Likewise, you may have invented the comments in live commentary concept, but now it belongs to Naylor."
  9th over: India 35-2 (Gambhir 15, Kohli 0) Malinga out, Perera in. Interesting discussion from Tom Moody on commentary - he admits that when he coached Sri Lanka, losing Sannath Jayasuriya "would send shudders through the dressing room", and he speculates that India might be feeling something similar now. Certainly Virat Kohli is struggling; he's yet to get off the mark in nine deliveries. "Someone said this on Cricinfo and I checked it: Jayawardene has 13 ODI hundreds, and in EVERY SINGLE ONE he was on the winning side," says Steve Anthony. "Looks like it's going to be 14. What an innings. Love the silk thread/serene quote..."
  10th over: India 41-2 (Gambhir 15, Kohli 6) Kohli finally gets off the mark, swiping Kulasekara's stray delivery off his pads for four. A couple more follow and that's six off the over. Still, this is India's lowest score after 10 overs in this World Cup. Meanwhile Gary Naylor has issued a warning: "If you're going to mix classical music and cricket, you'll end up channelling Michael Henderson and lose all your readers!"
  11th over: India 50-2 (Gambhir 22, Kohli 8) There's a touch of the Astaires about Gambhir as he steps down the track and hits Perera over midwicket for a boundary. Five more runs in ones and twos follow, including a quickly-taken couple to Murali which brings up the 50. Meanwhile Apurba writes: "What do Sachin Tendulkar and Thierry Henry have in common? Both are brilliant, both can't score in a final. Sad sad sad." A little harsh, Apurba ...
  12nd over: India 61-2 (Gambhir 28, Kohli 13) Kulasekara continues with his middle-of-the-road trundlers but he is causing few problems for the batsmen. Gambhir adds another boundary - and goes over 4,000 ODI runs (with an average of 40.44) - with a hoik over the covers. Another boundary to fine leg from Kohli follows. "As a loyal but not uncritical Australian, I must admit this is the first World Cup Final in many years I have enjoyed," writes Gervase Greene. "Not being quite as involved - and indeed, falling at the pen-penultimate hurdle, where one can't even seethe with any real sense of credible malevolence &#8211; I am actually enjoying this tense-fest. Cricket is perhaps not designed to be enjoyed (pax, that novice Canadian earlier), but in a post-Gilchrist world I am finding worthy and willing competition a more than adequate replacement." Agreed.
  13rd over: India 68-2 (Gambhir 30, Kohli 16) Sri Lanka were marginal favourites when Tendulkar went, but the odds have flip-flopped again, and now India are rated as having the edge. Certainly this wishy-washy bowling is helping them - Perera gifted two wides that over and there were too many easy ones and twos. Still no sign of Murali, or any spin for that matter. Meanwhile an interesting point from David Affleck re Sachin Tendulkar: "18 runs are better than 0. Tendulkar can score in a final, but they just weren't big scores. It's a team game anyway, so it doesn't matter what each individual gets. The obsession with individuals misses the point about a game like cricket."
  14th over: India 72-2 (Gambhir 33, Kohli 17) Suraj Randiv - whose figures in ODI cricket are 22 wickets in 22 matches with an economy rate of 4.65 - comes to to peddle his offspinners. And almost immediately there's a chance! Kohli decides to go airbourne, mistimes his shot but Kula drops it at long off! Four off the over. "I'm a great believer in omens during any sport and there's just been a very good one &#8211; though I'm not for which team it will work," says Claire Davies. "I had to call out the plumber this morning to deal with a blocked loo. He's just been and far from presenting me with a weekend-rate call-out charge hideous fee, he simply applied the plunger, it took about two mins, and no charge at all! How cool is that?" Don't ask me; how would I know?
  15th over: India 76-2 (Gambhir 36, Kohli 19) And still the singles come, like visitors to an early 1990s swap meet, until Gambhir brings up the 50 partnership with an efficient brush off his legs. So far Perera is about as threatening as a plate of peas. "Congratulations, Clare," writes Phil Sawyer. "That must be the first time the words 'toilet plunger' and 'cool' have been used in the same sentence." Anyway, that's drinks - and that's it from me. Rob Smyth will guide you through to the end of this intriguing final.
  Hello again. Did you miss me? Oh, okay. Anyway, there are two precedents here for India &#8211; one good, one bad.
  1. A stiff chase against Sri Lanka in the knockout stages of 'their' World Cup unravels against the spinners.
  2. A couple of kids come of age as India come back from the brink in a major final.
  16th over: India 86-2 (target 275; Gambhir 41, Kohli 23) The offspinner Randiv will continue. He is Sri Lanka's Indian specialist: this is his 31st match for his country, and 1y have been against India. That's why he has jumped the queue only a couple of days after arriving in the country. Five from the over, all in ones and twos.
  17th over: India 91-2 (target 275; Gambhir 42, Kohli 24) An offspinner comes into the attack in place of Perera, but it's Dilshan rather than Muralitharan. His first ball is a wide that goes down the leg side for a couple, then Kohli is beaten when he tries to cut a fullish ball that skids on. This is wonderfully poised. "Gambhir's performance, using the Tendulkar Beethoven scale, is probably The Smiths ranging to New Order," says Jonah Gadsby.
  18th over: India 96-2 (target 275; Gambhir 47, Kohli 24) Gambhir is an excellent nurdler of spin, India's best, but he can also pull out the big strokes, and in that Randiv over he plonks his back leg down and dumps a slog-sweep for four. Then Kohli inside-edges one into the groin and to safety on the off side, although Sangakkara made a desperate attempt to run round and catch the ball. "Did you lunch on samosas and Tiger beer?" says John Starbuck. "It always help to get in the mood if you suit your cuisine to the game at hand. Panther Sweat might be more appropriate for this one though." I had some don't say it, Smyth, don't do it, you'll lose your last fan Ravi-Kohli. Ravi-Kohli! Ra- ah never mind.
  19th over: India 99-2 (target 275; Gambhir 50, Kohli 24) Here he is. For the last time, and almost 19 years after Allan Border sized him up and thought he was facing a legspinner, Murali comes into the attack. It's his last supper, and first on the menu are Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. There should have been a wicket second ball &#8211; but from a run out rather than off Murali's bowling. He took a very dodgy two to deep backward point, and was short of the ground when the throw reached Sangakkara almost on the half volley, but he could not collect the ball and break the stumps. It was a really difficult one for Sangakkara to deal with. That takes Gambhir to 49, and then he works a single to reach an excellent half-century from 56 balls. Three from Murali's first over.
  20th over: India 105-2 (target 275; Gambhir 51, Kohli 29) Gambhir is beaten, groping at a brutish delivery from Randiv that turns and bounces into the gloves of Sangakkara, and then Kohli flicks one very fine for four. India have done extremely well after that traumatic start, and these two have scored so quickly that the required rate is still below a run a ball. "Let's keep the wild speculation alive, especially now that Sachin's century of centuries is off the menu," says Jeffrey Feim. "Isn't a tie the third possibility - then it goes to cricket's equivalent of a penalty shootout?" If he gets a century in the Super Over, after a comic flurry of no-balls, does that count?
  21st over: India 109-2 (target 275; Gambhir 53, Kohli 31) Murali is bowling around the wicket to the right-handed Kohli, as ever. India would probably take figures of 10-0-40-1 for him, and there are four singles from that over.
  WICKET! India 114-3 (Kohli ct and b Dilshan 35) What a catch from Tillakaratne Dilshan! He came on in place of Randiv and struck a crucial blow with his fourth ball. Kohli drove the ball back whence it came and, although the presence of Gambhir could and should have put him off, Dilshan leapt to take a beautiful one-handed catch high to his right. Gambhir actually backed away; had he stood his ground he would probably have worn an accidental flying headbutt from Dilshan. Anyway, Dilshan has been the top scorer in the tournament, yet we may well end up recalling his World Cup 2011 for what he did with the ball and in the field in that spellbinding moment.
  22nd over: India 115-3 (target 275; Gambhir 54, Dhoni 0) Well, well, MS Dhoni has brought himself in ahead of Yuvraj Singh. That is a major surprise because he is in terrible form, whereas Yuvraj has arguably been the man of the tournament. Tom Moody reckons it is a left-hand/right-hand thing. Dhoni, driving, is beaten by a beautiful quicker ball. "I'm supposedly preparing a sermon for tomorrow morning," says Sarah Jones. "I fear I may have to rewrite Psalm 23 &#8211; The Lord's my umpire, I shall not sledge &#8230; Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of the doosra, I shall fear no evil &#8230;
  "
  23rd over: India 117-3 (target 275; Gambhir 55, Dhoni 0) Two from Murali's over, so he has started well: 3-0-8-0. "Great to see Kohli getting recognition.," says Seth Levine. "So much more sustainable than cod (if you can't get that gag in on the Guardian, what chance have you got?)." Yes, we are short of emails.
  24th over: India 122-3 (target 275; Gambhir 59, Dhoni 1) Dhoni drives a bump ball down the ground, and this time Gambhir does stand his ground, which means Dilshan ploughs into him. Gambhir, for his part, is Bevaning the ball around extremely well. It's in his hands. Five from the over. "Why does Dilshan always look so worried in the field?" says Scott W. "Even after he took that catch he looked daunted." He's not sure whether he locked the back door or not. Poor bugger has had to carry that on his shoulders for seven weeks now.
  25th over: India 124-3 (target 275; Gambhir 60, Dhoni 2) Another fine over from Murali costs just two. He clearly isn't fit, but he's playing an excellent hand and has conceded just 10 from his four overs. The required rate, for the first time, is above a run a ball.
  26th over: India 128-3 (target 275; Gambhir 62, Dhoni 4) Dilshan, like Yuvraj, is an underrated one-day spinner, with a habit of picking up vital wickets. He's milked for four in that over; Sri Lanka will take that all day, and all of the night. "The contrast between many of the matches in this tournament and any number of bilateral ODI series, is marked," says Gary Naylor. "Why not keep a big World Cup (with four Associate nations) and the short, sharp Champions Trophy on four-year cycles and only allow fifty over cricket in the six months leading up to those tournaments? That would keep the showpieces, make space for lots of Twenty20 crowd-pleasers and reduce players' workloads." I like this idea a lot, but there is more chance of me waking up tomorrow as Ferris Bueller.
  27th over: India 134-3 (target 275; Gambhir 67, Dhoni 5) An aggressive more from Kumar Sangakkara, who returns to Lasith Malinga to see if this oldish ball will reverse swing. Both batsmen shorten their backlift accordingly. There's a hint of shape, but Gambhir is able to open the face and squeeze one to third man for four. "Thanks to all who have donated, incredibly kind, a great boost," says Steph Fincham, who is cycling across Sri Lanka in February. "Would love to say I'd just got back from a 100km training ride, but that will have to wait till the World Cup is over..."
  28th over: India 142-3 (target 275; Gambhir 74, Dhoni 6) Gambhir charges Dilshan, who sees him coming and spears it into towards the pads, and Gambhir is very lucky to get an inside edge to fine leg for four. India need 133 from 132 balls. Could this be more perfectly poised? "As if the cricket wasn't gripping enough, watching on a feed from India I get ads from the National Egg Coordination Committee," says Jon Stibbs. "Is it cowardly to pray for egg sandwiches?"
  29th over: India 146-3 (target 275; Gambhir 76, Dhoni 8) After one over of Malinga, it's the loveable wild-eyed nerd to resume. It's yet another tight over from Murali, just four singles from it. "You are not wrong about the climate in Copenhagen," says Lars Eriksen. "Summer just arrived today so I've taken the laptop and the OBO outside in the sun. The herring has been pickled, a beast of a pork shoulder is nestled in brine and the authorities have been alerted ahead of your impending visit."
  30th over: India 151-3 (target 275; Gambhir 76, Dhoni 12) Thisara Perera comes on for Dilshan. He could be a weak link, and Dhoni muscles his first ball into the leg side for a couple. A couple singles bring up the 150, and India need 124 from 120 balls. I reckon they are slight favourites. Sri Lanka certainly need a wicket. "The Beard Liberation Front says that Malinga is now ahead of Yuvraj by a whisker in the battle for Beard of the World Cup," says Keith Flett.
  31st over: India 157-3 (target 275; Gambhir 77, Dhoni 17) That's a fine shot from Dhoni, who crashes the first boundary off Murali through the covers. Sri Lanka's need for a wicket is becoming urgent. "Although not a Test Match, this is definitely tea time so I have unleashed a slice of special honey cake &#8211; the honey having been made by our local monks at Pluscarden Abbey," says Clare Davies. "I feel that a blessed cake will be good luck for ensuring this match stays tight and exciting. Wicket please Sri Lanka."
  32nd over: India 165-3 (target 275; Gambhir 79, Dhoni 23) A disgusting delivery from Perera, short and wide, is belaboured over the covers or four by Dhoni. He is looking dangerous, and India have stealthily moved into a position from which they really should win this game. They need 110 from 108 balls with seven wickets remaining, and that's drinks. "This is enthralling stuff, watching Murali trying to bend the match to Sri Lanka, and the tension is palpable," says Guy Hornsby. "What a send off for the genial magician. I never thought I'd be this nervous watching anyone other than England. This is a crucial partnership. You feel if they make it to 40 overs, India will get home. Not sure I can handle a tight finish with my hangover. I had a battle with Liver Compromiser last night, and came off a distant second."
  33rd over: India 170-3 (target 275; Gambhir 80, Dhoni 27) Kulasekera, who has also gone for a few, replaces Murali. That's a counter-intuitive change from Kumar Sangakkara, because you'd think he'd want his best bowlers on. Dhoni waves a couple through the covers in an over that yields five. This is the best he has played at this World Cup; and while that's not saying much, he looks really good. Some players seem to be stimulated rather than cowed by extreme pressure, the freaks, and Dhoni is certainly one of them. "This match has felt like a scaled down Test," says Gary Naylor. "No stupid reverse sweeps or Dilscoops and wicket-taking and innings-building has been the priority for both sides. So much better than slogfests and endless dibbly-dobbling." WRONG. Give me Larsen, Latham and Harris over Marshall, Garner and Holding any day.
  34th over: India 175-3 (target 275; Gambhir 83, Dhoni 29) Randiv is on for Perera (7-0-43-0), who might not bowl again. Gambhir premeditates a lap for two in another good over for India. At this stage, they are cruising. "I'd heard all the reasons about why Sri Lanka dropped Mendis today but still didn't think it made sense and have seen nothing so far that makes it seem like a good decision," says Jim Clear. "Plus on a more selfish note I'm missing his "mystery" and the discussion thereof &#8211; Mendis is like the Scooby Doo of cricket." What he said.
  35th over: India 183-3 (target 275; Gambhir 88, Dhoni 31) Sri Lanka are feeling a bit sorry for themselves. They should recognise the narrative of this run-chase: it's very similar to theirs in the 1996 final. Gambhir, in the Aravinda de Silva role, spanks a disdainful boundary over midwicket. India have paced this chase incredibly well, so much so that the required rate is still loitering at around a run a ball. They need 92 from 90. "I can't help but think that Sri Lanka have missed Matthews today," says Owen Thorpe. "Looked a batsman light in the first innings and at least one bowler light in the second. Perera might have hit a couple of blows, but his bowling is pretty rank." They have missed him badly. He a very good cricketer.
  36th over: India 191-3 (need 84 from 84 balls; Gambhir 89, Dhoni 38) MS Dhoni has stones of, well, stone. He would have been savaged had he changed the batting order and then failed; instead he is playing like a man who has seen his own destiny, and he rocks back to cut Randiv emphatically for four. That takes him to his highest score of the tournament. Cometh the hour, cometh the modern man. His opposite number, Kumar Sangakkara, is having a tricky time though. He is waiting for a wicket rather than actively seeking it; it makes sense up to a point, but if Sri Lanka don't get that wicket in the next few overs this game will be over. "I feel sick," says Josh Nall, who really shouldn't have had the special. "I am stuck in Washington DC, and agreed weeks ago to go to a baseball game today, failing entirely to check the WC schedule before I agreed. Now I have to leave this game when it's perfectly poised with 100 balls left, so I can go watch big boys' rounders. Gutted." You could &#8211; and I admit this is a leftfield suggestion &#8211; tell all you friends you really, really hate them or that stupid big boys' rounders, and then stay in.
  37th over: India 196-3 (need 79 from 78 balls; Gambhir 89, Dhoni 43) Now Sangakkara does turn to Malinga, his main strike bowler. "This is the game right here," says Nasser Hussain, but it might be too late. Dhoni takes a couple off each of the first two deliveries and then a single off the fifth. That's plenty for India.
  38th over: India 204-3 (need 71 from 72 balls; Gambhir 90, Dhoni 50) Dhoni is struggling physically and has a bit of treatment between overs. It seems to be a back problem. Another man who is far from peak conditions, Muttiah Muralitharan, is coming back into the attack. Dhoni makes room to smash four more through extra cover to bring up a wonderful half-century, selfless and granite-willed. He looks and speaks like a nice, gentle soul, but he is tough as anyone in the game and he has shown that here. "Best bars in Mumbai to be if a) India win or b) if Sri Lanka win anyone?" asks Charles Phelps.
  39th over: India 210-3 (need 65 from 66 balls; Gambhir 93, Dhoni 52) Gambhir breaks his bat while digging out a yorker from Malinga. He steers a single with the new bat, one of six runs from Malinga's seventh over. This match is all over, and India are going to win the World Cup for the first time since 1983. Here's what you get if you type 1983 into YouTube. Oh for a DeLorean. "On the Tendulkar Beethoven scale, the Sri Lanka bowling attack are varying from Bryan Adams to Rebecca Black," says Jonah Gadsby, before helpfully clarifying his point for those who aren't familiar with the oeuvre of Bryan Adams or Rebecca Black. "They're rubbish."
  40th over: India 221-3 (need 54 from 60 balls; Gambhir 96, Dhoni 59) What a time this would be for Murali to summon one last beastly delivery that pitches leg and hits off. It doesn't look likely, in truth. The birth certificate says 38 but the body clock is nearer 45. A leg-side wide brings up a marvellous hundred partnership, and Dhoni hammers the next ball imperiously through extra cover for four. Murali finally switches to back over the wicket, but India are winning this at a canter. Eleven from the over, the last from a sloppy overthrow. Sri Lanka have gone mentally. "I'm at that big boys' rounders game in DC right now, following the OBO on my iPhone," says Clodilla. "Best of both worlds. Technology. Wonderful thing!"
  41st over: India 223-3 (need 53 from 54 balls; Gambhir 97, Dhoni 60)
  Randiv replaces a tired Murali and hurries through an over for just two. Sri Lanka need more than that my little hombre. "Do you not think that Jonah Gadsby talking about Western Classical music and getting three separate mentions in the OBO is a bit unfair since some of us (ahem) don't make it even once, although we respond to your requests for emails promptly," says Sam Ebenezer. "And don't even get me started on the blatant sycophants! Did I mention that I absolutely ADORE your blog??" Aw, you guys. But seriously, before we are overtaken with the small matter of India winning the World Cup, thanks for all your emails throughout the World Cup and indeed the whole wide winter. I'm sure Andy Bull and the other chaps would agree that, with particular reference to those ODIs in Australia, we couldn't have done it without youse.
  WICKET! India 223-4 (Gambhir b Perera 97) That is a real shame for Gautam Gambhir, who misses out on a deserved century. He charged Perera and essayed a roundhouse smear but succeeded only in snicking the ball onto the stumps. No real need for that stroke, but he has played a gem of an innings &#8211; immaculately paced and full of immaculate placement. In a batting line up full of galacticos he is something of a Makelele figure; India, unlike Real Madrid, certainly appreciate his value.
  42nd over: India 227-4 (need 48 from 48 balls; Dhoni 60, Yuvraj 4) Yuvraj Singh comes to the crease. Does he has tense, nervous headache? Is this music rattling round hisbrain? No. He blocks two deliveries and pulls the third contemptuously for four. India have 48 balls remaining, and if they get a run off each of them they will win the World Cup. "It's all very well and good making a stab at real journalism this late in the day, but can you stop with this cricket analysis and skip to the pressing question of who's had the lions share of commentary on Sky?" says Ben Dunn. "Their 341 commentators fitted into one day?" They have had all those with Indian and Sri Lanka connections (Russel Arnold, Sanjay Manjrekar, Tom Moody, Ravi Shastri, Sourav Ganguly), plus Nasser and Bumble. I think that's the lot.
  43rd over: India 232-4 (need 43 from 42 balls; Dhoni 62, Yuvraj 5) Randiv continues &#8211; Murali and Malinga have five overs left between them, presumably the last five &#8211; and is pushed around for five runs. Teams have lost from this position in the past, but there is no sense that it could happen today. "Gambhir = Gatting?" says Gary Naylor. Nah, India are still in complete control.
  44th over: India 240-4 (need 35 from 36 balls; Dhoni 69, Yuvraj 5) Perera's first ball is some of the most disgraceful filth you'll ever see, but it still needs punishing and Dhoni flashes a cut high over point for six! That's a cracking shot. Dhoni is really on one, and when he is almost run out off the next ball after a mix up &#8211; he would actually have been home even if the throw had hit &#8211; he smashes his bat into his pads in frustration. What a captain's innings this has been.
  45th over: India 245-4 (need 30 from 30 balls; Dhoni 71, Yuvraj 9) Dhoni comes within a whisker of being run out. That was so close. Yuvraj took a dodgy single to short third man off Randiv, and a direct hit meant that Dhoni was in trouble. It was a split-frame affair, and after about 10 replays &#8211; and to the mother of all cheers &#8211; Dhoni was given not out. His speed between the wickets was vital. Two balls later now there's a review against Yuvraj! He played outside a good delivery from Randiv, prompting a huge shout for LBW, but the first replay showed a clear inside edge. Yuvraj survives, and it can only be seconds before somebody says that India's victory was meant to be.
  46th over: India 248-4 (need 27 from 24 balls; Dhoni 71, Yuvraj 12) So now India take the batting Powerplay by default. There are five overs remaining: three for Malinga and two for Murali. If anyone can pull this one out, it's those two, but it would be a huge shock. Malinga starts magnificently, with four dot balls to Yuvraj, who then crunches the fifth through midwicket for two and the sixth down the ground for a single. Brilliant stuff from Malinga.
  47th over: India 259-4 (need 16 from 18 balls; Dhoni 76, Yuvraj 18) This is a really surprising move, with Kulasekera preferred to Murali. Madness! A wet ball can be the only reason, but even so, I'd rather have Murali bowling with a soggy orange on a sheet of glass at this stage of a World Cup final. Especially as Kulasekera has just disappeared for xx. Dhoni hammers the second ball through extra cover for four, a wonderful stroke when the pressure was mounting just a touch. Dhoni then survives a token third-umpire referral after being sent back, and Yuvraj smears an attempted yorker on the full through midwicket for four. That was a terrible over from Kulasekera, and a matchwinning one for India. All the good work that Kulasekera and Perera did with the bat has been undone with the ball. "I've just been checking on the interweb, Rob, and from what I can find, it seems that ITV4 have confirmed that they will be showing this year's IPL live," says Clare Davies. "Starts next Friday, so those of us who need a lot of live cricket don't need to worry too much about withdrawal. Would be nice if you were to OBO but I guess that's just too much to ask for." Clare, my darling, there is more chance of me MBMing my own funeral than any cricket for the next six weeks. I love cricket dearly, I just don't want to see any of it for a long time.
  47.1 overs India 260-4 (need 15 from 17 balls; Dhoni 76, Yuvraj 19) Yuvraj drives Malinga's first ball confidently for a single.
  47.2 overs India 264-4 (need 11 from 16 balls; Dhoni 80, Yuvraj 19) "Dhoni! Dhoni! Dhoni!" rings round the ground, and he times Malinga off his pads for four. What a shot, and what an outrageous innings he has played tonight.
  47.3 overs India 268-4 (need 7 from 15 balls; Dhoni 84, Yuvraj 19) TO say Dhoni has his business face on is an understatement. There is a furious intensity all over his phizog, and there's another boundary, flicked brilliantly through square leg.
  47.4 overs India 268-4 (need 7 from 14 balls; Dhoni 84, Yuvraj 19) Malinga nutmegs Dhoni with a leg-side yorker.
  47.5 overs India 269-4 (need 6 from 13 balls; Dhoni 85, Yuvraj 19) A quick single to point. India are one hit away. "He can't, can he? says Bumble.
  48 overs India 270-4 (need 5 from 12 balls; Dhoni 85, Yuvraj 20) Yuvraj whips another single to long on. I hope Dhoni hits the winning runs. He deserves it for a captain's innings of stunning certainty.
  48.1 overs India 271-4 (need 4 from 11 balls; Dhoni 85, Yuvraj 21) This is all about India, but spare a thought for Sri Lanka, who become the first side since England in 1992 to lose consecutive World Cup finals. Yuvraj pushes a single.
  INDIA WIN THE WORLD CUP! 48.2 overs India 277-4 (Dhoni 91, Yuvraj 21)> INDIA WIN BY SIX WICKETS What a way to win a World Cup! Dhoni smashes Kulasekera into the crowd and now &#8211; for the first time &#8211; he breaks into a smile. He has played an awesome innings of chilling certainty, 91 not out from 79 balls, and he broke Sri Lanka's will long before the end. Mumbai has completely lost the plot. Half the team charge onto the field, the other half are going ballistic on the balcony. Firecrackers are going off anywhere, The hairs on the neck are powerless to resist these scenes.
  Yuvraj and Tendulkar embrace, now Dhoni and Harbhajan. Yuvraj is on the cusp of tears, Harbhajan is in floods of tears, and now the team settle into an orgiastic huddle. They are top of the Test championship, and they have won the World Cup. Couldn't beat England though, could they? Nobody can deny them this moment, which has had a whiff of destiny since the knockout stages started.
  You have to feel for Sri Lanka &#8211; particularly Mahela Jayawardene, who made the most beautiful century, and of course for Murali, who has twirled his last. Sri Lanka tried their hardest, but [cheese] you can't fight fate [/cheese]. The camera is now focusing on the coach Gary Kirsten, who will finally get his hands on a World Cup. He has done a remarkable job with a group of players who some felt were unmanageable. Now Sachin is being chaired around the ground, his home ground, by Raina, Kohl and Pathan. He didn't get his 100th hundred, but this is an even greater fairytale: India winning the World Cup, in India.
  Look, I could go on all night &#8211; it's not often I use that phrase &#8211; but I'm desperate to go the pub after six weeks chained to the OBO desk I can't do justice to these scenes. Watch the highlights, soak it up, and raise a glass to a fantastic team &#8211; the best in the world in Tests and limited-overs cricket. Well done India, and thanks for your emails throughout a very enjoyable World Cup. Night.
  
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

India v Sri Lanka - Cricket World Cup 2011 as it happened

An immense captain's innings from MS Dhoni drove India to en emphatic victory and their first World Cup triumph since 1983

Rob Smyth and Sean Ingle

• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 2 April 2011 09.05 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  This is how it feels to win a World Cup. Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images Preamble Good morning. So, the World Cup final. After 43 days, 20,781 runs, 721 wickets, one tie, umpteen near coronaries, a couple of iffy typos, an innings for the ages from Ireland's purple-haired warrior, no meltdowns and enough man love to make world peace a tantalising possibility if only the entire globe could embrace cricket, we've reached the end.
  This might be the first World Cup final in any sport to come after the Lord Mayor's Show, but what a prospect it is. You could not ask for a more perfect final than this. India and Sri Lanka are the two best teams and the two co-hosts; they are so evenly matched that they even have the same strengths and weakness; and they have an all-time-great sniffing the mother of all fairytales: a 100th hundred for Sachin Tendulkar, or a matchwinning performance from Muttiah Muralitharan in his final match. Murali bowling to Sachin in a Super Over? Well, Dame Fortune, if you insist...
  Murali is fit to play – well, he'll play – but there is no news on how Sri Lanka will replace Angelo Mathews, who is a deceptively big loss. They have had a pretty easy route to the final, whereas India have already won two finals just to reach the final. Which is better? That bit of history will be written by the victors.
  This is the end, rubber-wristed friend Today is the final day of Muttiah Muralitharan's astonishing career, the last we'll see of those wild eyes, that child-like smile, and that superhuman wrist. So much has been written about him, and Mike Selvey's piece yesterday was a cracker, and there is very little to add. As well as being one of the greatest players of all time, he has been one of the nicest men ever to play the game. The dignity he has shown in the face of 15 years of whispers and moans, most of them factually incorrect, has been truly staggering and would be beyond at least 99.94 per cent of the population, while his simple, nerdish love of cricket remains totally infectious. The phrase is used a lot, but with Murali it is fair to say that we will never see the like again.
  It's time for the toss Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara, two devilishly cool characters who are textbook examples of modern masculinity, both look pretty relaxed. They even manage to stay completely calm when the toss goes completely wrong. The coin landed as heads, but because of the noise nobody heard Kumar Sangakkara's call and the match referee Jeff Crowe flicked the coin again. Sangakkara got it right second time, however. Sri Lanka have won the toss and will bat first.
  Team news Sri Lanka have made four changes, including the omission of Ajantha Mendis. There was a hint that might happen, because India play him pretty well (he averages 95 in India in international cricket), but it is still a shock. They have also completely changed the balance of their side, with five bowlers rather than four, and two spinners rather than three. Chamara Kapugedera replaces the out-of-form Chamara Silva at No5, Thisara Perera is in for the injured Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekera replaces Rangana Herath, and the offspinner Suraj Randiv – who only arrived a couple of days ago as a replacement – comes in for Mendis.
  India make just one change, with Sreesanth replacing the injured Ashish Nehra. That's a bit of a surprise, in that the pitch is expected to turn, but there should also be an unusual a
  India Sehwag, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c/wk), Raina, Harbhajan, Zaheer Khan, Patel, Sreesanth.
  Sri Lanka Tharanga, Dilshan, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Kapugedera, Perera, Kulasekera, Malinga, Randiv, Muralitharan.
  9.59am statement of the bleedin' obvious It's the World Cup final! We've not had a really close one since 1987, but I've a hunch that will change today. Super Over please!
  1st over: Sri Lanka 2-0 (Tharanga 0, Dilshan 0) The magnificent Zaheer Khan will open the bowling. The atmosphere is astonishing: part carnival, part bullring. His second ball is a gem that beats Upul Tharanga's nervous push. The first run comes from the fifth delivery, when Dhoni drops a wobbling delivery that goes for a bye. A quiet start. Sri Lanka's top four will bat carefully, with the exception of Dilshan, because there isn't much after them. If India can take two early wickets they will be in a helluva good position. "This is ridiculous, I'm genuinely nervous," says Jamie Kirkaldy. "I don't even know what I'm nervous about. I think it's because I desperately want two of the greats of the game to end today as a champion and I know that one of them will and one of them won't. And I have no idea which way round I want it." Agreed. The thought that either Thisara Perera or Sreesanth will end tonight as a loser is almost too much. Honk.
  2nd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Tharanga 1, Dilshan 3) Sreesanth, who was last seen disappearing all round Mirpur in the opening game, will share the new ball. He has wild, finger-in-the-plug-socket hair, and his first ball brings a preposterous LBW shout when Dilshan is hit on the pads that would have only just hit another set. Then he bowls a front-foot no-ball, but Tharanga can only work the free hit for a single, breaking his bat in the process. Sreesanth, a real ma verick, is a fascinating selection: he could be a matchwinner but he could also be a matchloser, especially if his figures are, say, 10-0-394-0. Dilshan throttles a couple through the covers. It's been a relatively quiet start. "So we know who the Guardian is supporting," says Kartikey Srivastava. "Sangakkara blatantly cheated at the toss, how can you not know what you called? It doesn't matter if the referee didn't hear, the two captains can sort it out themselves. But you just call it a misunderstanding." Yes, and that dastardly swine Sangakkara also doesn't have an alibi for when JFK was shot. Some people say he wasn't even born, but that sounds a bit of a convenient excuse to me.
  3rd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Tharanga 1, Dilshan 3) Tharanga looks a little nervous – you'd think this was a World Cup final or something – and hits the fielders with a couple of drives off Zaheer. He doesn't look nervous at all and is bowling with the certainty of an old don. Zaheer had an infamously diabolical start to the 2003 World Cup final, but this has been in total contrast: that's his second consecutive maiden. Outstanding stuff. "HAS ANYONE Won BATTING SECOND IN A WORLD CUP FINAL?" whispers Rahul Nayyar. Yes, but only two out of nine: 1996 and 1999.
  4th over: Sri Lanka 9-0 (Tharanga 2, Dilshan 4) The commentators, Ravi Shastri and Russel Arnold, reckon Sri Lanka need at least 270-275. That sounds fair on what looks a good wicket, but it does place a huge amount of pressure on their top four. Dilshan and Tharanaga seem conscious of that, because they have started pretty cautiously – even Dilshan, who usually bats in a deranged bubble of his own. Two singles from Sreesanth's over. "Good morning," says John Starbuck. "I thought for a moment when I saw 'This is the end, rubber-wristed friend' that you were talking, one-to-one, with each of your readers, so accustomed have we become to reaching out for F5. It's been a damn good tournament though. What accolades would you hand out, and to whom?" Well first, let's do the whole High Fidelity where-does-it-rank jazz. Instinctively I would say it's been the best since 1996, maybe 1987 at a push. I've enjoyed it enormously, although I am glad it's almost over.
  5th over: Sri Lanka 9-0 (Tharanga 2, Dilshan 4) This is brilliant from Zaheer, who is showing exceptional Tharanga management. He has now bowled 17 balls to him without conceding a run, and zips one past the outside edge in yet another maiden. Zaheer's figures are 3-3-0-0. In 2003, he was taken out of the attack after an opening spell of 3-0-28-0. As adverts for maturity go, this one's right up there. "In San Francisco," says Ankur Nagpal. "Ridiculously excited. No Americans here understand what the fuss is about. Alas. Come on India! Somewhat worried about Sreesanth I must add." He has started well, although you can tell India are also worried about him because they are given him enormous encouragement at the end of each over. It brings to mind that line in American Beauty: "Well done honey, I watched you carefully and you didn't screw up once!"
  6th over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Tharanga 2, Dilshan 12) Dilshan releases some of the asphyxiating pressure by clubbing Sreesanth for two boundaries in three balls. The first was a slightly contrived but well struck pull and the second a scorching cut past backward point. Sri Lanka really needed those. "Au contraire Mr Srivastava," says Gary Naylor. "Had Sanga wanted to cheat, he would have claimed to have called heads and nobody would have known had he called tails when the coin was in the air. The coolest of cats was honest and seized the initiative and the moral high ground all at once. And how ruthless is he, dropping Mendis? Hard heads to beat soft hearts and SL to win." Note to Indian readers, particularly those penning death threats: he said that, not me.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 17-1 (Tharanga c Sehwag b Zaheer 2) Upul Tharanga is put out of his misery. This has been a simply immense spell from Zaheer to Tharanga: 18 balls, no runs and now a wicket. Tharanga fiddles outside off stump at a good leg cutter and edges to the right of slip, where Sehwag takes a lovely low catch with both hands. Zaheer spreads his arms with an insouciance that says, 'Yeah, I am the man'. Damn straight he is. Tharanga made 2 from 20 balls; it was not one for the grandchildren.
  7th over: Sri Lanka 19-1 (Dilshan 13, Sangakkara 1) Sangakkara gets off the mark first ball; it's also the first run off Zaheer, from his 20th delivery. He is such an important man today. He has batted like a lord in this tournament, but if he fails today Sri Lanka could get rolled over. India have started brilliantly, driven by a powerful sense of destiny. Zaheer's figures are 4-3-2-1. Where's Ted Rogers when you need him?
  8th over: Sri Lanka 24-1 (Dilshan 16, Sangakkara 2) Munaf Patel replaces Sreesanth, and Sangakkara plays an unbecoming stroke, chasing a delivery that is called wide. If he's nervous, it must be a pretty big occasion. Dilshan then flashes a back cut that would have gone for four but for a brilliant stop by Zaheer Khan. India have been seriously sharp in the field. Meanwhile, this is a very interesting email from Raj: "Just saw that M Vaughan has tweeted suggesting that Sangakkara 'stuffed Dhoni at the toss', apparently his call of 'tails' could be heard clearly on air." Seriously? Oh my. If that's true, India will go ballistic if they lose this! Never mind the UDRS, the BCCI will want the toss banned. The ICC will probably agree to their entirely reasonable request that, as compensation, India automatically win the toss in every match for the next five years.
  9th over: Sri Lanka 28-1 (Dilshan 19, Sangakkara 3) Sangakkara's (alleged) funny business brings to mind Salim Malik in 1995 (search for 'bird' on this link). Anyway, Zaheer continues. Normally he wouldn't bowl this long a spell with the new ball, but he is bowling so well that it makes sense to keep him on. Four runs from another fine over. "I'm an Icelander currently in the US. I know nothing about cricket," says Kári Tulinius. "In fact, when I was a kid, I thought cricket and croquet were the same game (an episode of Young Indiana Jones set me right). I only knew about the World Cup because comedian and cricket writer Andy Zaltzman, whose podcast The Bugle I listen to, would be spending a month following it. Yet I've found myself paying attention to the Cricket World Cup with mounting excitement, drawn in by the human drama of Sachin Tendulkar's last tilt at a World Cup. And now it's 3:30 in the morning and I'm having a hard time falling asleep because the final is going on. I'm curious if there are more people out there who've been drawn in by this World Cup who didn't follow cricket before."
  10th over: Sri Lanka 31-1 (Dilshan 22, Sangakkara 3) Raina and Yuvraj have already saved at least 10 runs at backward point and in the covers, and Yuvraj adds to that total with a spectacular diving stop when Dilshan thrashes at one from Patel. Sreesanth then turns four into two with a diving save at deep backward square leg. It's hard to recall the last time India fielded so well. "Have to say I agree with your assertion that this is the best World Cup since 1996 and, should today's final live up to the hype, perhaps the best I can remember," says Jim Clear. "However, I wonder how much of that is due to the fact that Australia won't win it? Amazing team of course and all that but it's been great to see such an open tournament this year and of course we're all still revelling in an Aussie team of mere mortals aren't we?" Well, some of us aren't, but I take the point. And Australia were far too good in 2003 and 2007.
  11th over: Sri Lanka 34-1 (Dilshan 25, Sangakkara 3) Sreesanth has switched ends and will replace Zaheer. We're now in the bowling Powerplay, and there are just three runs from the over. Sri Lanka won't be too bothered by this slow start, not while these two are at the crease. This approach is dependent one one of Sangakkara or Jayawardene making a big score, ideally a century. They are two of the surer things in world cricket, but that's a heck of a burden. "It would be such a shame," says Phil Withall, "if this already highly promising final is spoiled by controversy. 'Tossgate', as the tabloid's will no doubt name it could leave a nasty stain on the match." It's not beyond the realms that he genuinely forget. After all, if any atmosphere could justify the phrase "you can't hear yourself think", it's this one.
  12th over: Sri Lanka 39-1 (Dilshan 26, Sangakkara 7) After a slow start – three from 16 balls – Sangakkara drives Patel deliciously through extra cover for his first boundary. Those are the only runs from the over. "For the benefit of those us having to use our imaginations could you please tell us which colours the teams are playing in," says Simon Henry. "As they have both played in blue throughout the competition is one of them now in their 'away' strip?" Nope, same strips. There's no need for an away kit in cricket, as it's not a contact sport. Well, except when Mark Ilott and Robert Croft have the battle fever on.
  13th over: Sri Lanka 54-1 (Dilshan 31, Sangakkara 16) An excellent over from Sri Lanka goes for 15. Sangakkara is into his stride now and takes consecutive boundaries off Sreesanth with an on-the-walk chip over mid on and a delicious push between Sreesanth's legs. Sreesanth is then given an official warning for a shocking haircut, a real abject disgrac running on the pitch, and follows that up with his second front-foot no-ball of the day. Dilshan takes advantage, edging the free hit to third man for four. Sreesanth looks a bit down on his luck. He could be India's weak link today. Sangakkara didn't cheat at the toss after all. Thanks to Pranay Sanklecha for pointing us towards this article on the subject.
  14th over: Sri Lanka 56-1 (Dilshan 31, Sangakkara 17) Another fine stop from Yuvraj at backward point, and then Sangakkara pushes a ball into the ground and up into his grille. What a great word 'grille' is. Two from Patel's over, and that's drinks. "Any chance for a plug for the final CWC Chuck Fleetwood-Smiths?" says our old friend Sam Collins. "It's got a Kiwi bowler with a water bottle, a Lion celebrating in the streets of Southall and an England seamer..." Don't tease us like that. IS IT SIMON BROWN?
  15th over: Sri Lanka 58-1 (Dilshan 32, Sangakkara 18) Here comes Harbhajan Singh, who was quite outstanding against Pakistan on Wednesday. He starts around the wicket to the right-handed Dilshan, which is unusual for him, and there are two singles from a good over. In other news, this is a lovely email from Ivor Leonard. "Murali really is a terrific bloke. We live in Hobart (we're English) and SL were playing Tasmania in a tour game in 2008 on the day our first born was released from hospital. At the time we lived around 500m from the hotel the SL team were staying in. I'd been following the tour match on the radio and realised that they would be making their way back to the hotel about half an hour after we got home. I asked my wife if I could take our four-day-old son out for a walk and she agreed. I headed for the hotel and the team shortly arrived. I asked Muttiah if he would mind holding George and he was more than happy. He said he was scared of dropping him, I told him that looking at some of the catches he puts down so was I... he laughed and thankfully he didn't drop him! George is now 3 and I've shown him the picture of the two of them when Muralitharan has been playing and he recognises him... hopefully he'll have a great story to tell when he gets older. India were playing in Hobart a month later and unfortunately I had an unavoidable work meeting. Otherwise I'd have stalked Tendulkar as well!"
  16th over: Sri Lanka 60-1 (Dilshan 33, Sangakkara 19) Two from Patel's over, including Dilshan's 500th of the tournament. He is currently the leading scorer, but that Tendulkar bloke is on 464 and could overtake him. For many teams this would represent an iffy start, but Sri Lanka do things differently because their batting order is so top-heavy, and they will be pretty relaxed. "Well," says Scott Poynting, "so much for M Vaughan's hearing then!" Maybe he had hearing problems when taking guard. That would explain all those dismissals playing down the wrong line at Brett Lee and Dale Steyn.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 60-2 (Dilshan b Harbhajan 33) What a freak! No not you, this dismissal. Dilshan tried to sweep a leg-side delivery from Harbhajan that bounced more than he expected, and the ball deflected off his wrist, back onto his body and finally onto the stumps.
  17th over: Sri Lanka 63-2 (Sangakkara 20, Jayawardene 2) This partnership is, without doubt, the most important of the match. They have scored almost 10,000 runs as a partnership in international cricket, and they need at least a further 50 today or Sri Lanka will be in huge trouble. "It's crazy here in Mumbai," says Mihir Vasavda. "Never seen anything like this. I'm a journalist and have never seen a newsroom buzzing so much. Even when our PM was been sworn in."
  18th over: Sri Lanka 65-2 (Sangakkara 20, Jayawardene 4) Jayawardene, who has had a quiet tournament, rolls the wrists to ping Patel through midwicket for two. That's the lot. "I used to have an assistant whose grandmother had held Murali as a baby," says Richard O'Hagan. "Cricketers holding babies is passe; holding baby cricketers is where it is at – as certain OBOers will be able to verify when my son makes his England debut in 15 years or so." An OBOer with assistants? Blimey.
  19th over: Sri Lanka 77-2 (Sangakkara 26, Jayawardene 10) Jayawardene drives Harbhajan gracefully through the covers for his first boundary, and then Sangakkara has a reprieve. He was beaten in the flight by a gorgeous delivery from Harbhajan that took the edge and flew through the gully region for four more. Twelve from the over. "Quite right that Sreesanth should be given an Umpires warning for his haircut," says Keith Flett. "Umpires should be able to intervene if a player inappropriately deploys hair on the field of play."
  20th over: Sri Lanka 83-2 (Sangakkara 27, Jayawardene 15) Sreesanth returns. This might be a good time to use up some of his overs, and there's also the chance he'll produce a snorter from nowhere. Not in that over, during which Jayawardene opens the face to steer the ball through the freshly vacant slip region for four. Sreesanth has a few words as a result – "Here he goes!" says a gleeful Bumble on commentary – but Jayawardene ignores him. He has started busily and has 15 from 16 balls. Sreesanth's figures aren't great: 6-0-39-0. "Here is a video of the toss," says Richard Neal. "Sounds more like heads to me but between YouTube and my laptop speakers, it's hard to tell."
  21st over: Sri Lanka 86-2 (Sangakkara 30, Jayawardene 15) Sangakkara survives an optimistic LBW shout from Harbhajan – he was well down the pitch – and then works the next ball through midwicket for two. Three from the over. Low-risk accumulation will be the plan for the next 15 overs. So much depends on these two; too much really. "How many times in this year's tournament has a side batting second won?" says Sam Blackledge. "It seems that runs on the board have been worth quite a lot after the lights come on." After a very quick and possible erroneous fumble with Statsguru, I make it 17 each in day-night matches, with one tie.
  22nd over: Sri Lanka 94-2 (Sangakkara 32, Jayawardene 21) Yuvraj Singh replaces the expensive Sreesanth. Do Sri Lanka target him? Ideally yes – as Sourav Ganguly says on Sky, Yuvraj was rattled when Umar Akmal took to him the other night – but they just cannot afford to lose a wicket for another 15 overs. Despite that, they are clearly going to put pressure on Yuvraj. Sangakkara comes down the track to loft a single, a nice statement of intent, and then Jayawardene pulls a poor delivery for four. Eight from the over. "Who'd be a friend of Geoffrey Boycott?" says David Wall. "During his last stint on TMS he laid into Jeff Crowe, beginning his criticism with 'I like Jeff but...'. He always did similar when commentating on the Ashes, particularly when having a go at Pietersen. It makes you wonder how much he does like the guy he's talking about, and certainly whether the admiration is mutual, in a similar way that the opening 'I'm not racist but...' immediately raises suspicions. That said, when he's sat with Agnew it's as good as commentary gets. Forget Blowers, Boycott is a national treasure and should be knighted (though not for services to mental health awareness obviously)."
  The auto-refresh tool isn't working properly. Sorry about this. It's worth pressing F5 every few overs, especially if you want to read about Dilshan's wicket and the like.
  23rd over: Sri Lanka 96-2 (Sangakkara 33, Jayawardene 22) Two singles from Harbhajan's over. There are no liberties to be taken against him. "Anand from the Netherlands, today in Belgium," says Anand from the etc. "I am totally unsettled today. Like the players, I also have my pre-match preparation and routine where I wake up with sufficient time to get rid of my morning drowsiness, find a good online streaming site and gradually slip into the game watching some of the so called experts talk about the game,
  checking if they agree with me. However, for the most important match that I would watch in my cricket watching career, which is longer than either Sachin or Murali's, things have gone astray. I am in Belgium visiting a friend. He has suddenly had to work and until now, i have limited access to a computer and they have a dodgy wi-fi. Like the Sri Lankans, I need time to recover. Please help me!"
  24th over: Sri Lanka 100-2 (Sangakkara 36, Jayawardene 23) Yuvraj hurries through his second over at a cost of – hang on, let me check – four runs, the last of which brings up the hundred. This is an ostensibly quiet but fascinating period of play, with both teams jockeying for position, knowing that the next wicket is huge. "I'm a Canadian of British heritage, but it wasn't until an extended motorbike trip around India that cricket and I crossed paths with any lasting dialogue," says Evan Herbert. "Now I'm up at 5am, slightly hungover, watching the final on some obscure website! Still learning the intricacies of fielding strategy, but otherwise fully engaged in a game that, other than our most recent South Asian arrivals, generally bores and confuses most Canadians."
  25th over: Sri Lanka 105-2 (Sangakkara 39, Jayawardene 25) Sangakkara gets an overthrow after a direct hit from Yuvraj deflects off the stumps. Harbhajan is bowling well, having dropped his pace a touch on a pitch that is giving him a decent amount of bounce. Five from the over, all carefully played ones and twos.
  26th over: Sri Lanka 111-2 (Sangakkara 40, Jayawardene 30) What a remarkable pair Sangakkara and Jayawardene are. They are outrageously good. Time after time they come together under pressure and make vital runs, apparently without breaking sweat. And, of course, with a style that could soothe the weariest eyes. In terms of the pantheon, I think they are a touch underrated actually, particularly Sangakkara. Jayawardene is worthy of the word 'great', too, and having missed one late cut at Yuvraj he connects with the second, placing it delightfully for four to bring an outstanding fifty partnership, an unobtrusive effort from only 56 balls. "I feel for Anand," says Clive Hedges, "and really would it be beyond the wit of the Guardian to give us BBB rather than just OBO?" I think the OBO format is much better, though obviously I would. Cricinfo do an outstanding job with the BBB, and I wouldn't fancy it, but OBO gives more scope for the digressions and riffs that some of our readers detest.
  27th over: Sri Lanka 114-2 (Sangakkara 41, Jayawardene 32) Harbhajan spits one past Sangakkara's attempted cut, and then Jayawardene misses a late cut at a beauty that cramps him for room. Splendid stuff from Harbhajan. Jayawardene gets the late cut right next ball, and Tendulkar saves a couple with a wonderful tumbling save on the boundary at third man. As Nasser Hussain says on Sky, it might be time for two overs from Zaheer to see if it reversing. He only has five left, but he has such a habit of taking wickets when MS Dhoni really needs them. "So did you attend the anti-cuts march last weekend?" says Tom Seavers. "After some of your typos this tournament, I would have loved to have seen your placard..." I was in the office, watching England get their arts handed to them by Sri Lanka.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 122-3 (Sangakkara c Dhoni b Yuvraj 48) I don't believe this has just happened. It's an almighty bonus for India. Sangakkara tried to cut a poor delivery from Yuvraj, but the execution was wrong and he top edged it into the gloves of Dhoni. He walked straight off, disgusted to have got out in such a fashion and at a time when Sri Lanka had the game under complete control. I really cannot believe that has happened.
  28th over: Sri Lanka 122-3 (Jayawardene 33, Samaraweera 0) That's yet another vital wicket for Yuvraj in this tournament. It would not be at all surprising if we look back on that as the decisive moment of the match. "Mahela eh?" says Gary Naylor. "Like VVS, he gives the lie to the impression that lefties are more elegant than right-handers. Are those two the last of a breed? Not many play like them these days." Haven't you been watching Cameron White?
  29th over: Sri Lanka 128-3 (Jayawardene 34, Samaraweera 5) Sreesanth returns, and that means more runs for Sri Lanka. Samaraweera opens the face to steer his first boundary to third man. He has not even scored 100 runs in the tournament, so well have the top four played, although he looked pretty calm at the death against New Zealand. That's drinks. "Is it too early to start the Man of the Tournament discussion?" says Ronit Bhattacharya. "If India win this thing, I'd nominate Yuvraj for his all-round performance." I have whittled it down to a choice or, er, five: Yuvraj, Tendulkar, Zaheer, Afridi or Sangakkara. But we won't know until the end of this match. I've never understood the football culture of giving out the Golden Ball before the final. What a load of unfathomable horse pucky!
  30th over: Sri Lanka 132-3 (Jayawardene 34, Samaraweera 9) Samaraweera makes room and late cuts Yuvraj for four. That's been a popular shot today. Those are the only runs from the over. So Sri Lanka are 132 for three after 30 overs; I reckon they'd be happy to double their score from here and leave it to the bowlers. "I'm still shocked that people don't 'get' the OBO concept," says Phil Withall. "I feel it's like having a lock-in at the pub. Strange people drift in and out, leaving their mark on the evening, but at the end of the day all know where they stand/slump. That is the joy of this site; long may it continue it's random meanderings." Exactly. Each his own. I completely understand why some people prefer ball-by-ball, or straight analysis. The worry is that so many people seem unable to comprehend that two grown men or women can have two different opinions or preferences. The sheer arrogance of the many 'change the OBO format, I don't like it' emails is breathtaking. I guess it's a natural consequence of the iGeneration.
  31st over: Sri Lanka 139-3 (Jayawardene 40, Samaraweera 10) Sreesanth is haemorrhaging runs. His third ball is cut firmly for four by Jayawardene – are they trying to induce a typo or what – and there are three additional singles. Sreesanth's figures are 8-0-52-0. I'd give his last two overs to Raina, Sehwag, Tendulkar or Uncle Bulgaria. "Always thought M Vaughan was the elegant leftie's right-hander of choice," says Mike Hatcher. "Except when he missed those straight ones. But Mahela is Bergkampesque with his right-sided elan." He's New Labour?
  32nd over: Sri Lanka 143-3 (Jayawardene 42, Samaraweera 12)
  Samaraweera gets in a muddle when he tries to lap Yuvraj, and the ball goes through to Dhoni. There's a big appeal for caught behind, turned down by Aleem Dar, but after a long discussion India decide to take a chance on a review. This is very tight you know. The ball hits the pad and then loops up in the air, but does it hit the glove as well? I think it does, but the evidence is in no way conclusive and so I reckon he will get away with this. Indeed he does, to huge groans around the ground. That's the right decision, but I reckon he might well have gloved that. Anyway, Samaraweera will bat on.
  33rd over: Sri Lanka 148-3 (Jayawardene 44, Samaraweera 14) This will get the ground going: Sachin is coming on to bowl. That's a smart move I think, to use up Sreesanth's last two overs. Mind you, it would be amusing to hear the silence if Samaraweera mowed him out of the ground. In fact, Tendulkar hurries through a decent over at a cost of five, four singles and a wide. "Post World Cup plans," says Aadik. "Are you going to sleep for a week? Triumphant India tour? The French Riviera on the Guardian expense account?" I'm off for a few days in the sunniest of climes. Copenhagen.
  34th over: Sri Lanka 155-3 (Jayawardene 50, Samaraweera 15) Jayawardene has looked in great from from the first ball, and he pulls Yuvraj very fine for four to bring up the 150. Then, from the final ball of the over, he nurdles a single to reach an outstanding half-century from only 49 balls. "Well Clive, I for one hope that the OBO goes on as it is, intact, forever," says Tom Jenkins. "If only for that glorious sensation – that wave of self-defeating righteous justice – that I experience immediately after having finally admitted to myself that, despite that jiggerload of F5s, Rob has once again, quite rightly, decided not to include that most recent half-polished filth which I've just tossed in his direction. He gives and He takes away - He saves me from from the public shame and He leaves me to my self-hatred and humiliation. I ask you: where else can I get that sort of service and not have to pay?" You don't need to answer that question.
  35th over: Sri Lanka 162-3 (Jayawardene 54, Samaraweera 16) A dodgy second over from Tendulkar includes two wides, but overall it costs seven, none in boundaries, and India will take that. Fifteen overs to go, from which Sri Lanka will want at least 100 more. "This may just be a matter of perception, but it seems to me that this tournament has seen a re-emergence of 'proper cricket' in the 50-over format," says Seth Levine. "Batsmen have thrived playing classical cricket strokes. Seamers have bowled good lines and lengths (no better example than Zaheer this innings – that opening spell would have graced any Test match). The best spinners have tossed it up. One of England's problems was playing pre-meditated sweeps and scoops, a la Twenty20 mode. Contrast that with the batting of the finalists, both of whom play the ball on the merits. I've enjoyed this tournament, as its been a reminder that 50-over cricket can be like a condensed Test match."
  36th over: Sri Lanka 168-3 (Jayawardene 59, Samaraweera 17) This is an unexpected bowling change, with Virat Kohli coming on to bowl some medium pace. Jayawardene, who is playing with such serenity, back cuts the first ball for four. It's his seventh boundary and the fourth to that area of the field. Kohli almost strikes with the last ball however. Jayawardene gets in a mess while trying a premeditated lap, and the ball falls not far short of the man at short fine leg. "It's a testament to the goodwill that cricket has garnered recently in Ireland that our local boozer has promised me to put the second innings on their telly for my benefit, despite the premier league being back on today," says Walter Jayawardene. "Hopefully my namesake will do the biz!"
  37th over: Sri Lanka 171-3 (Jayawardene 60, Samaraweera 18) Yuvraj replaces Tendulkar, and there are three singles from the over. Who's on top? Don't ask me. Ask William Goldman. "Aside from your strong case for inclusion for the sheet volume of coverage, I think you're on the mark with your men of the tournament – though I might also include Murali for the sheer cussedness of bowling on one leg throughout the knockout stages," says Andrew Stroud. "Performance of the tournament perhaps a bit predictable, but for the sheer unpredictability and jaw dropping Astle-like this-can't-possibly-be-happening-ness of it all then it has to be THAT game and THAT innings." Correct. I'm surprised that innings doesn't get more credit. Kevin O'Brien didn't just break the World Cup record, he took nearly a quarter off it.
  38th over: Sri Lanka 179-3 (Jayawardene 65, Samaraweera 21) Zaheer Khan is coming back. He's a champion with the old ball, and he still has five overs remaining. Theoretically, anyway: he is moving a little gingerly after hurting himself with a dive in the outfield earlier in the day. He goes for his first boundary of the innings when Jayawardene opens the face to glide one wide of Dhoni. What an innings he is playing; 65 from 61 balls now. If he gets a hundred it will be right up there with the great World Cup final innings. "I'd like to have an e-mail published in the World Cup Final OBO," says Colum Farrelly. "Can you let me know how?" I just can't say no.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 179-4 (Samaraweera LBW b Yuvraj 21) An excellent review from India, and that rarest of birds: a decision from Simon Taufel that is overturned. Samaraweera went a long way across and missed a premeditated lap at Yuvraj, who implored his captain to review the decision when Taufel said not out. Eventually Dhoni went upstairs, and replays showed that it hit Samaraweera in line and would have hit middle two-thirds of the way up.
  39th over: Sri Lanka 181-4 (Jayawardene 66, Kapugedera 1) The new batsman is Chamara Kapugedera, who is playing in the tournament for the first time. "If India win the World Cup, it would be despite Dhoni than because of him," says Rohit Negi. "Some of his team selections have been absolutely baffling: persisting with Chawla, not playing Ashwin, dropping Sreesanth after only one game then suddenly including him in the FINAL! And apart from general composure in the field, can't think of anything particularly extraordinary he's done as the captain. Of course, his batting has disintegrated almost entirely. Its just that he has a number of matchwinners in the team." 'Apart from general composure in the field'? And apart from the roads, what did the Romans etc? I take your point, but I think Dhoni has been wonderful in the field. You could certainly query the omission of Ashwin in the last two games, but you can understand why he wanted three seamers.
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 182-5 (Kapugedera c Raina b Zaheer 1) Magnificent bowling from Zaheer Khan. Kapugedera was duped by a lovely slower ball and chipped it gently to Raina at short extra cover. Zaheer spreads his arms in that same I'm-the-man pose. Quite right, too. He has been awesome in this World Cup.
  40th over: Sri Lanka 183-5 (Jayawardene 67, Kulasekera 1) Kulasekera comes in ahead of Perera. Jayawardene's wicket is absolutely vital now. If he goes, Sri Lanka will struggle to reach 250; if he stays, they could push up to near 280. That's the end of another brilliant over from Zaheer, whose figures are a stunning 7-3-16-2. That's his 21st wicket of the tournament, so he is now joint top with Shahid Afridi. "OBOers may be interested in this," says Gary Naylor. "There's the movie and a Q and A after. OBOers shouldn't let my presence put them off." I saw it a few months back – it is very good indeed.
  41st over: Sri Lanka 186-5 (Jayawardene 68, Kulasekera 3) Excellent stuff from Yuvraj, whose final over goes for just three singles. He ends with good figures of 10-0-49-2. For a fifth bowler, he's had a seriously good tournament. "You want to be careful focusing on all those cut shots," says Robin Hazlehurst. "The typo has a doosra too, and while you're busy not making errors to the standard delivery of the cut, one will turn the other way and you'll have someone bunting the ball down long off's throat in an unfortunate way. Which may be quite amusing."
  42nd over: Sri Lanka 192-5 (Jayawardene 69, Kulasekera 8) Munaf Patel is on for Zaheer, who will bowl his last three overs right at the death. Kulasekera flicks one extravagantly round the corner, and Yuvraj Singh does very well to save the boundary. India have been so good in the field. Six from the over. "Walter Jayawardene has the best name in the world," says Paul Griffin. "Can I buy it off him, or even rent it on alternate Thursdays?"
  43rd over: Sri Lanka 199-5 (Jayawardene 72, Kulasekera 11) Here's Harbhajan, who has three overs remaining. The first of those goes for seven, fsix singles and a wide. "Is it me, or is today's OBO focussing rather worryingly on the actual cricket?" says Matthew Rimmer. "I was under the impression that this was a forum for sarcasm, fish finger recipes and slating Mac Millings."
  44th over: Sri Lanka 205-5 (Jayawardene 77, Kulasekera 12) Kulasekera survives a review for caught behind. He seemed to top edge a cut at Patel through to Dhoni. Patel didn't even appeal, going straight into a celebration, but Aleem Dar said not out. India decided to review the decision, but that's a risk with caught-behind decisions. There was no deviation but there was a definite noise on a couple of the replays – and that noise could only have been an edge. I am sure that's out. However, as with the earlier appeal, the evidence is not conclusive and therefore Kulasekera survives. After Tendulkar's let offs the other day, India and the UDRS is becoming the most torrid relationship this side of Heathcliff and Cathy. Anyway, that was the first ball of the over, and from the fourth Jayawardene plays a gorgeous square drive for four. He has 77 from 74 balls, and his heart hasn't yet skipped a beat.
  45th over: Sri Lanka 211-5 (Jayawardene 79, Kulasekera 16) Kulasekera has played pretty sensibly, content to turn the strike over as often as possible. Six from Harbhajan's over, all in ones and twos.
  46th over: Sri Lanka 220-5 (Jayawardene 85, Kulasekera 19) Sri Lanka take the batting Powerplay at the last moment, so that means a return for Zaheer Khan. After five singles from the first five balls, Jayawardene makes room to drive a yorker through the covers for four. That's a gorgeous piece of batting. Not quite as good as pinging a yorker over square leg for six, as Viv did in 1979, but still incredibly good. "You have to admire the evil genius of the marketing maven who came up with the idea of playing a gigantic heartbeat when the third umpire's taking a decision," says Shailesh Rai. "It forces me to go to the loo even when the decision's pretty straightforward. I can only imagine what it does to the spectators on the field."
  47th over: Sri Lanka 231-5 (Jayawardene 90, Kulasekera 25) A fine over for Sri Lanka, with Patel going for 11. Kulasekera pulls the first ball round the corner four, Jayawardene deliberately slices the third wide of short third man to the boundary, and there are three singles on top of that. "I love the OBO," says Joanna Quinn, correctly reasoning that brazen sycophancy will ensure email publication. "Don't go changin, Rob. I'm pretty new to cricket and have not yet developed the robot brain capable of working with a ball by ball format/geeky analysis. Plus, the general OBO discussion around the game helps a crikkit eejit like me learn more about it - and it makes me laugh. I still chuckle to myself remembering the man emailing in during the Ashes who was stuck in his office post-work-Christmas party (but had gone home to get his glasses?). Don't listen to the iNaysayers neither. I am repeatedly hitting F5 in furious defiance of their complaints."
  WICKET! Sri Lanka 248-6 (Kulasekera run out 32) What an over. It includes Jayawardene's hundred, 17 runs off Zaheer Khan, and finally a run out. When the ball goes through to Dhoni, Kulasekera takes one for the team, setting off so that Jayawardene can keep the strike. Dhoni hits the stumps and Kulasekera, who clouted Zaheer for six earlier in the over, goes for a superb 30-ball 32. There was a nice touch as he walked off, with Jayawardene putting an arm round his waist to thank him, both for the sacrifice and a very sensible supporting innings.
  48th over: Sri Lanka 248-6 (Jayawardene 100, Perera 0) Earlier in the over, Jayawardene reached an immense hundred with consecutive boundaries off Zaheer. It took just 84 balls, and this has been a staggeringly good innings. He has used a thread of silk for a bat and has been in a zone of almost perfect serenity. How can you play so well under such pressure? "If there was such a thing as a Champ Man for cricket, then Walter Jayawardene would be a classic re-gen," says Steve Betteley. "Right up there with my left back in year 2007 of a CM 93/94 game, Carlton Kanchelskis."
  49th over: Sri Lanka 256-6 (Jayawardene 102, Perera 5) The penultimate over of the innings, from Harbhajan, goes for eight – four singles and a primeval smear down the ground for four by Perera. Sri Lanka have scored 45 from four overs in this Powerplay.
  50th over: Sri Lanka 274-6 (Jayawardene 103, Perera 22) What a finish from Sri Lanka! Zaheer's last over of the innings goes for 18, with Thisara Perera smacking the last ball of the innings for six! That makes it a massive 63 from the batting Powerplay. Perera spanks a low full toss through extra cover for four, clubs another just over mid on, and then smashes the last ball of the innings into the stands. That's a wonderful piece of death hitting, 22 from 9 balls, while Mahela Jayawardene walks off after making a stunning 103 not out from 88 balls. That is a brilliant effort at the end from Sri Lanka, and now India will need 275 to win. Sean Ingle will talk you through the first part of the Indian reply in 10 minutes or so. You can email him on sean.ingle@guardian.co.uk
  INNINGS BREAK
  A charity plug, while you wait One of our team, Steph Fincham, is cycling across Sri Lanka next February for MAG (Mines Advisory Group), a humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict for communities worldwide. "Thousands of Sri Lankans remain in displacement camps, having been uprooted during the civil war," she says. "The presence of landmines remain a major obstacle to their safe return home. Large areas remain uninhabitable. I took my 12-year-old son to Sri Lanka for the cricket World Cup and we were bowled over (yes, really) by the beauty of the country and people..."
  You know what to do. But only if you want to, obviously. There's no peer pressure here. If you want to keep all your money and never give any of it to good causes, ever, and you can live with that, then that's fine. No, honestly, it's fine. Er, yes. Anyway, if you do wish to donate, here's the link.
  India innings So, how do you call this one? According to the odds, India are paper-thin favourites but I can't split them. What we do know is that the average ODI score in the last six games at the Wankhede stadium is 263, which suggests Sri Lanka's score is at least par. Meanwhile Colum Fordham writes: "Playing cricket with two young sons in Piazza Dante in Naples surrounded by enthusiastic Sri Lanka fans watching the match on an impromptu screen, whilst other Sri Lankan kids play as well, to general indifference/surprise of passing Neapolitans." Ah Naples, home of Pizzeria Michele, arguably the best pizzeria in Italy.
  WICKET! Sehwag lbw Malinga 0 Virender Sehwag has smashed a boundary off the first ball of six of India's eight matches at this cricket World Cup, but he's much more circumspect today, blocking Malinga's first delivery. Malinga's second - an inswinger - hits his legs, there's a huge appeal for lbw, and he's given out! Wait, Sehwag is immediately reviewing it. After a series of replies show there was no bat on ball, and the delivery was going to hit the stumps, Sehwag is given out "Cracking effort by the Sri Lankans, a genuinely great knock from Jayawardene, weathering the early pressure then hitting back memorably at the finish," says Martin Duckworth. "I'd venture those extra runs from Perera at the end will seem to be worth twice as much in a couple of hours time. If India can win this under the most extreme pressure in sport my hat will be well and truly doffed in their direction. Game on."
  1st over: India 4-1 (Gambhir 4, Tendulkar 0) Gambhir is immediately off the mark with a boundary off his pads which squirts past square leg. Sri Lanka are bringing in a widish leg slip here ... which is interesting, if unorthodox. "Seriously? You've slogged your way through the entire tournament and then your boss steps in to hog the limelight in the final innings?" fumes Brian Cloughley. "Shocker." Don't worry Brian, Rob is just have a short - and well deserved - break.
  2nd over: India 10-1 (Gambhir 5, Tendulkar 4) Sachin Tendulkar immediately gets off the mark to Nuwan Kulasekara's first delivery, steering it to backward point. A punchier shot later in the over to pick up another three runs. Early days, but he looks in good nick. "I've been backing Sri Lanka from the start and see no reason to switch horses now," pronounces Gary Naylor from his spot on Mount Sinai. "250 would have been a good score - 274 is surely a winning score." Bit early to say that Gary, surely?
  3rd over: India 15-1 (Gambhir 5, Tendulkar 9) Lovely stuff from Tendulkar, who flicks one his wrists to midwicket to pick up a couple before tenderly guiding a cover drive between two fielders for three more. Five off the over. "There's no way any pizza could be better than at Di Matteoon Via Tribunali, the world's best Margherita, best anything, lines around the block all day long," insists Jack Altman. "And while not so great at cricket, Napoli will surprise everyone and take both Milan teams for the scudeto."
  4th over: India 26-1 (Gambhir 7, Tendulkar 18) There's a danger of anointing an innings when it's still in its embryonic stages, but right now Tendulkar is playing with the beauty of a late Beethoven symphony. He prods Kulasekera down the ground for a boundary, then brutally cuts him away for another four. Eleven off the over. "How exciting is this already Sean?" asks Clare Davies. You should my pulse; it's thumping away like Yuvraj against Stuart Broad back in 2007. "India unsettled at the very start losing Sehweg – and you should here Vaughan berating him on TMS for his selfishness in wasting a review – and the mood of the crowd changing by the ball. Silence as the wicket falls, huge cheer for a single run. This is set up for a brilliant couple of hours." Amen to that.
  5th over: India 27-1 (Gambhir 7, Tendulkar 18) While the Indian batsmen are making hay against Kulasekera they are rightly respectful against Malinga, whose baseball-style sliders and toe-shattering yorkers have been right on the money thus far. Just one off the over, and he nearly enticed Tendulkare into an edge off the final delivery. "The cheek!" splutters PJ Connolly. "You've been here for two overs and you feel you have the authority to question the teachings of Gary Naylor?" In fairness, I did start the whole comments in live commentary thing back in 2002, PJ (check South Africa v Spain in the 2002 World Cup).
  6th over: India 31-1 (Gambhir 11, Tendulkar 18) Good stat from cricket betting writer Ed Hawkins, who tweets that 229-5 is the highest chase under lights at the Wankhede (Sri Lanka v India 1997). Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have made their first bowling change, bringing on Perera. It's a decent first over, the only runs from it are from a loose slash by Gambhir that was nearly caught at gully. "Beethoven symphony?" splutters Jeremy James, quite rightly before putting me right. "A piano concerto more likely, weaving his magic to a background of orchestra and cacaphony. Are you going to be the new Neville Cardus?" I wish.
  WICKET! Tendulkar c Sanggakara b Malinga 18 (India 31-2) Malinga takes Tendulkar's wicket! Tendulkar went at a slightly widish one and thick edged behind it to Sangakkara. As the noise in the Wankhede Stadium dropped about 120 decibels, Malinga went on spiralling 50-yard victory charge. Can you blame him?
  7th over: India 32-2 (Gambhir 12, Kohli 0) On Sky, the commentators are pointing out that India bat deep; at the moment it looks they will need to. Virat nearly edged Malinga behind there; chasing one that bounced higher than he expected. Malinga (4-1-11-2) finishes with a wicket-maiden. "If Tendulkar is playing like a Beethoven symphony would you say Sewhag was playing like James Blunt's 1973?" asks Jonah Gadsby.
  8th over: India 33-2 (Gambhir 13, Kohli 0) Like the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana Jones shoots the sword wielding baddie, losing Sehwag and Tendulkar this early wasn't in the script. So despite the return of Kulasekera the Indian batsmen are unsurprising watchful. Meanwhile Thomas Hopkins writes: "England may have invented football, but now it belongs to the world. Likewise, you may have invented the comments in live commentary concept, but now it belongs to Naylor."
  9th over: India 35-2 (Gambhir 15, Kohli 0) Malinga out, Perera in. Interesting discussion from Tom Moody on commentary - he admits that when he coached Sri Lanka, losing Sannath Jayasuriya "would send shudders through the dressing room", and he speculates that India might be feeling something similar now. Certainly Virat Kohli is struggling; he's yet to get off the mark in nine deliveries. "Someone said this on Cricinfo and I checked it: Jayawardene has 13 ODI hundreds, and in EVERY SINGLE ONE he was on the winning side," says Steve Anthony. "Looks like it's going to be 14. What an innings. Love the silk thread/serene quote..."
  10th over: India 41-2 (Gambhir 15, Kohli 6) Kohli finally gets off the mark, swiping Kulasekara's stray delivery off his pads for four. A couple more follow and that's six off the over. Still, this is India's lowest score after 10 overs in this World Cup. Meanwhile Gary Naylor has issued a warning: "If you're going to mix classical music and cricket, you'll end up channelling Michael Henderson and lose all your readers!"
  11th over: India 50-2 (Gambhir 22, Kohli 8) There's a touch of the Astaires about Gambhir as he steps down the track and hits Perera over midwicket for a boundary. Five more runs in ones and twos follow, including a quickly-taken couple to Murali which brings up the 50. Meanwhile Apurba writes: "What do Sachin Tendulkar and Thierry Henry have in common? Both are brilliant, both can't score in a final. Sad sad sad." A little harsh, Apurba ...
  12nd over: India 61-2 (Gambhir 28, Kohli 13) Kulasekara continues with his middle-of-the-road trundlers but he is causing few problems for the batsmen. Gambhir adds another boundary - and goes over 4,000 ODI runs (with an average of 40.44) - with a hoik over the covers. Another boundary to fine leg from Kohli follows. "As a loyal but not uncritical Australian, I must admit this is the first World Cup Final in many years I have enjoyed," writes Gervase Greene. "Not being quite as involved - and indeed, falling at the pen-penultimate hurdle, where one can't even seethe with any real sense of credible malevolence – I am actually enjoying this tense-fest. Cricket is perhaps not designed to be enjoyed (pax, that novice Canadian earlier), but in a post-Gilchrist world I am finding worthy and willing competition a more than adequate replacement." Agreed.
  13rd over: India 68-2 (Gambhir 30, Kohli 16) Sri Lanka were marginal favourites when Tendulkar went, but the odds have flip-flopped again, and now India are rated as having the edge. Certainly this wishy-washy bowling is helping them - Perera gifted two wides that over and there were too many easy ones and twos. Still no sign of Murali, or any spin for that matter. Meanwhile an interesting point from David Affleck re Sachin Tendulkar: "18 runs are better than 0. Tendulkar can score in a final, but they just weren't big scores. It's a team game anyway, so it doesn't matter what each individual gets. The obsession with individuals misses the point about a game like cricket."
  14th over: India 72-2 (Gambhir 33, Kohli 17) Suraj Randiv - whose figures in ODI cricket are 22 wickets in 22 matches with an economy rate of 4.65 - comes to to peddle his offspinners. And almost immediately there's a chance! Kohli decides to go airbourne, mistimes his shot but Kula drops it at long off! Four off the over. "I'm a great believer in omens during any sport and there's just been a very good one – though I'm not for which team it will work," says Claire Davies. "I had to call out the plumber this morning to deal with a blocked loo. He's just been and far from presenting me with a weekend-rate call-out charge hideous fee, he simply applied the plunger, it took about two mins, and no charge at all! How cool is that?" Don't ask me; how would I know?
  15th over: India 76-2 (Gambhir 36, Kohli 19) And still the singles come, like visitors to an early 1990s swap meet, until Gambhir brings up the 50 partnership with an efficient brush off his legs. So far Perera is about as threatening as a plate of peas. "Congratulations, Clare," writes Phil Sawyer. "That must be the first time the words 'toilet plunger' and 'cool' have been used in the same sentence." Anyway, that's drinks - and that's it from me. Rob Smyth will guide you through to the end of this intriguing final.
  Hello again. Did you miss me? Oh, okay. Anyway, there are two precedents here for India – one good, one bad.
  1. A stiff chase against Sri Lanka in the knockout stages of 'their' World Cup unravels against the spinners.
  2. A couple of kids come of age as India come back from the brink in a major final.
  16th over: India 86-2 (target 275; Gambhir 41, Kohli 23) The offspinner Randiv will continue. He is Sri Lanka's Indian specialist: this is his 31st match for his country, and 1y have been against India. That's why he has jumped the queue only a couple of days after arriving in the country. Five from the over, all in ones and twos.
  17th over: India 91-2 (target 275; Gambhir 42, Kohli 24) An offspinner comes into the attack in place of Perera, but it's Dilshan rather than Muralitharan. His first ball is a wide that goes down the leg side for a couple, then Kohli is beaten when he tries to cut a fullish ball that skids on. This is wonderfully poised. "Gambhir's performance, using the Tendulkar Beethoven scale, is probably The Smiths ranging to New Order," says Jonah Gadsby.
  18th over: India 96-2 (target 275; Gambhir 47, Kohli 24) Gambhir is an excellent nurdler of spin, India's best, but he can also pull out the big strokes, and in that Randiv over he plonks his back leg down and dumps a slog-sweep for four. Then Kohli inside-edges one into the groin and to safety on the off side, although Sangakkara made a desperate attempt to run round and catch the ball. "Did you lunch on samosas and Tiger beer?" says John Starbuck. "It always help to get in the mood if you suit your cuisine to the game at hand. Panther Sweat might be more appropriate for this one though." I had some don't say it, Smyth, don't do it, you'll lose your last fan Ravi-Kohli. Ravi-Kohli! Ra- ah never mind.
  19th over: India 99-2 (target 275; Gambhir 50, Kohli 24) Here he is. For the last time, and almost 19 years after Allan Border sized him up and thought he was facing a legspinner, Murali comes into the attack. It's his last supper, and first on the menu are Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. There should have been a wicket second ball – but from a run out rather than off Murali's bowling. He took a very dodgy two to deep backward point, and was short of the ground when the throw reached Sangakkara almost on the half volley, but he could not collect the ball and break the stumps. It was a really difficult one for Sangakkara to deal with. That takes Gambhir to 49, and then he works a single to reach an excellent half-century from 56 balls. Three from Murali's first over.
  20th over: India 105-2 (target 275; Gambhir 51, Kohli 29) Gambhir is beaten, groping at a brutish delivery from Randiv that turns and bounces into the gloves of Sangakkara, and then Kohli flicks one very fine for four. India have done extremely well after that traumatic start, and these two have scored so quickly that the required rate is still below a run a ball. "Let's keep the wild speculation alive, especially now that Sachin's century of centuries is off the menu," says Jeffrey Feim. "Isn't a tie the third possibility - then it goes to cricket's equivalent of a penalty shootout?" If he gets a century in the Super Over, after a comic flurry of no-balls, does that count?
  21st over: India 109-2 (target 275; Gambhir 53, Kohli 31) Murali is bowling around the wicket to the right-handed Kohli, as ever. India would probably take figures of 10-0-40-1 for him, and there are four singles from that over.
  WICKET! India 114-3 (Kohli ct and b Dilshan 35) What a catch from Tillakaratne Dilshan! He came on in place of Randiv and struck a crucial blow with his fourth ball. Kohli drove the ball back whence it came and, although the presence of Gambhir could and should have put him off, Dilshan leapt to take a beautiful one-handed catch high to his right. Gambhir actually backed away; had he stood his ground he would probably have worn an accidental flying headbutt from Dilshan. Anyway, Dilshan has been the top scorer in the tournament, yet we may well end up recalling his World Cup 2011 for what he did with the ball and in the field in that spellbinding moment.
  22nd over: India 115-3 (target 275; Gambhir 54, Dhoni 0) Well, well, MS Dhoni has brought himself in ahead of Yuvraj Singh. That is a major surprise because he is in terrible form, whereas Yuvraj has arguably been the man of the tournament. Tom Moody reckons it is a left-hand/right-hand thing. Dhoni, driving, is beaten by a beautiful quicker ball. "I'm supposedly preparing a sermon for tomorrow morning," says Sarah Jones. "I fear I may have to rewrite Psalm 23 – The Lord's my umpire, I shall not sledge … Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of the doosra, I shall fear no evil …
  "
  23rd over: India 117-3 (target 275; Gambhir 55, Dhoni 0) Two from Murali's over, so he has started well: 3-0-8-0. "Great to see Kohli getting recognition.," says Seth Levine. "So much more sustainable than cod (if you can't get that gag in on the Guardian, what chance have you got?)." Yes, we are short of emails.
  24th over: India 122-3 (target 275; Gambhir 59, Dhoni 1) Dhoni drives a bump ball down the ground, and this time Gambhir does stand his ground, which means Dilshan ploughs into him. Gambhir, for his part, is Bevaning the ball around extremely well. It's in his hands. Five from the over. "Why does Dilshan always look so worried in the field?" says Scott W. "Even after he took that catch he looked daunted." He's not sure whether he locked the back door or not. Poor bugger has had to carry that on his shoulders for seven weeks now.
  25th over: India 124-3 (target 275; Gambhir 60, Dhoni 2) Another fine over from Murali costs just two. He clearly isn't fit, but he's playing an excellent hand and has conceded just 10 from his four overs. The required rate, for the first time, is above a run a ball.
  26th over: India 128-3 (target 275; Gambhir 62, Dhoni 4) Dilshan, like Yuvraj, is an underrated one-day spinner, with a habit of picking up vital wickets. He's milked for four in that over; Sri Lanka will take that all day, and all of the night. "The contrast between many of the matches in this tournament and any number of bilateral ODI series, is marked," says Gary Naylor. "Why not keep a big World Cup (with four Associate nations) and the short, sharp Champions Trophy on four-year cycles and only allow fifty over cricket in the six months leading up to those tournaments? That would keep the showpieces, make space for lots of Twenty20 crowd-pleasers and reduce players' workloads." I like this idea a lot, but there is more chance of me waking up tomorrow as Ferris Bueller.
  27th over: India 134-3 (target 275; Gambhir 67, Dhoni 5) An aggressive more from Kumar Sangakkara, who returns to Lasith Malinga to see if this oldish ball will reverse swing. Both batsmen shorten their backlift accordingly. There's a hint of shape, but Gambhir is able to open the face and squeeze one to third man for four. "Thanks to all who have donated, incredibly kind, a great boost," says Steph Fincham, who is cycling across Sri Lanka in February. "Would love to say I'd just got back from a 100km training ride, but that will have to wait till the World Cup is over..."
  28th over: India 142-3 (target 275; Gambhir 74, Dhoni 6) Gambhir charges Dilshan, who sees him coming and spears it into towards the pads, and Gambhir is very lucky to get an inside edge to fine leg for four. India need 133 from 132 balls. Could this be more perfectly poised? "As if the cricket wasn't gripping enough, watching on a feed from India I get ads from the National Egg Coordination Committee," says Jon Stibbs. "Is it cowardly to pray for egg sandwiches?"
  29th over: India 146-3 (target 275; Gambhir 76, Dhoni 8) After one over of Malinga, it's the loveable wild-eyed nerd to resume. It's yet another tight over from Murali, just four singles from it. "You are not wrong about the climate in Copenhagen," says Lars Eriksen. "Summer just arrived today so I've taken the laptop and the OBO outside in the sun. The herring has been pickled, a beast of a pork shoulder is nestled in brine and the authorities have been alerted ahead of your impending visit."
  30th over: India 151-3 (target 275; Gambhir 76, Dhoni 12) Thisara Perera comes on for Dilshan. He could be a weak link, and Dhoni muscles his first ball into the leg side for a couple. A couple singles bring up the 150, and India need 124 from 120 balls. I reckon they are slight favourites. Sri Lanka certainly need a wicket. "The Beard Liberation Front says that Malinga is now ahead of Yuvraj by a whisker in the battle for Beard of the World Cup," says Keith Flett.
  31st over: India 157-3 (target 275; Gambhir 77, Dhoni 17) That's a fine shot from Dhoni, who crashes the first boundary off Murali through the covers. Sri Lanka's need for a wicket is becoming urgent. "Although not a Test Match, this is definitely tea time so I have unleashed a slice of special honey cake – the honey having been made by our local monks at Pluscarden Abbey," says Clare Davies. "I feel that a blessed cake will be good luck for ensuring this match stays tight and exciting. Wicket please Sri Lanka."
  32nd over: India 165-3 (target 275; Gambhir 79, Dhoni 23) A disgusting delivery from Perera, short and wide, is belaboured over the covers or four by Dhoni. He is looking dangerous, and India have stealthily moved into a position from which they really should win this game. They need 110 from 108 balls with seven wickets remaining, and that's drinks. "This is enthralling stuff, watching Murali trying to bend the match to Sri Lanka, and the tension is palpable," says Guy Hornsby. "What a send off for the genial magician. I never thought I'd be this nervous watching anyone other than England. This is a crucial partnership. You feel if they make it to 40 overs, India will get home. Not sure I can handle a tight finish with my hangover. I had a battle with Liver Compromiser last night, and came off a distant second."
  33rd over: India 170-3 (target 275; Gambhir 80, Dhoni 27) Kulasekera, who has also gone for a few, replaces Murali. That's a counter-intuitive change from Kumar Sangakkara, because you'd think he'd want his best bowlers on. Dhoni waves a couple through the covers in an over that yields five. This is the best he has played at this World Cup; and while that's not saying much, he looks really good. Some players seem to be stimulated rather than cowed by extreme pressure, the freaks, and Dhoni is certainly one of them. "This match has felt like a scaled down Test," says Gary Naylor. "No stupid reverse sweeps or Dilscoops and wicket-taking and innings-building has been the priority for both sides. So much better than slogfests and endless dibbly-dobbling." WRONG. Give me Larsen, Latham and Harris over Marshall, Garner and Holding any day.
  34th over: India 175-3 (target 275; Gambhir 83, Dhoni 29) Randiv is on for Perera (7-0-43-0), who might not bowl again. Gambhir premeditates a lap for two in another good over for India. At this stage, they are cruising. "I'd heard all the reasons about why Sri Lanka dropped Mendis today but still didn't think it made sense and have seen nothing so far that makes it seem like a good decision," says Jim Clear. "Plus on a more selfish note I'm missing his "mystery" and the discussion thereof – Mendis is like the Scooby Doo of cricket." What he said.
  35th over: India 183-3 (target 275; Gambhir 88, Dhoni 31) Sri Lanka are feeling a bit sorry for themselves. They should recognise the narrative of this run-chase: it's very similar to theirs in the 1996 final. Gambhir, in the Aravinda de Silva role, spanks a disdainful boundary over midwicket. India have paced this chase incredibly well, so much so that the required rate is still loitering at around a run a ball. They need 92 from 90. "I can't help but think that Sri Lanka have missed Matthews today," says Owen Thorpe. "Looked a batsman light in the first innings and at least one bowler light in the second. Perera might have hit a couple of blows, but his bowling is pretty rank." They have missed him badly. He a very good cricketer.
  36th over: India 191-3 (need 84 from 84 balls; Gambhir 89, Dhoni 38) MS Dhoni has stones of, well, stone. He would have been savaged had he changed the batting order and then failed; instead he is playing like a man who has seen his own destiny, and he rocks back to cut Randiv emphatically for four. That takes him to his highest score of the tournament. Cometh the hour, cometh the modern man. His opposite number, Kumar Sangakkara, is having a tricky time though. He is waiting for a wicket rather than actively seeking it; it makes sense up to a point, but if Sri Lanka don't get that wicket in the next few overs this game will be over. "I feel sick," says Josh Nall, who really shouldn't have had the special. "I am stuck in Washington DC, and agreed weeks ago to go to a baseball game today, failing entirely to check the WC schedule before I agreed. Now I have to leave this game when it's perfectly poised with 100 balls left, so I can go watch big boys' rounders. Gutted." You could – and I admit this is a leftfield suggestion – tell all you friends you really, really hate them or that stupid big boys' rounders, and then stay in.
  37th over: India 196-3 (need 79 from 78 balls; Gambhir 89, Dhoni 43) Now Sangakkara does turn to Malinga, his main strike bowler. "This is the game right here," says Nasser Hussain, but it might be too late. Dhoni takes a couple off each of the first two deliveries and then a single off the fifth. That's plenty for India.
  38th over: India 204-3 (need 71 from 72 balls; Gambhir 90, Dhoni 50) Dhoni is struggling physically and has a bit of treatment between overs. It seems to be a back problem. Another man who is far from peak conditions, Muttiah Muralitharan, is coming back into the attack. Dhoni makes room to smash four more through extra cover to bring up a wonderful half-century, selfless and granite-willed. He looks and speaks like a nice, gentle soul, but he is tough as anyone in the game and he has shown that here. "Best bars in Mumbai to be if a) India win or b) if Sri Lanka win anyone?" asks Charles Phelps.
  39th over: India 210-3 (need 65 from 66 balls; Gambhir 93, Dhoni 52) Gambhir breaks his bat while digging out a yorker from Malinga. He steers a single with the new bat, one of six runs from Malinga's seventh over. This match is all over, and India are going to win the World Cup for the first time since 1983. Here's what you get if you type 1983 into YouTube. Oh for a DeLorean. "On the Tendulkar Beethoven scale, the Sri Lanka bowling attack are varying from Bryan Adams to Rebecca Black," says Jonah Gadsby, before helpfully clarifying his point for those who aren't familiar with the oeuvre of Bryan Adams or Rebecca Black. "They're rubbish."
  40th over: India 221-3 (need 54 from 60 balls; Gambhir 96, Dhoni 59) What a time this would be for Murali to summon one last beastly delivery that pitches leg and hits off. It doesn't look likely, in truth. The birth certificate says 38 but the body clock is nearer 45. A leg-side wide brings up a marvellous hundred partnership, and Dhoni hammers the next ball imperiously through extra cover for four. Murali finally switches to back over the wicket, but India are winning this at a canter. Eleven from the over, the last from a sloppy overthrow. Sri Lanka have gone mentally. "I'm at that big boys' rounders game in DC right now, following the OBO on my iPhone," says Clodilla. "Best of both worlds. Technology. Wonderful thing!"
  41st over: India 223-3 (need 53 from 54 balls; Gambhir 97, Dhoni 60)
  Randiv replaces a tired Murali and hurries through an over for just two. Sri Lanka need more than that my little hombre. "Do you not think that Jonah Gadsby talking about Western Classical music and getting three separate mentions in the OBO is a bit unfair since some of us (ahem) don't make it even once, although we respond to your requests for emails promptly," says Sam Ebenezer. "And don't even get me started on the blatant sycophants! Did I mention that I absolutely ADORE your blog??" Aw, you guys. But seriously, before we are overtaken with the small matter of India winning the World Cup, thanks for all your emails throughout the World Cup and indeed the whole wide winter. I'm sure Andy Bull and the other chaps would agree that, with particular reference to those ODIs in Australia, we couldn't have done it without youse.
  WICKET! India 223-4 (Gambhir b Perera 97) That is a real shame for Gautam Gambhir, who misses out on a deserved century. He charged Perera and essayed a roundhouse smear but succeeded only in snicking the ball onto the stumps. No real need for that stroke, but he has played a gem of an innings – immaculately paced and full of immaculate placement. In a batting line up full of galacticos he is something of a Makelele figure; India, unlike Real Madrid, certainly appreciate his value.
  42nd over: India 227-4 (need 48 from 48 balls; Dhoni 60, Yuvraj 4) Yuvraj Singh comes to the crease. Does he has tense, nervous headache? Is this music rattling round hisbrain? No. He blocks two deliveries and pulls the third contemptuously for four. India have 48 balls remaining, and if they get a run off each of them they will win the World Cup. "It's all very well and good making a stab at real journalism this late in the day, but can you stop with this cricket analysis and skip to the pressing question of who's had the lions share of commentary on Sky?" says Ben Dunn. "Their 341 commentators fitted into one day?" They have had all those with Indian and Sri Lanka connections (Russel Arnold, Sanjay Manjrekar, Tom Moody, Ravi Shastri, Sourav Ganguly), plus Nasser and Bumble. I think that's the lot.
  43rd over: India 232-4 (need 43 from 42 balls; Dhoni 62, Yuvraj 5) Randiv continues – Murali and Malinga have five overs left between them, presumably the last five – and is pushed around for five runs. Teams have lost from this position in the past, but there is no sense that it could happen today. "Gambhir = Gatting?" says Gary Naylor. Nah, India are still in complete control.
  44th over: India 240-4 (need 35 from 36 balls; Dhoni 69, Yuvraj 5) Perera's first ball is some of the most disgraceful filth you'll ever see, but it still needs punishing and Dhoni flashes a cut high over point for six! That's a cracking shot. Dhoni is really on one, and when he is almost run out off the next ball after a mix up – he would actually have been home even if the throw had hit – he smashes his bat into his pads in frustration. What a captain's innings this has been.
  45th over: India 245-4 (need 30 from 30 balls; Dhoni 71, Yuvraj 9) Dhoni comes within a whisker of being run out. That was so close. Yuvraj took a dodgy single to short third man off Randiv, and a direct hit meant that Dhoni was in trouble. It was a split-frame affair, and after about 10 replays – and to the mother of all cheers – Dhoni was given not out. His speed between the wickets was vital. Two balls later now there's a review against Yuvraj! He played outside a good delivery from Randiv, prompting a huge shout for LBW, but the first replay showed a clear inside edge. Yuvraj survives, and it can only be seconds before somebody says that India's victory was meant to be.
  46th over: India 248-4 (need 27 from 24 balls; Dhoni 71, Yuvraj 12) So now India take the batting Powerplay by default. There are five overs remaining: three for Malinga and two for Murali. If anyone can pull this one out, it's those two, but it would be a huge shock. Malinga starts magnificently, with four dot balls to Yuvraj, who then crunches the fifth through midwicket for two and the sixth down the ground for a single. Brilliant stuff from Malinga.
  47th over: India 259-4 (need 16 from 18 balls; Dhoni 76, Yuvraj 18) This is a really surprising move, with Kulasekera preferred to Murali. Madness! A wet ball can be the only reason, but even so, I'd rather have Murali bowling with a soggy orange on a sheet of glass at this stage of a World Cup final. Especially as Kulasekera has just disappeared for xx. Dhoni hammers the second ball through extra cover for four, a wonderful stroke when the pressure was mounting just a touch. Dhoni then survives a token third-umpire referral after being sent back, and Yuvraj smears an attempted yorker on the full through midwicket for four. That was a terrible over from Kulasekera, and a matchwinning one for India. All the good work that Kulasekera and Perera did with the bat has been undone with the ball. "I've just been checking on the interweb, Rob, and from what I can find, it seems that ITV4 have confirmed that they will be showing this year's IPL live," says Clare Davies. "Starts next Friday, so those of us who need a lot of live cricket don't need to worry too much about withdrawal. Would be nice if you were to OBO but I guess that's just too much to ask for." Clare, my darling, there is more chance of me MBMing my own funeral than any cricket for the next six weeks. I love cricket dearly, I just don't want to see any of it for a long time.
  47.1 overs India 260-4 (need 15 from 17 balls; Dhoni 76, Yuvraj 19) Yuvraj drives Malinga's first ball confidently for a single.
  47.2 overs India 264-4 (need 11 from 16 balls; Dhoni 80, Yuvraj 19) "Dhoni! Dhoni! Dhoni!" rings round the ground, and he times Malinga off his pads for four. What a shot, and what an outrageous innings he has played tonight.
  47.3 overs India 268-4 (need 7 from 15 balls; Dhoni 84, Yuvraj 19) TO say Dhoni has his business face on is an understatement. There is a furious intensity all over his phizog, and there's another boundary, flicked brilliantly through square leg.
  47.4 overs India 268-4 (need 7 from 14 balls; Dhoni 84, Yuvraj 19) Malinga nutmegs Dhoni with a leg-side yorker.
  47.5 overs India 269-4 (need 6 from 13 balls; Dhoni 85, Yuvraj 19) A quick single to point. India are one hit away. "He can't, can he? says Bumble.
  48 overs India 270-4 (need 5 from 12 balls; Dhoni 85, Yuvraj 20) Yuvraj whips another single to long on. I hope Dhoni hits the winning runs. He deserves it for a captain's innings of stunning certainty.
  48.1 overs India 271-4 (need 4 from 11 balls; Dhoni 85, Yuvraj 21) This is all about India, but spare a thought for Sri Lanka, who become the first side since England in 1992 to lose consecutive World Cup finals. Yuvraj pushes a single.
  INDIA WIN THE WORLD CUP! 48.2 overs India 277-4 (Dhoni 91, Yuvraj 21)> INDIA WIN BY SIX WICKETS What a way to win a World Cup! Dhoni smashes Kulasekera into the crowd and now – for the first time – he breaks into a smile. He has played an awesome innings of chilling certainty, 91 not out from 79 balls, and he broke Sri Lanka's will long before the end. Mumbai has completely lost the plot. Half the team charge onto the field, the other half are going ballistic on the balcony. Firecrackers are going off anywhere, The hairs on the neck are powerless to resist these scenes.
  Yuvraj and Tendulkar embrace, now Dhoni and Harbhajan. Yuvraj is on the cusp of tears, Harbhajan is in floods of tears, and now the team settle into an orgiastic huddle. They are top of the Test championship, and they have won the World Cup. Couldn't beat England though, could they? Nobody can deny them this moment, which has had a whiff of destiny since the knockout stages started.
  You have to feel for Sri Lanka – particularly Mahela Jayawardene, who made the most beautiful century, and of course for Murali, who has twirled his last. Sri Lanka tried their hardest, but [cheese] you can't fight fate [/cheese]. The camera is now focusing on the coach Gary Kirsten, who will finally get his hands on a World Cup. He has done a remarkable job with a group of players who some felt were unmanageable. Now Sachin is being chaired around the ground, his home ground, by Raina, Kohl and Pathan. He didn't get his 100th hundred, but this is an even greater fairytale: India winning the World Cup, in India.
  Look, I could go on all night – it's not often I use that phrase – but I'm desperate to go the pub after six weeks chained to the OBO desk I can't do justice to these scenes. Watch the highlights, soak it up, and raise a glass to a fantastic team – the best in the world in Tests and limited-overs cricket. Well done India, and thanks for your emails throughout a very enjoyable World Cup. Night.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

India's World Cup cricket victory: the measure of a nation

First India beat Pakistan, the old sporting enemy, and then trumped Sri Lanka in the final &#8211; a win that is being tied to a national coming of age

• Gethin Chamberlain in Calangute, Goa
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 2 April 2011 22.05 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  Indian fans celebrate after the World Cup victory. Photograph: Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images It is 3pm in a small British bar in the tourist state of Goa about 550km south of Bombay &#8211; where the country's cricketers are harrying Sri Lanka's batsmen in the early overs of the World Cup final.
  It is 28 years since India last won this most cherished of titles in a nation so crazy about the game. There are fewer than nine hours to go until it does so again. But we don't know that yet.
  Mohinder Amarnath, the man of the match in the 1983 World Cup, is certain, however, that the moment has arrived to repeat his team's success. Every Indian can realise their dreams through the 11 men on the field today, he says.
  He need not have worried. Corrin, the eponymous owner of the Goan bar, is reaching for a brush, and dipping it into the pot of orange acrylic paint on the table in front of her. She holds the arm of the little Indian girl in front of her, draws the first rectangle of the national flag, hands the brush to Sonny, the barman, and watches him draw the white and green stripes. The girl, the daughter of the beautician who runs the shop upstairs, beams, delighted, and skips away to show off her affirmation of support for the home team.
  In the street outside, a truck thunders by, horn blaring, Indian flags fluttering in from the cab. The picture is repeated across the country; millions are glued to their televisions or radios, donning their replica shirts, daubing themselves in the national colours. India is partying; each successful delivery from its bowlers greeted by a round of beating drums. The country that has made cricket its national game is certain that this year, finally, it will capture the ultimate prize, the World Cup.
  India is certain that this is no more than it is due. It has already celebrated what many in the country regard as the real final, victory over its most reviled opponent, the notoriously unpredictable &#8211; unless you happen to be a friendly bookmaker &#8211; Pakistan team, which on Wednesday managed to throw away a magnificent bowling performance to lose ignominiously.
  And India was desperate for this victory; the humiliation of the Commonwealth Games corruption scandal was still fresh; the country's recent diplomatic successes &#8211; not least towards a permanent seat on the UN Security Council &#8211; has been overshadowed by fresh concerns about its aspiration to be regarded as a first world nation.
  This is a nation demanding international approval: buoyed by the news that projections now show it will overtake China as the world's most populous nation by 2030, there is a sense that its time has come.
  As Saturday dawned, prayers were said, puja [offerings to the gods] were made, anything to give the Indian team an edge. Across the country, people painted themselves in the blue of the national team strip or in the orange, white and green of the flag, and prepared to party.
  Bars and hotels hiked prices and charged admission to the more rarefied environments. In many places, TV screens were set up and even when the big screen was not an option, the nation gathered anywhere that a television was on, peering over each other's shoulders to catch a glimpse of the match.
  In Corrins', even Sonny was applauding as Sri Lanka upped the ante in their final overs, smashing the ball hither and thither. Then a nation of &#8211; according to the new census figures &#8211; 1.2 billion fell silent as top batsman Sehwag fell to the second ball of the Indian innings.
  Yet important as the game was, some felt that there was a sense of anticlimax after the Pakistan game. "The excitement among people is lacking," Manoj Kumar, a hotel manager, told the Times of India.
  Not so among the Sri Lankans, who had sidled into the final without the fireworks of the Indian progress. Captain Kumar Sangakkara pulled no punches when he explained what it meant to a country even more desperate for international approval after the end of three decades of bloody civil war: "It means everything. We have come through a very tough period. A lot of people have laid down lives for our country. In this new future, hopefully we can take home the World Cup, and that will be even more occasion for celebration."
  Gautam Gambhir, the Indian batsman who stabilised the nation's innings after the loss of influential opener Sehwag, was no less compelling when he told a news channel that India had to win to honour the dead of the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai: "For me it will be dedicated to the people who lost their lives in the 26/11 massacre."
  For India, the desire to be taken seriously by other nations in sport is perhaps more important than diplomatic point-scoring. Like its neighbour China, it has been unable to translate a mass of bodies into international sporting success. In terms of international trade, it has come on in leaps and bounds, yet still it is unable to project that power into other fields.
  Such desperation for success was reflected in the way many in the country fell back on superstition in their desire to ensure success. One fan, Ritangshu Bhattacharya, from Delhi, assured journalists that he would be attempting to tip the odds in India's favour by defying nature: "I won't pee in the entire match&#8230; I feel whenever I go to the loo, a wicket falls or India drops a catch."
  Even his stoicism was outdone by one politician from the state of Madhya Pradesh, who stood from 10am to 10pm during the India-Pakistan match.
  In Corrins', there is no doubt about who should have won: "You have to support the team, don't you?," she said. "We live here, we have to support the local team, however it goes."
  It is 10.45pm, and MS Dhoni, the Indian captain, is hammering the ball to the boundary again. Six to win, two overs. There are fireworks going off everywhere, drowning out the commentary. India knows it has won. It is the Pakistan game all over again: victory from defeat, India defiant.
  Six runs, and he smacks it over the boundary. The fireworks explode. In the cities, there is madness; in the villages, too, people are hugging and screaming. The firecrackers are exploding, the night a blur of colour. India wins.
  
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Tutafia uwanjani &#8211;Simba

Imeandikwa na Mwandishi Wetu; Tarehe: 2nd April 2011 @ 23:59 Imesomwa na watu: 102; Jumla ya maoni: 0

Kikosi cha Simba





SIMBA leo itacheza na mabingwa wa soka Afrika TP Mazembe kwenye Uwanja wa Taifa Dar es Salaam katika mechi ya pili ya raundi ya kwanza ya michuano ya Klabu bingwa Afrika.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari mjini Dar es Salaam, Nahodha wa Simba Mussa Hassan Mgosi alisema leo watafia uwanjani mpaka kieleweke.

"Tunajua mechi ngumu na wenzetu walitufunga katika mechi ya kwanza, lakini yote hiyo ni sababu tulikuwa hatufahamiani nao, Mazembe hatujawahi kucheza nao, kwa mechi ya kwanza tumeshaona makosa yao na kocha ameyafanyia kazi, tunachoomba ni dua tu za Watanzania tushinde mechi hiyo," alisema Mgosi.

Mbali na hilo, Mgosi alisema hawatatishwa na mashabiki watakaoishangilia Mazembe leo, kwani wanaocheza uwanjani ni wachezaji 11 kila upande.

"Mazembe wamekuja na mashabiki wao, na wapo wengine Watanzania kutoka hapahapa kwetu pia watawashangilia lakini hatutatishwa na ushangiliaji wao, kwani kila upande unacheza 11 uwanjani, ninachosema ni kwamba kesho (leo) tutafia uwanjani," alisema.

Mechi hiyo ina mvuto wa aina yake, kutokana na mbali na ubingwa wao wa Afrika, Mazembe ilishika nafasi ya pili kwenye michuano ya klabu bingwa ya Dunia baada ya kufungwa na Inter Milan mabao 3-0 Abudhabi.

Tayari Mazembe ilishawasili jijini Tangu juzi ikiwa na tambo kibao za kuibuka na ushindi nyumbani kwa Simba.

Wawakilishi wa Tanzania Simba, wanatakiwa kushinda mabao 2-0 katika mechi hiyo ili wasonge mbele na kuwatupa nje ya michuano TP Mazembe.

Simba inatakiwa kushinda idadi hiyo ya mabao baada ya kuchapwa mabao 3-1 katika mechi ya kwanza iliyochezwa wiki mbili zilizopita kwenye Uwanja wa Stade la Kenya mjini Lubumbashi.

Akizungumzia mechi hiyo Kocha Mkuu wa Simba, Patrick Phiri alisema anajua kwamba anacheza na timu kubwa Afrika lakini ana uhakika timu yake itafanya vizuri.

"Tunajivunia sana kucheza na Mazembe kwa sababu ni timu kubwa, tunaipongeza kwa hilo kwa vile iliwekeza na sasa inakula matunda".

"Tunaweza kuifunga Mazembe kama tutacheza kwa bidii na juhudi na sisi tumejiandaa kwa hilo maana tunajua tukishinda tutajitangaza,"alisema Phiri.

Katika kutia hamasa ya ushindi leo, kundi la Friends of Simba limeahidi kutoa Sh milioni 50 endapo Simba itaibuka na ushindi leo.

Mjumbe wa kundi hilo Azim Dewji alisema jana kuwa watatoa Sh milioni 50 kwa wachezaji kama pongezi.

Mbali na hao, Mfadhili wa zamani wa Simba Mohamed Dewji naye ameahidi kutoa kiasi kama hicho endapo Simba itashinda.

"Nawatakia kila la kheri katika mchezo huo na naamini wanaweza kuitoa Mazembe,"alisema Dewji ambaye pia ni Mbunge wa Singida Mjini.

Naye Meneja wa TP Mazembe Tzediric Kitenge alisema wamefanya maandalizi mazuri na wachezaji wao 20 waliokuja nao wote wana uwezo wa kucheza soka safi na kushinda.

"Tumekuja hapa tukiwa tumefanya maandalizi ya kutosha na tunauhakika wa kushinda kwasababu mnajua TP Mazembe ni timu kubwa imeshacheza na timu kubwa duniani," alisema.

Akizungumzia bao moja walilolipata Simba Lubumbashi, Kitenge alisema bao hilo haliwatishi kwani wao wana uwezo wa kuifunga Simba zaidi ya mabao waliyowafunga kule.

"Tuliifunga Esperance mabao matano kwetu, wakasema tukienda kwao watatufunga, lakini walishindwa kufanya hivyo, kwa hiyo bao moja la Simba halitutishi, na wala hatuiogopi Simba tunaiheshimu tu,"alisema.

Akizungumzia tofauti ya uwanja wa kwao Stade la Kenya na Uwanja wa Taifa, Kitenge alisema: "Tunajua mna uwanja mzuri sana kuliko wetu, lakini mashabiki hawawezi kuwa wengi kama wanavyojaa kwenye uwanja wetu Lubumbashi,"alisema.

Uwanja wa Stade la Kenya una uwezo wa kuingiza mashabiki 35,000 na wa Taifa unaingiza watu takriban 60,000, na katika mechi kubwa kama hiyo, si jambo la ajabu kujaa.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

TP Mazembe yataka ushahidi kashfa ya rushwa

Imeandikwa na Mwandishi Wetu; Tarehe: 2nd April 2011 @ 23:50 Imesomwa na watu: 91; Jumla ya maoni: 0








UONGOZI wa timu ya TP Mazembe ya Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Kongo umewataka waamuzi wanaodai kupewa rushwa katika mechi dhidi ya Simba watoe ushahidi.

Klabu hiyo bingwa Afrika imeingia kwenye kashfa hiyo baada ya mwamuzi Yasser Abdel-Raouf aliyechezesha mechi ya kwanza ya raundi ya kwanza kuwania klabu bingwa Afrika kati ya mabingwa hao na Simba iliyochezwa mjini Lubumbashi Machi 20 kuandika kwenye ripoti yake kuwa Mazembe walitoa hongo ya dola za Marekani 10,000 ili waisaidie kushinda mechi hiyo.

Taarifa hiyo iliandikwa na mwamuzi Raouf aliyekuwa akichezesha katikati na wasaidizi wake Ayman Deguesh, Tamer Salah na Fahim Omar ambao wamewasilisha ripoti yao CAF (Shirikisho la Soka Afrika) wakidai kuwa Mazembe walitoa hongo na kuwatishia kuwaua baada ya kuikataa.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari mjini Dar es Salaam, Meneja wa TP Mazembe Tzedirik Kitenge alisema taarifa hizo wamezisikia na kuwataka waamuzi hao kutoa ushahidi wa nani aliyewapa fedha hizo.

"Tunavyofahamu kila mtu ana makosa kwa anayetoa rushwa na anayepokea, sasa hao waamuzi kama wanasema walipewa rushwa wawataje hao waliowapa fedha hizo".

"Mazembe ni timu kubwa haiwezi kufanya mambo hayo imeshacheza mechi nyingi na timu kubwa, tuseme huko kote ilikuwa ikitoa rushwa? Alihoji Kitenge.

Kwa mujibu wa taarifa hizo kutoka katika mtandao wa ahram.org.eg wa Misri tayari maofisa wa CAF wamethibitisha kupata ripoti hiyo ya waamuzi hao wanne kutoka Misri.

Naye Mwenyekiti wa Simba Ismail Rage alisema ameshaiandikia CAF juu ya jambo hilo na kuitaka kutekeleza kanuni ya 24 ya mashindano ya Ligi ya Mabingwa Afrika inayozungumzia masuala ya rushwa.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

&#8216;Muombeeni Muhidin Gurumo'

Imeandikwa na Mwandishi Wetu; Tarehe: 2nd April 2011 @ 23:40 Imesomwa na watu: 79; Jumla ya maoni: 0








MKE wa mwanamuziki mkongwe nchini anayeimbia bendi ya muziki wa dansi ya Msondo Ngoma Muhidin Gurumo, Pili Gurumo amewataka Watanzania na mashabiki wa bendi hiyo kwa ujumla kumuombea mumewe apone haraka.

Gurumo alilazwa katika Hospitali ya Taifa ya Muhimbili Jumatano iliyopita akisumbuliwa na maradhi ya presha ya kushuka.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari, hospitalini hapo Pili alisema mumewe yuko katika hali mbaya hivyo ni wakati kwa Watanzania na mashabiki wake wamuombee.

"Bado hali ya mume wangu sio nzuri, nawaomba mashabiki wake wazidishe sala zao ili apone haraka na kurudi nyumbani,"alisema.

Alisema mume wake alipelekwa hospitali Jumatano asubuhi akiwa katika hali mbaya, hajitambui na kupelekwa chumba cha wagonjwa mahututi (ICU).

Gurumo amelazwa hospitalini hapo kwa mara ya pili tangu kuanza mwaka huu, mara ya kwanza ilikuwa mwanzoni mwa mwaka huu ambapo pia alilazwa ICU kabla ya kupata nafuu na kuruhusiwa.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Cricket World Cup 2011

• India build-up
  Inside Tendulkar's world
  
  Mike Selvey: In the final in his home town Sachin Tendulkar is expected to deliver, yet again
  71 comments
  • Dileep Premachandran: India awaits its destiny
  • Duncan Fletcher: Leadership at heart of success
  • In pictures: preparations for the final
• Sri Lanka build-up
  Sangakkara the danger man
  
  Vic Marks: Top teams tend to make the final 10 overs the time to unleash their meanest bowlers
  9 comments
  • Mike Selvey: Murali's final trick
  • Mathews ruled out of final
  • The Spin: Sign up to our weekly cricket email

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Wayne Rooney hat-trick for Manchester United puts paid to West Ham

• Comments (486)

• Observer report
• Min-by-min
• Match facts
• Ratings

Premier League

West Ham United 2

• Noble (pen) 11,
• Noble (pen) 25

Manchester United 4

• Rooney 65,
• Rooney 73,
• Rooney (pen) 79,
• Javier Hernandez 84

• Jamie Jackson at Upton Park
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 2 April 2011 14.57 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  Manchester United's Wayne Rooney suffers in the first half at West Ham United &#8211; but he scored a second-half hat-trick. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters Manchester United have suffered infirmities when chasing championships in this parish of east London, so they will surely view this comeback as a sign that the record-breaking 19th title is now on.
  In 1992, a shock defeat was followed by Leeds United taking the title and, when West Ham United held on for a 1-1 draw on the last day of the 1995 season, that allowed Blackburn to claim the crown, despite losing at Liverpool. A reverse in this topsy-turvy affair and the case would surely have been made that the West Ham curse was about to bite United for a third time.
  Instead, a clinical 14-minute, second-half hat-trick from Wayne Rooney, plus Javier Hernández's late clincher allowed Sir Alex Ferguson to herald a rousing comeback. "We played like champions today," the manager said. "We didn't lose our faith in our ability and that was a great boost to us. It was a real championship performance."
  As Arsenal kicked-off in the late afternoon match, against Blackburn, they were eight points behind. Ferguson was asked if the title was now United's to lose. He said: "Well, Arsenal have the games in hand of course. It could go on goal difference but somehow I don't think so. We have to win our games."
  Yet with Edwin van der Sar being left out as a precaution due to a strain, and Ryan Giggs moved to left-back after Patrice Evra was replaced at half-time, the sense was that at 2-0 down, following two Mark Noble penalties, United were in disarray.
  Rather than an injury to Evra, though, Ferguson suggested that the Frenchman's removal was tactical, with his clumsy handball for Noble's opening strike maybe also a factor.
  Ferguson said: "They probably only had two shots at goal, but two-nothing down at half-time you're under the cosh. I felt we had to go for it. I brought on Chicharito [Hernández], put Ryan back to left-back. At that point I'm saying to myself goal difference doesn't matter. Lets get something out of it.
  "We kept creating chances in the first half. [Antonio] Valencia had them on toast. He's so comfortable on the ball, they couldn't get [it] off him. In the first half he delivered two or three fantastic balls in, we just didn't get enough on them to capitalise. But [in] the second half, when Chicharito comes on, he gives you that lightening pace and he's threatening them all the time behind. So it meant they were going right back towards the box and gave us a lot of space to operate."
  Valencia had, indeed, terrorised West Ham's defenders, particularly Wayne Bridge, who could not contain the winger's rubberman act. An early issue, though, was Rooney's lack of touch. Before he re-made the game as the Rooney show, the striker was enduring one of those outings where he, and United, could not turn possession into goals.
  Exhibit A derived from one of the countless first-half corners the visitors won, and which were taken by Giggs. He played the ball in short to Fábio da Silva and when the cross arrived, Chris Smalling headed to Rooney. But the ball bounced back off him when he attempted to control it, and West Ham cleared.
  Avram Grant's side had started the second half ahead courtesy of two sharp bits of attack, and two questionable bits of defending, from Evra and Nemanja Vidic. First, Thomas Hitzlsperger launched a 60-yard pass that looped into Carlton Cole's stride. When he attempted to flip the ball over Evra's head, the left-back paddled it away.
  Then, 14 minutes after Noble beat Tomasz Kuszczak from the spot, the midfielder had his second. Cole's deft footwork bamboozled Vidic and though the defender certainly tripped him, whether it was inside the area was debatable. Noble, this time, blazed the penalty into Kuszczak's top left-hand corner.
  "The penalty kick is outside the box, that was the unfortunate decision and [then] to go two nothing down," said Ferguson. "He [Vidic] could have been sent off for the free-kick they got outside the box [when fouling Demba Ba] so he got a lucky break, the only thing being it was a bouncing ball and was going through to the goalkeeper."
  Rooney's first hat-trick since putting four beyond Hull City in January last year began when Michael Carrick was pulled down by Noble. From 25 yards, the striker placed the free-kick expertly to the left of Robert Green. His second followed Valencia's fine delivery, with Matthew Upson losing his man and Rooney shooting diagonally to score. And, when Fábio hit Upson's arm inside the area, the 25-year-old slotted in the penalty, before Hernández's tap-in secured three invaluable points.
  For Grant, relegation still beckons, but he retained some optimism. "The players are ready for any situation and as we showed this season we can recover very well for the next game."
  The Football Association, meanwhile, will examine footage of Rooney's on-camera use of foul language as he celebrated his third goal before deciding whether to take any action. Rooney later issued an apology to "any parents or children who were watching". But even a charge would not tarnish this afternoon for him, or his club.
  THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT
  
  ROGER HART, Observer readerSeven long games ahead of us now, but no complaints about this game. West Ham put in so much effort in the first half they ran out of steam in the second. Even Scott Parker had a rare off-day. Gary O'Neil was our best player, I thought. Even though we got the two penalties inside 25 minutes, Vidic and Smalling were too good in the air for us, and the writing was on the wall once Rooney started finding his target and Man U had brought on Hernández. He was very sharp. They had so much width and the West Ham defence were too stretched. Vidic got a yellow when a lot of people said it should have been red, but I was up the other end and couldn't really say.
  The fan's player ratings Green 7; Jacobsen 5, Da Costa 7, Upson 6, Bridge 6; Parker 6, Hitzlsperger 6, Noble 6 (Keane 83 n/a); O'Neil 7 (Obinna 83 n/a), Cole 6 (Piquionne 68 6), Ba 6
  PETE BOYLE, Observer readerWe're celebrating in the car on the way back, singing along to Morrissey. To be honest, at half-time I never saw that scoreline coming. I thought it was going to be one comeback too many. West Ham played out of their skins for a long while and played very intelligently. But you have to give credit to our players for their fighting spirit, never giving up and never losing belief. Every player deserves praise, especially as the referee had a poor game and once again we suffered from poor decisions. It's being said that Vidic should have been shown red, but the Hammers' second penalty was outside the area and the referee was favouring West Ham repeatedly.
  The fan's player ratings Kuszczak 7; F da Silva 7, Smalling 7, Vidic 7, Evra 7 (Hernández ht 7); Gibson 7, Carrick 7, Giggs 7; Valencia 7, Rooney 8 (Nani 87 n/a), Park 7 (Berbatov 64 8)
  To take part in the Fans' Verdict, email sport@observer.co.uk
  
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Wayne Rooney hat-trick for Manchester United puts paid to West Ham

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Premier League

West Ham United 2

• Noble (pen) 11,
• Noble (pen) 25

Manchester United 4

• Rooney 65,
• Rooney 73,
• Rooney (pen) 79,
• Javier Hernandez 84

• Jamie Jackson at Upton Park
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 2 April 2011 14.57 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  Manchester United's Wayne Rooney suffers in the first half at West Ham United – but he scored a second-half hat-trick. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters Manchester United have suffered infirmities when chasing championships in this parish of east London, so they will surely view this comeback as a sign that the record-breaking 19th title is now on.
  In 1992, a shock defeat was followed by Leeds United taking the title and, when West Ham United held on for a 1-1 draw on the last day of the 1995 season, that allowed Blackburn to claim the crown, despite losing at Liverpool. A reverse in this topsy-turvy affair and the case would surely have been made that the West Ham curse was about to bite United for a third time.
  Instead, a clinical 14-minute, second-half hat-trick from Wayne Rooney, plus Javier Hernández's late clincher allowed Sir Alex Ferguson to herald a rousing comeback. "We played like champions today," the manager said. "We didn't lose our faith in our ability and that was a great boost to us. It was a real championship performance."
  As Arsenal kicked-off in the late afternoon match, against Blackburn, they were eight points behind. Ferguson was asked if the title was now United's to lose. He said: "Well, Arsenal have the games in hand of course. It could go on goal difference but somehow I don't think so. We have to win our games."
  Yet with Edwin van der Sar being left out as a precaution due to a strain, and Ryan Giggs moved to left-back after Patrice Evra was replaced at half-time, the sense was that at 2-0 down, following two Mark Noble penalties, United were in disarray.
  Rather than an injury to Evra, though, Ferguson suggested that the Frenchman's removal was tactical, with his clumsy handball for Noble's opening strike maybe also a factor.
  Ferguson said: "They probably only had two shots at goal, but two-nothing down at half-time you're under the cosh. I felt we had to go for it. I brought on Chicharito [Hernández], put Ryan back to left-back. At that point I'm saying to myself goal difference doesn't matter. Lets get something out of it.
  "We kept creating chances in the first half. [Antonio] Valencia had them on toast. He's so comfortable on the ball, they couldn't get [it] off him. In the first half he delivered two or three fantastic balls in, we just didn't get enough on them to capitalise. But [in] the second half, when Chicharito comes on, he gives you that lightening pace and he's threatening them all the time behind. So it meant they were going right back towards the box and gave us a lot of space to operate."
  Valencia had, indeed, terrorised West Ham's defenders, particularly Wayne Bridge, who could not contain the winger's rubberman act. An early issue, though, was Rooney's lack of touch. Before he re-made the game as the Rooney show, the striker was enduring one of those outings where he, and United, could not turn possession into goals.
  Exhibit A derived from one of the countless first-half corners the visitors won, and which were taken by Giggs. He played the ball in short to Fábio da Silva and when the cross arrived, Chris Smalling headed to Rooney. But the ball bounced back off him when he attempted to control it, and West Ham cleared.
  Avram Grant's side had started the second half ahead courtesy of two sharp bits of attack, and two questionable bits of defending, from Evra and Nemanja Vidic. First, Thomas Hitzlsperger launched a 60-yard pass that looped into Carlton Cole's stride. When he attempted to flip the ball over Evra's head, the left-back paddled it away.
  Then, 14 minutes after Noble beat Tomasz Kuszczak from the spot, the midfielder had his second. Cole's deft footwork bamboozled Vidic and though the defender certainly tripped him, whether it was inside the area was debatable. Noble, this time, blazed the penalty into Kuszczak's top left-hand corner.
  "The penalty kick is outside the box, that was the unfortunate decision and [then] to go two nothing down," said Ferguson. "He [Vidic] could have been sent off for the free-kick they got outside the box [when fouling Demba Ba] so he got a lucky break, the only thing being it was a bouncing ball and was going through to the goalkeeper."
  Rooney's first hat-trick since putting four beyond Hull City in January last year began when Michael Carrick was pulled down by Noble. From 25 yards, the striker placed the free-kick expertly to the left of Robert Green. His second followed Valencia's fine delivery, with Matthew Upson losing his man and Rooney shooting diagonally to score. And, when Fábio hit Upson's arm inside the area, the 25-year-old slotted in the penalty, before Hernández's tap-in secured three invaluable points.
  For Grant, relegation still beckons, but he retained some optimism. "The players are ready for any situation and as we showed this season we can recover very well for the next game."
  The Football Association, meanwhile, will examine footage of Rooney's on-camera use of foul language as he celebrated his third goal before deciding whether to take any action. Rooney later issued an apology to "any parents or children who were watching". But even a charge would not tarnish this afternoon for him, or his club.
  THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT
  
  ROGER HART, Observer readerSeven long games ahead of us now, but no complaints about this game. West Ham put in so much effort in the first half they ran out of steam in the second. Even Scott Parker had a rare off-day. Gary O'Neil was our best player, I thought. Even though we got the two penalties inside 25 minutes, Vidic and Smalling were too good in the air for us, and the writing was on the wall once Rooney started finding his target and Man U had brought on Hernández. He was very sharp. They had so much width and the West Ham defence were too stretched. Vidic got a yellow when a lot of people said it should have been red, but I was up the other end and couldn't really say.
  The fan's player ratings Green 7; Jacobsen 5, Da Costa 7, Upson 6, Bridge 6; Parker 6, Hitzlsperger 6, Noble 6 (Keane 83 n/a); O'Neil 7 (Obinna 83 n/a), Cole 6 (Piquionne 68 6), Ba 6
  PETE BOYLE, Observer readerWe're celebrating in the car on the way back, singing along to Morrissey. To be honest, at half-time I never saw that scoreline coming. I thought it was going to be one comeback too many. West Ham played out of their skins for a long while and played very intelligently. But you have to give credit to our players for their fighting spirit, never giving up and never losing belief. Every player deserves praise, especially as the referee had a poor game and once again we suffered from poor decisions. It's being said that Vidic should have been shown red, but the Hammers' second penalty was outside the area and the referee was favouring West Ham repeatedly.
  The fan's player ratings Kuszczak 7; F da Silva 7, Smalling 7, Vidic 7, Evra 7 (Hernández ht 7); Gibson 7, Carrick 7, Giggs 7; Valencia 7, Rooney 8 (Nani 87 n/a), Park 7 (Berbatov 64 8)
  To take part in the Fans' Verdict, email sport@observer.co.uk