Rightly said Mr. Abbasi. As Ramiz Raja said the game of cricket had won today and ICC have to thank Dhoni and Malik for it.

Having said this I would like to apologize to Misbah-ul-Haq who I thought to be a very bad selection decision before the start of this tournament but he had proven that he can be depended upon. Now all he needs is to deliver next time to really show his calibre.

I would like ot thank the Pakistan team and Shoaib Malik for a wonderful tournament and hopefully the Pakistani fans do not take out the frustrations on this young and wonderful team who has given their best.

Certainly some more work needs to be done to be a truly world class team but hopefully the young players would be able to do it. Misbah should be retained in the side for whatever amount of cricket he has left even if he fails to perform just to instill in the team the professionalism and composure with which he played this tournament.

Again Hats Off to Dhoni and Malik hoping that the Dhoni mantra of playing to enjoy rubs off on everyone from the subcontinent.

Congrats to both India and Pak, This is why cricket world needs both of these to perform well. And afterall who else can beat Australia?
A little strange decision to give Afridi player of tournament. I think with in Pak team Gul and Misbah were superb than Afridi while players like Yuvraj did well too.I'm really impressed by captaincy of Dhoni(with out coach too)

Well said Kamran! Though one team lost, the game really won. Two things were needed in this tournament- lots of excitement and competitive stuff from anyone but Australia. Hardly anyone could have predicted the finalists or their stunning performances. I really hope that the World Cup stays in Asia for a long time and also that people look at these matches with a huge dollop of perspective, just like you have done. Well played Pakistan!! Well played India!!

Very well said Mr. Abbasi!

Great final! Congrats to India on wining it! and very well played Pakistan. We love you Pakistani team! You made us feel proud and deserve a warm reception on arrival!

I guess you could do the (psycho)analysis on umpteenth loss for Pakistan in a major final with India.

When Indian team was in a situation getting eliminated before qualifying for the semi final, all of a sudden the 'mysterious' cards were turned and it over turned the tournament , realistically India is not that big of a team who can beat South Africa as well as Australia, Those were clear hints that India is going to be crowned.
As far as Pakistan team is concerned, if we just think about the cricket then i can't understand why Kamran Akmal was sent at number 3?
Malik and Misbah were playing like scared kids, Malik couldn't even hold the bat properly, hitting boundaries seemed impossible for both these kids and Afridi absolutely ruined everything. I know Malik was wrong to hold Afridi back for too long but still when Afridi came, the stage was half set for him to hit few boundaries and nail it for Pakistan but NO HOPE.
I can't understand what kind of innings Misbah-ul-Haq was playing, when he ran out of partners he started hitting sixes, i am so sure if he had started it a while earlier.........
Anyways he still brought Pakistan closer to victory with the help of Sohail Tanveer (this bloke hit the first ball of his international career for a SIX and that too in the final, he has a good future i'm sure), and when equation came in favor of Pakistan (6 needed of 4), he played the most stupid shot of his career and destroyed the stage he had set himself.
In the end i dont know India is a deserving winner or not but still winner is winner ( like '83 world cup)

we won!!
great game but pakistan in al its euphoria must not forget that younis khan and afridi both experienced players played foolish strokes had it not been for misbah and tanvirs's slogs match would not have been so close again fantastic game...well played to both teams

Excellent performance by both teams. 20/20 cricket may rejuvenate the game and may even attract other countries.

Well played India and Pakistan. Both teams defeated Australia which speaks volume to the recover post Caribbean World Cup.

One feels for Misbah though. Where the hell was this guy before? A real class, cool and calm cricketer.

Congrats India!

awesome game! thts really all tht i can say...and gosh do i feeel for misbah..poor guy..but well played pakistan! we'r proud of u! and i think India have found an awesome captain in Dhoni anywayz cheers congratz 2 the indians

Afridi has no shame and no sense of responsibility.. he is consistently failing whenever his team needs him.. these kind of people should be banned from the team

true well said
am just gutted maliks troops jus deserved so much more

An excellent finale and the brave deserved to win. Dhoni's daredevil's have drawn first blood but the India pakistan series is going to be mouthwatering. Kudo's for Pakistan for going all the way.Sadly the world cup jinx continues for pakistan. Be prepared for an electrifying series between India & Pakistan.

All I want to know is where the hell have the PCB been hiding Misbah-ul-Haq. I couldn't help but be reminded of his namesake, the great Inzi; Misbah's composure was a revelation.

O, what a game of cricket! I thought it was over at the half way stage with Pakistan faltering badly but what an innings by Misbah. In my opinion, he should have been player of the tournament especially with Afridi mindlessly throwing awaying his wicket (again!!).

But, as a Pakistani fan, it is bitterly disappointing to get so close to the finishing line and lose. I dont understand what overcame Misbah to play that shot when he was striking it down the ground with ease, particuarly with only 6 off 4 balls... Oh well, we have seen this many times as Pakistani fans but this time the team appears to be be better, stronger and more determined to suceed. The future looks good. Well done India (I saw through gritted teeth!!)

A very good contest ended the way it should have. Both teams have shown what young talent can do. As for the big reputation (senior) players. Both India and Pakistan need to look to the future and let those players go whose best is passed. I really think that Younus, Akmal and Afridi should not take their places for granted. They must be put under pressure by the likes of Misbah and many like him who couldn't get in the team because of strange policies in the pre-Malik era.

Truly a dream contest and worthy of a world cup final. India and Pakistan did exceedingly well to stay in the game - so refreshing after see so many anti-climactic finals with Australia dominating.

I agree with you full Kamran. This game was a triumph for cricket. The best part is that the masses have learned to watch the game, cheer and take victories and losses in their stride. There will be no more accusations of throwing away the game, no more rude welcome when the boys arrive back home.

Both teams have found good captains and better yet, good teams. What needs to be done now is to keep the destructive elements out of these sides, and let the youngsters develope. May the India and Pakistan dominate this game.

Congrats to our young Indian guns for a wonderful performance in winning this inaugral 20/20 TT World Cup. Bad luck to our Pakistani brothers but unfortunately, only one team can win. However, both Pakistan & India have shown what cricketing talent we have in Asia. Well done both teams!!!

Excellent Quotes Guy. Well Played India and Pakistan......Will be in the memories of years. After the world cup debacle.....This was much needed for both the teams.

Congrates player of both the teams. Showed great deal of respect for each other.

And absolutely, The cup should stay in Asia Or make sure it doesn't go to Australia.....Double contrates for both teams for not letting australia win.

Amazing recovery from both Pak and India. Excellent captaincy from both Malik and Dhoni. World cricket needs teams like this.. come on.. Let us (Pak and India) build on this and rule the cricket world for years to come..

Great Final. Typical India/Pakistan game. Don't know till the end who will previal. Feel sorry for Misbah but Pakistan has done really well considering their situation earlier this year. Very disappointed personally...but I am glad that Pakistanis fought till the end considering they were 107 for 7. Misbah should've been the player of the tournament or maybe Yuvraj.

For the sake or world cricket, some team other than Australia needed to win it. An India Pakistan final was simply great to have. These young teams have played superbly.

A refeshing win by a young team. It is quite obvious that both the teams were totally let down by the dinosaurs that refused to move on, when needed most, in the other world cup. Perhaps this team would have won even.....

We lost it when we came nearest it win it. An exhilirating final and thumbs up to both sides for providing great entertainment throughout!.

Although it's going to take me forever to get over this defeat, but well done Pakistan. On a different note, I want Malik to keep religion out of his post match comments. As a Muslim I was praying throughout the game for Pakistan's success, however, to bring it up in post match conference is not the right thing in my opinion. When you say, "First of all I'd like to thank people back home and the Muslims around the world." then what about all the non-Muslims who were supporting Pakistan? He looks like a great captain, but just needs to pick his words wisely. Go PAKISTAN!

India rules!!!

Pakistan has never one a match in World Cup against India. That tells about the pressure and holding nerves.

And whats up with Shoaib Malik in his speech. Thanks to Muslims all around the world?? Is he kidding me?

Please don't give more reasons to hate Pakistan.

Manish

Congratulation India and well played pakistan, i must say the match was played with great sports manship it didnt matter if pakistan lost today i always wanted to see if you go down...go down fighting Well Played Pakistan A deserving victory India!! We'll be back!!

what a game!!
A great final i have ever seen.Both team played well.Lots of ups and downs for both team thro' out this final.But at last it was india.

Rightly put Mr.Abbasi. I think that today we proved that India and Pakistan do play with a lot more passion than even the Ashes rivals and accept the result with the same equmanity

I'm so dissappointed! India's media kept on saying that india will win... but I was looking at it from crickets point of view... Pakistan team was well equiped but I'm gonna officially call it a curse on Pakistan neevr beating india!!! Well i will also give it a name.. the Curse of Shastri... Cheers

Misbah for President! You have won over yet another Indian Fan..Its Inzi's calm all over again.

Looking at the failure of the top order, Afridi's services should have utilized more often as an opening batsman in this form of the game. He makes 30 plus opening in the previous game and now at crunch time, he is coming down the order and playing under pressure.

Oh I see. Controlled comments on the blog.

Not good for world. Not good for democracy. You should know this by now or are you now used to Musharaafs of the world.

Manish

Thank you Mr. Abbasi on this piece. The game has really been the greatest winner this being the inaugural tournament. I hope this outcome goes a long way to healing the pain caused by a poor 50-over world cup and speaks a lot about the talent inherent within both countries. Well played India and Pakistan!! Couldn't have been better!

cricket's the winner and the greatest rivalry is between india and pakistan...what's good to see is the rivalry is mature...defeat for any team is not and shud not be construed to be the end of the world.As for the match I feel Gambhir shud've the MOM for he nearly scored half of india's score and if not for him pathan wouldn't have had a chance to get those wickets.

I am an Indian and i want to say this is the best Pakistan team i have seen in the last decade i have followed the Team for about 3 decades but never saw the Team Sprit that Malik has managed to bring about. I believe i has some thing to do with no having some of your senior players around.

Of Course India are the winners and to win a World cup should be one of the proudest moments for any Indian cricket fan. And to Beat SA , AUS and PAK (twice) is a dream come true.

Chak De India!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rightly said Mr. Abbasi. No one could have scripted it better. Excellent game of cricket. Pakistan bowled well throughout the torunament and India batted well. Umar Gul could have been given the Player of the Torunament. Having said that, Afridi also done his bit with fielding and inspiring younger players apart from bowling well.

From India's point of view, Rohit Sharma played two crucial innings under pressure. He is a find of the series for India one has to say like Tanweer for Pak.

The tournament is conducted beautifully and it's huge huge success after the failure of World Cup in West Indies.

People start watching cricket again in India. Well done India. Well done Dhoni.

Congrats to both the teams.
If only we had a united Team.
Good luck to both the teams.
Cheers

In this time of victory for India, and as we celebrate the victory here in Bangalore, my heart goes out to Misbah. What a player! with 24 balls to go and 47 to get, to hit five sixes and narrow down the difference to 6 off four balls - for me, he will always be a hero. Well played, Misbah!

awesome match....very very tight finish....a wonderful way to end a wonderful world cup...n didnt we need this after that lousy one early this yr! pakistan played really well n for a long time i thot we wud lose...but thank god for the paddle shot!! :) btw, i agree with maher on the choice of afridi...gul was way better...as was rp singh...or even yuvraj or misbah...to me, afridi lost the match for pak...when he came in, it wud hv been easy to win had he stayed at the wicket....but no..."this is my playing style"...lets see how long he can keep hiding behind the same excuse! n how long can pak afford to play him as a specialist spinner!

Good team spirit by Indian team. All round performance by youngster and good captaincy

Mr. Abbasi great to read your comments, always, even more today. This T20 final clearly shows what India-Pak bring to the game of cricket - No other country follows cricket with the fanaticism that we do. I have seldom seen a game of cricket with so many ups-downs. In the end it was left to Misbah again ... but I think the clear thinking and fearless cricket professed by Dhoni showed the power of these traits - imagine a replacement with a guy debuting in WC final asked to open ? Putting faith in Joginder again and again ...The game of cricket won for sure - and India the deserving winner of the trophy ...

Irrespective of the result ,it was a victory for cricket,and for the cricket lovers and players of both the nations who have suffered a lot since the early exit in the world cup earlier this year.
Both teams are brimming with talent and we got a glimpse of the future stars of both the nations.
Sohail tanvir was the find for pakistan and Rohit sharma was the find for India.
Both the team played fearless cricket .
The indiam team fielded brilliantly and were led well by Dhoni.
Pakistan also played and fought brilliantly.
The pakistani team is due to visit India this november and we should witness more of this exhilarating contest played with good intent of frienship.
Kudos to both the team .

What a final and tournament this was!! Definitely made up for the World Cup earlier this year. There should be more twenty20 cricket judjing by the success of this tournament. Well played to Mishbah Ul Haq and Shahid Afridi. Afridi is finally proving why he was selected 11 years ago.. a bowler who can bat a bit. India was by far the superior team in this tournament. Deserved winners. I predict them to win the next world cup in 2011, inshallah.

Excellent piece. Cricket won today.It was great for the sub continent after being second best in the last 3 world cups.Congratulations to both the teams and to their respective captains for one of the most exciting finals ever seen.You can bet that twenty twenty is here to stay.

Well played India and Pakisthan.Hats off to Indian Team.This is occasion to remember for years to come.We miss you Sachin( Greatest batsman to play cricket on this planet).Once again congrates to Indian Team.Guyz best of luck.

Thanks to both teams for a great final. India held their nerve better and have kept their record in big matches against Pakistan intact. Chak De India!!!

Imran Khan made a very important statement today when he said that Test Cricket requires three things of a batsman:- Talent, Technique and Temperament. He said that the shorter the game, the more the emphasis on talent, and the less important the other two. He therefore concluded that the sub-continent had the most talent and therefore ruled at the T20s.

Both Pakistan and India were able to play their best teams today, unburdened by aging legs, and overweight egos.

I'm betting that this T20 sees major changes in both teams, with less emphasis on hype and more emphasis on the sheer hunger for victory.

What we saw from Misbah, Yuvraj, Gul and Sreesanth was raw energy, and a screaming desire for a win for the team.

I think the players who put "I" first, will soon go the way of the dinosaurs.

What a game of cricket that was! Total "paisa wasool" stuff. Simply brilliant. If India vs Pak final was a dream come true for millions of subcontinent cricket fans, India lifting the trophy was icing on the cake for every Indian. The Pakistan team would be proud of their effort which in no way was inferior to those of their Indian counterparts. As rightly said by Sunny and Ramiz that it was the victory of cricket, it's unfortunate that there can be only be one winner, even after the exhibition of such a superior level of cricket all throughout the tournament.
Well played guys.

Pakistan should hav won but well done anyway great come bak by pakistan wel batted misbah ul haq and dose HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sixes by sohail tanvir he should be pakistans opener.got to giv credit to umar gul well bowled.

First of all congrats for a great final. ONLY Paksitan has the guts of coming back from nowhere to almost win a match. On this day, the better team won. Pakistan batsmen should take a clue from Misbah and they could be a great unbeatable side. India on the other hand, should be prod of themselves but sould not be overconfident as tough Australia home series lies ahead. Australia are champions because they are best test cricket playing side out there.

While 20-20 is a great entertainment it by no means compare to the quality of Test Cricket and 50 over game.

My Man of the series should be Misbah as he has had several megatons of pressure on him to perform and performed to perfection and almost landed Pakistan their 1st 20-20 Cup.

Lets not talk about if's and but's. Lets not dwell into why's and why not's. Lets not focus on win and loss. Lets not apologize for defeat and become over-proud in victory. Lets just sit back and enjoy - for something had to give in. Eventually its the sheer agression on the field that has won it for both teams.

The final couldn't be scripted any better...what a showdown at the end of the day. This is what the cricket fans were craving for the longest time. Finally, we have an answer to Australia's reign and there are only teams in the world who are capable of putting an end to that reign. I am really proud of the effort that the Pakistani team put into the entire tournament but on the same token I strongly believe that India deserved to win the title as their performance was far more consistent than Pakistan and largely because Pakistan didn't play to their full potential in 3 games i.e. vs Scotland, Bangladesh and the tie against India which was could have been a walk in the park. In the end, nothing to sweat over as this is where the new era of Pakistani cricket will start and I am hoping that the nation will welcome our Pakistani youngsters with a warm reception!

What a game!! What a thriller!! Atlast a world cup final with thrills in it. Congratulations to both Pakistan and India..India especially as no one thought they would reach here..and the men in blue did it..It was do or die after the NZ game and they did the best by winning the world cup..Great going India..

Congratulations to the both teams to give such an exciting two matches. People from both countries should Enjoy this wonderful sport. Also, today truly real winner was cricket.

Yes, you hit the nail right on the head. Sure Pakistan lost and India won but they gave the fans all over the world a truly great match, one that both the teams should be proud of. No one deserved to lose not the least Misbah Ul Haq who won everyone's heart with a valiant knock. I think both Pakistan and India has plenty to gain from this, young cricketers on both sides performed admirably throughout and that augurs well for both the countries in the future.

Definitely a special day for cricket!

Two Asian giants battling it out in the final was an encounter this sport was dying for. Hats off to India, a brilliant display of teamwork and energy through out the tournament. They rightly deserved the victory.

I would also like to say that Pakistani fans deserved this performance by their team. After a horrid outing from the world cup, this tournament has been a refreshing reminder that our team still has what it takes. Sure they lost to the arch nemesis, but they didn't go down without that "jazba" we all know about.

I probably speak for all of us fans when I say that after the Oval fiasco, the Woolmer tragedy, and all that has happened in between, Pakistan you little beauty!

Don't have any regrets. Never will.

Great Game. The match was lost when Younis Khan played a maiden over and then got Nazir run out knowing he was struggling with a hamstring pull. Misbah pulled it out of nowhere and made it close. One of the reasons why you select seniors to play in such matches is for their ability to think on their feet! Younis Khan who had a flippant disregard for not only his own strike rate but that of Imran Nazir as well. Why risk a run-out when Nazir was hitting so beautifully?

Second, it was idiotic to continue (yet again) to experiment with Akmal up the order (BTW, tournament finals are not a place for experiments). I will go one step further to say that it is time to stop experimenting all together with Akmal and go with another keeper.

Finally Shoaib Malik needs some coaching on post match comments.

Mr. Abbassi,

An appropriate column for an appropriate moment. Both Ind and Pak are young, "new look" teams, but have gone a long way in showing us the future with out the "greats" -- Sachin, Saurav, Rahul, Inzi, Yousuf, Shoaib. Today might mark the changing of an era for both sides.

This match, and indeed all the matches played by Ind and Pak in this tourney, have been a great advertisement for cricket. It has been a welcome return to a competitive game, despite the presence of the Aussies who looked mortal here. Excitement galore, new talent discovered (Rohit Sharma, Misbah, Sohail) and a promise of a bright future for both teams. Bravo India! Bravo Pakistan!!

As good a player as Misbah is, does he suffer a bit from the South African Choke syndrome? Its twice in two matches that he has failed to cross the finish line while well in sight. But that is more than can be said of his fellow batsmen. Good job Misbah!

Very well said. Both teams were almost comparable. I am surprised at the decision of Afridi as Player of Tournament. Gul Deserved it then any one else. This brings some better and younger players to forefront in both India and Pakistan teams.

Wow what a match !!! The game had everything. Pressure of the final was evident on the players faces from the start. But the way both the teams played was mind blowing. The game was played with good sporting spirit was also good to watch. In the end it's not only India's victory. Cricket as a whole won.

for me Pak won the hearts by the way they played. dont forget it was a disastrous year for them, early exit, death of their coach, but to come out of it in sucha way is really out of the box.

the Pakistan cricket board should keep this team, and groom them, Shoaib is a real good captain with cool head sans attitude, and we hope Pak will do good in d future.

Hats off to India as well they really played their best. Congrats!

looking forward to indo-pak series.

Congratulations India!!! And well played to Pakistan too. What a Finale!!! two of the most under-rated teams slugged it out in a battle of nerves at the Bull Ring. No better advert for cricket...the real winner. Congrats India and Dhoni for winning without a coach. We need younger brigade now. Its time for the youth to fire and show all their 'josh' and get rid of the old baggage

Good Article Mr. Abbasi. It was great to see Indian comeback with all of their victories being win it or get out. Sort of Australia in 1999 World Cup [have to specify, the 50 over format :)] Oh wait, wasn't Pakistan present in the finals there? Oh yeah they were, and they lost again :D
Jokes apart, this is what the cricket world wanted to see. After disastrous performance in the earlier World Cup, both teams proved that they can match and better the best of other teams. Here's a toast for many more India-Pakistan finals in the future.

amazing!!!!!!!!!!!u can't ask more than that??Two teams head on till the last over and india winning the cup.Pakistan really bowled well esp Gul.he is been bowling great in this series.Also the captaincy of Dhoni,he backed his boys well.
WELL DONE INDIA AND PAKISTAN FOR THIS WONDERFULL FINAL

Hi Kamran,

It was an electrifying final as you would expect from an India/Pak game. What a match!!. Both teams played excellent cricket today. Hats off to both the teams for making it to the finals after the most humiliating exit from the world cup earlier this year. I think the best thing that came out of this 20/20 tournament is the fact they there were no "Star" players in both the teams. Do we need them? Nah!

Pakistan should hav won but well done anyway great come bak by pakistan wel batted misbah ul haq and dose HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sixes by sohail tanvir he should be pakistans opener.got to giv credit to umar gul well bowled.

Congratulations to Indian Young Team. Keep it up.

You are right!! its a great honor to bring the WC to the subcontinent and the best part was both the teams made it to the finals by beating the world champs Aussies.. that puts a stamp of authority on their performance.. Congratulations to Dhoni's team for upsetting the pak team with such a strong bowling line up.. Lots of positives for both sides.. Hope India youth can replicate the success in the 50 over version.. Oh just to add .. Pak should have sent afride top of the order.. he has always done well opening the batting against india... Kudos to T20

This match had an eerie resemblance to the Ind-Pak match of 1986, it was a final, Pak had lost 9 wickets and the bowler was even a ‘Sharma’ to complete the effect. I was scared till the last moment.

This has been a hell of a match and I think the fans cannot really complain.

Triumph of young men in the 20/20 format of Cricket

The game has ended with a resounding victory for Cricket and what a thriller it has been.

Both India and Pakistan played some great cricket and this will help the development of the sport in the sub-continent and the rest of the world.

Three cheers for India on their victory and SHABASH to Pakistan for a great fight back.

Both the teams are young and led by ambitious young men like Dhoni (India) and Shoaib (Pakistan) and they led from the front. The atmosphere was electric and the inspiration of these two captains kept the players in the contest.

20/20 is an exciting format and will go a long way in making the game of cricket popular through out the world.

One must congratulate the South African's for organizing a wonderful tournament.

Great Game! Loads of respect for Misbah. I think PCB and Pakistan would do well to give the team and Misbah some awards, they did a wonderful job. I think Misbah should become a regular in the team now. I didn't mind losing the game. It would have hurt more if we lost by a big margin. It was a beautiful game through and through. Congrats to all the players. They played well throughout!

Well I am an Indian and I must admit that this Pakistan team rocks !! Actually there was no winner or loser. Pakistan was one stroke away from victory. Thats all that seperated the two teams - one stroke. People, please support your team. This team is meant for bigger things just as our Dhoni and co is. Is this the revival of the Sub Continent in the cricketing world ! Well done once again.

Well I am an Indian and I must admit that this Pakistan team rocks !! Actually there was no winner or loser. Pakistan was one stroke away from victory. Thats all that seperated the two teams - one stroke. People, please support your team. This team is meant for bigger things just as our Dhoni and co is. Is this the revival of the Sub Continent in the cricketing world ! Well done once again.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN, YOU BOTH HAVE PLAY VERY GOOD CRICKET. ALL THE WORLD ENJOY THE MATCH INDIA VS. PAKISTAN

the two teams deserver the cup equaly. it shows that australia can be beaten. the 50 over world cups australia were making it boring. now the sub continent teams are showing that anything is possible. congrats to india and pakistan, lets not for get srilanka and my love bangladesh. bangladesh are young team and something for the future. india under dhoni was superb. pakistan under malik and good batting by misbah was very good. i hope this are the stepping stones for the sub-continent teams to show that playing positive cricket will always win games. so congrets to all the teams in T20. like the part where shah rukh khan was shown... jetaga bhai jetage, sub-continent teams jetega...

Congrats to Pakistan and India. As an Indian fan, I wanted India to win but as a fan of cricket, I wanted the better team to win. India were better but only by a whisker. It was a thrilling game to watch and congratulations to both the teams for giving us spectators such a treat!

Well said Kamran! I fully agree that the game of cricket won and it was really heartening to see subcontinent teams put team before self. I hate to say it, but India seemed to be doing better without the likes of Rahul, Sachin & Sourav in the team. So, the future is not as bleak as I thought it would be! Maybe it's time to blood more youngsters in the coming matches, especially the one-dayers. The above three-mentioned stars have earned their place in the Test Matches, but I think ODIs need younger & fresher legs, so they should be asked to only make themselves available for Test Matches.
As regards Pakistan, I really liked Misbah-ul-Haq. I always knew Shoaib Malik as a class player, but Misbah was a revelation. Pity, he's coming good towards the end of his career. With Mohd. Yousuf out, Pakistan could really have liked this man to control the middle order. I must say Shahid Afridi needs to start putting his hand up and guide his team to victory. Especially when he's the senior most member of the team! He's got the talent, but we need to see results now.

All in all, a great tournament and more so, because it brought some wonderful matches. India vs Australia and India vs Pakistan will live in our memory for a long time!

Cheers Dhoni & Shoaib!!!

Many years back, to be precise April 18th 1986, i saw Javed Miandad wallop Chetan Sharma over the ropes for an improbable win in an Australasia Cup final at Sharjah. It was heartbreaking and all these years i carried this sad thought. I guess today Indian team redeemed itself and i cant express my happiness over this win. But to be honest, Pakistan were brilliant. Cliched it may sound, cut in the end CRICKET was a winner.

Well said Mr. Abbasi. I think pakistan has more to say in the coming series. Hats off to Mr. Lawson for playing such a low key and I feel that his arrival has done more good than chappell´s 2 year stint in India

I heartfully congratulate both India & Pakistan for providing us a very exciting finish to T20 WC, you folks have made the nation extremely proud, GOD bless you all...Ameen

First of all we have got a fantastic game of cricket no matter who wins, i think the way both India and Pakistan were playing was terrific it was the game of nerves who ever can hold there nervs would won the game and in the end the better team comes out as a winner but i am not taking any thing away from Pakistan and Misbah Ul haq they bowled well they feilded well but in the end its not the bowling which let pakistan down once again. It was not that big of a target but again poor shot selection, throwing their wickets away unlike they did all along the tournament. But in the end it was good game and well played both teams.

Great match. Goodluck to Pakistan team. You did play really well. Someone of the two best teams has to win. India won but in my view pakistan won too. Two best teams of Asia won. Both the teams have defeated Australia, so called world champions. Misbah, you have played well. Afridi, I am disappointed with your batting. Umar, you did very well, Keep it up

Congratulations team India. You have done well. YOu have proved that team india can win without the senior players. Everyone played well. I am happy that Irfan did prove himself and proved everyone wrong. RP you have done well. Team India needs few more Rohit Sharma's. Ajit Agarkar should take rest.

Good win for Team india. Chak De India

Spot on Mr Abbasi. Cricket was the winner. But losing to India does hurt espeically in a final. Pakistan through the game away with brainless shots. India won it when it met the most.

woooooo.... what a rush!

India vs Pakistan! How big is that??? There is nothing on this Gods green earth that can beat a India Pakistan game. We win some, we loose some but the adreline it generates.. truly breath taking. First match between us and pak was a tie and to produce such a thriller at a Final of a showpiece event was simply amazing. I cannot remember a single final which was as competetive as was this Final. Three cheers to both the teams for putting up such a magnificent show!

Can you imagine the cricket world without India and Pakistan, How boring would that be???? Are these the two teams who were out of the ODI world cup this year in the first round? No wonder that world cup was so boring??

Even though we won today I belive if there was any team that could have beaten us that would be pakistan and only team that can beat pakistan would be India. Thats how good these two teams were... simply superb! best in the world....

Did somebody say Australia??? World Champs!!! Both India and Pakistan beat them in this world cup lolz... hehehehehe......

kudos to India and Pakistan... Let the good work continue and always may the better team on that day win.

- Roshan

The first time I have felt so proud and grace in our defeat. Well done boys!! We are young team, and lot of players seem to have come forward as strong characters in this tournament. In the end, one team had to win, and very aptly it was just by a whisker. Not sure, why Afridi got the man of tournament. Gul or Misbah were far more consistent and had impact.

Well played India and Pakistan! This was an icing on the cake; a tournament like this deserved such a sensational final and both the teams played out of their skins. I haven't seen such a final before in any ICC Tournament. I agree with Rameez Raja that though India was the winner on the field, cricket was the real winner. Indians would get a dream reception back home and I expect that for Pakistan as well who have played exceptionally well throughout the tournament. Misbah should have been declared the Player of the Tournament for his consistent batting under pressure. Cricket is nothing without Pakistan and India!

Great game, fitting end to the tournament.
My only grouse is, why does Malik have to drag religion and Muslims all over the world into this, just enjoy the game. Hopefully now that Inzi is gone, the others will tone it down. I am sure non-Muslims in Pakistan would be rooting for their team too.

COngratulations to the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams for a great tournament. It was wonderful to see these two teams under new captains and a host of young players compete so well.

Hi,

First of all great match. Super stuff. Mind prevailed over heart.

Pakistan cannot simply bat!!. I mean this was 20-20 where you will still expect them to perform. I wonder what they are gonna do in longer versions.

Everybody thinks India's bowling is weak almost non existent but hello though it is really not great it has started becoming efficient of late. Particularily since when they kicked out Ajit Agarkar out of the side. I am sure at this moment we have an overall better team than Pakistan particularily for longer versions where Pakistan hardly have any batsmen. I mean people like Shoaib Mailik,Imran Nazir,Afridi etc are stil okay for 50 0vers match but Test Matches!!.They are gonna miss Inzy and Youhanna for sure in long run. Also the so called great Pakistani bowling line up is consistently great only when they have to bowl for shorter durations. They would find it hard to be that consistent in longer versions of the game.

For me if there was any gain for Pakistan it was Umar Gul. He had become very potent and completely outshone Mohammed Asif.For Misbah Ul Haq the success has come too late and he himslelf screwed it a bit for himself by scooping the dolly to Sreesanth. I am not too impressed with Malik's captaincy particluarily after he stated that he didnot know about the bowl out rule. Also he has yet to be tested under pressure situations. I think Younis Khan will make a better capatain though he is not interested in the job. IMHO Haq should have been the man of the series and not Afridi.Dont tell Imran Nazir is gonna get better than this. Tanveer looks good but pretty soon his wrong footed action would be sorted out and at his pace he will a easier meat and drink for batsmen worldwide. Afridi is much more mature as a bowler but his batting seems to have taken a beating. So while Pakistan gained in bowling nothing much to show in batting really. Pakistan needs to find batsmen of true class and apart for Mohd Yousuf and to a slight extent Younis Khan they have none in store for the future assuming Inzy's carreer is over.

For India there were mutiple gains. Rohit Sharma to begin with. That guy has been in all my superselector teams since the game against England.This guy along with Manoj Tiwari and Cheteshwar Pujara are in line to succeed India's trinity of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid.
RP Singh was sensational and Irfan Pathan had a terrific comback. Gautam Gambhir also looks a bit more mature. Bhajji and Sreesanth were okay and not so great. Most importantly the fielding was truly sensational which made things happen. But most importantly the biggest plus point has been Dhoni. Just compare the body language of Dhoni and Malik immediately before the bowl out in Durban and you will see what I mean. Also while Malik desgined the great tactic of keeping Gul for the end but Dhoni comes up on trumps in this regard also with real time situation decisions like having to choose between R.P Singh and Joginder Sharma to bowl the penultimate over and then deciding to go for RP Singh inspite of the risk of keeping Jogi for last over. But it was critical because a bad penultimate over from Jogi could have killed the game there and then.Also how he ringed in the bowling changes with a generally mediocre bowling attack was also sensational. Then smart decision to play Yousuf Pathan up the order because he could not have done much anyways lower down the order. Also he played 3 splendid innings in Durban (difficult batting conditions) particularily the one against South Africa. Malik probably would not have been able to do the same consistently. .Anyways Malik did good job in Wanderers with bat exception being the finals.

I am not trying to downplay Pakistan here. it is just their stupid obsession with only strong bowling and adhoc batting (batting can go to hell) irritates me in the same way India's even stupidier obsession with Batting irritates me.Bowling wins matches but it is the batsmen who set it up.

Had India had Pakistan's bowling line-up and Pakistan had India's batting line up both of them would have been truly outstanding in modern cricket. Balance is the key here.

Sorry for long post but I hope you post it. Not reject it simply because it is from an Indian.

Also one final word on religion: Religion is a great thing but dont involve it with sports. I mean Shoaib Malik thanked Muslims all over the world. Was he thanking Irfan and Yousuf Pathan as well ?? ALso look of Pakistani supporters were hoping for a World Cup Truimph similar to the one in 92' simply because it is Ramadan. Well is this logical?? I mean look at the 92 team: Sohail, Ejaz, Inzy,Malik,Akram,Mushy,Aaqib,Javed Miandad and above all the one and only Imran Khan!!. I watched the cup and I feel that team was really great. It may have too do with the fact that Imran is a personal favorite while I rate Javed Miandad as a batsmen with one of best brains which is something most new age Pakistan Batsmen lack.And of course I adored Akram always.They won because of cricket they played not because it was the holy month of Ramadan at that time.

Regards.
Ruchit.

Totally agree with you..a fitting finale indeed...couldn't have asked for anything better! It's days like this when one really feels proud to be associated with this game, be it as a player or as a mere fan!!! Congrats to India and well played Pakistan!!! Three cheers to the sub-continent!!!

So close yet so far, Misbah tried to be a little too cute but none teh less it was he who made a match out of nothing. The way he paced his innings, taking singles initially and then boom boom, perfectly.
Imran Nazir was playing wonderfully and a "senior player" knowing that he is not fit to take sharp singles but he tries a stupid single and Imran's gone. Prior to that our talented "Senior Player" , who rejected captaincy after enjoying vice captaincy for two and a half year, played a maiden over off Sreesanth who returned the figures of 44 runs/1wicket in 4 Ovs with 1 maiden effectively 44 runs in 3 overs.
Younis Khan is a confused individual, he doesn't knwo what type of cricket he sould play and our selectors are even more confused, three years ago he wasn't eligible to play 50 ovs cricket and now he was hhere in 20/20.
Can't say anything about Afridi he's a senior player but he hasn't taken his game to another level.He has to become a player on whom team can rely on in pressure situation.
Sohail Tanvir's real test would be in the Test series against SA which will show what's the kid made of.
Rohit Sharma's late burst was the key for me as I was predicting a score of 145-150 after the 17th over (25-30 Ovs in last 3).
I may have got a bit carried away wit Younis but he's a disappointment in the whole tournament along with Salman Butt.
All in all,a very good,hard fought cricket match in which the team that kept it's nerves eventually won.
Geoff Lawson seems to be crying while giving an interview after the macth, shows the individual's dedication towards his profession. Shoaib Malik's coming good in captaicy now.
We still need M.YOUSUF in the team.
I have a firm belief that our nation will give them a fair welcom if not a heroics welcome thus proving that we become blind in flow of emotions. Our team plays good cricket we hail them and Vice-Versa.

A great triumph for cricket in South Asia. There's obviously an abundance of young talent in the sub-continent and we saw it rise to the fore over the course of this tournament.

No insult intended to the senior cricketers in India and Pakistan..but I think that the best thing that could have happened to both countries was the non-selection and/or non-participation of the veterans. We can now start to get excited again after the World Cup debacle.

Agree wholeheartedly with Mr Abbasi! Kudos to both the teams on providing the best ever final in a cricket tournament!Young India and Young Pakistan have announced their arrival to the other teams of the world.Australia..Your time may well have gone...

Great game by both the teams. The only thing that bothered me was Shoaib Malik's comment at the end where he thanked all the Muslims of the world. There's no need to mix religion with sport. Surely there would be non-Muslims too supporting them, especially when they beat Australia

Is it just me or someone else think that umpire refused runner?

Great final ! Pakistan played well .. the luck wasnt thee for them .They fought hard Misbah-ul-Haq and Sohail Tanveer are the future of Pakistan cricket nd Our team was down and out but Misbah nd Sohail made us proud .Our team should be given a warm reception on their arrival

Congrats to the Indian team.But Pakistan team was simply awesome,especially their bowlers.With the kind of talent hey have in bowling,there is no way they can't be among the top two teams in the world.India has some way to go in the bowling dept.But players like Gambhir,Yuvi,Dhoni,Rohit,RP,Sresanth,Irfan,Kartik etc are just not afraid to lose.They match the Pakistanis in agrression and killer instinct.

Very true, Kamran! Both our teams went out rather ignominously in the world cup. So this has been a tremendous vindication of subcontinental cricket. And, as it turned out, both teams played valiantly. My congratulations to both teams for a tremendous performance and tournament.

Had Pakistan won the final, I would have written something else, may be something in their favor. But after this loss, I would ask my favorite player Shahid Afridi to learn something from the calm of Misbah. Had Afridi gauged the situation and played sensibly, they both would have helped Pakistan beat India. He tries to hit out at bowlers a bit too early whereas if he sets in then he can be very dangerous. May be he will learn something after this defeat.

Very very well played pakistan team,u made us proud and u deserve a warm welcome on arrival, Proud to be a Pakistani

chokers... choked in the end... im very disappointed...

Great tournament and fitting ending. Would have been nicer if Pakistan was on the winning end being a Paksitani. But Indians played great cricket. Young team energetic close knit no big heroes and no big ego's.

Have to give 10 out of 10 marks to Pakistan team. Malik's wonderful captaincy and humbleness played major role in success. When was the last time you saw a captain apologizing to the nation after losing and even after performing so well through out the tournament with this young team. Misbah really earned my respect cool and calm and clinical i wish he learns how to finish it off in the future to be with the greats like Steve Waugh, Javed, Etc and not to be named choker.
Bowling everyone did well Gul, Tanvir, Asif and everyone. Teams looks different outfit with Shoaib not in team without the inflated egos.

Though i wish Result was different but cricket was the winner in the game.

I'm glad for Pakistan to have put behind Shoaib's incident behind and all other issues and played like a team with no bad baggage.They've had many great stars in the past, now is the time to fit into the groove.India and Pakistan deserve the position as 1 and 2 in this tournament after the debacle in the world cup. Finally the game won.

A memorable final one can say. Rightly said Mr. Kamran, Its Cricket that won today, or we may proudly say, Its Sub-Continent Cricket that won today.

This tournament will not-only boost the moral of both the teams' players, but also will bring a new ray of hope in the fans of Sub-Continent. Congratulations India for such a great performance & Congrats Pakistan for fighting like a team till the end.

Hats off to this sport, in the end it did not matter who won this competition, the cake was already there with India vs Pakistant Grand Finale, winning it would me the iceing on the top! Excellent cricket by India and Pakistan, no one could have scripted it better!

I have to point out that India's victory was alomst Australian for its precision and manner. 'Cometh the hour, cometh the man' is very much how Australia have been the winning team of the last 2 decades. In this tournament, India had different heroes in each game, with Uthappa starting it off, RP singh, Harbhajan, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Gambhir, Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth all starring in at least one game. As a team, India are the biggest winners, as this group played like the team we only dream of.

Nice article and I like the way both teams played throughout the tournament. For me both India and Pakistan are winners of this tournament. Coming from World Cup defeat and being under dogs all along that's one nice show from both teams. Captains held their nerve and their teams showed 100% commitment and dedication. If the winning target was over 10 I would say India won it but the last over showed us why this match is so important for both teams (not countries) playing without their so called seniors. Best of luck Pakistan and well done India. It's one hell of a show both teams proved that there is fire in sub continent and it's going to be really fun watching Australia and so called Masters of Twenty20 (England) getting out of tournaments in group stage in future tournaments.

It's all very well to dish out joint praise to both India and Pakistan. But the point is, India won because they played to a plan and stuck to the plan. Pakistan appeared to hinge on a fair bit of individual effort. What distinguishes this Indian team from others is that no one player is the fulcrum. Sehwag can't play? Gambhir will do it. Get Yuvraj and Dhoni out? Others will take their place. This is the difference between India and Pakistan. The team plays as a team and the whole is much, much greater than the sum of the parts.

And this is the lesson that both Pakistan and India have to learn, going forward.

It's all very well to dish out joint praise to both India and Pakistan. But the point is, India won because they played to a plan and stuck to the plan. Pakistan appeared to hinge on a fair bit of individual effort. What distinguishes this Indian team from others is that no one player is the fulcrum. Sehwag can't play? Gambhir will do it. Get Yuvraj and Dhoni out? Others will take their place. This is the difference between India and Pakistan. The team plays as a team and the whole is much, much greater than the sum of the parts.

And this is the lesson that both Pakistan and India have to learn, going forward.

Good comments fully agree. However, the only thing which was bit sad was the racklessness of few batsman soecially younis khan and the decission to send kamran ahead of misbah and afridi cost us the match. we should take defats gracefully but the hunger to win should not die every defeat should pain the team and five out five hats off to idian team. this time even ramadan prayers could not help us need more efforts i guess.

Well said good Sir! I think victory starved fans in the sub-continent put a lot of importance on the result and miss out on recognizing the effort put in by the players. I think both teams played some exhilarating cricket and should be lauded for providing such high quality entertainment.

I would also like to censure both the captains ever so gently: Malik had no reason to say what he said at the presentation ceremony (explicit apologies to Muslims around the world!), and Dhoni and Co. should have invited Malik and Co to do a lap of honor with them; there is no shame in losing after such an effort.

Apart from this I think great comeback by these teams that were written off by Ian Chappel!

Well played!

Best,
Amrutansh

It was a superb match, and while as an India supporter I am happy at the outcome, Pakistan played brilliantly in this tournament and this is one of the cases where the "winner take all" formula seems a bit unfair: the honours were evenly split. A tie would have been a more accurate reflection of the performances of the teams (although then there would be the silly bowl-out business). Looking forward to the exploits of the younger generation of cricketers in the subcontinent for years to come and may our rivalry be restricted to cricket only. Watch out Australia!!

Being an Indian I'm obviously proud of the young team and their victory. That being said This final could have gone to Pakistan. Very Well Played Pakistan (and India). I was very sad When Malik apologised to his Fans and that they gave everything they had. Basing on what I see from these posts...I dont think he needed to apologise, so great are Pakisthani fans. They obviously saw how hard their team fought.

A word of caution to both teams, yes you did really really well in this tourney. But dont get carried away. Work even harder. If both teams keep up this intensity Australia will no longer be the world champion.

Funny how Pak captain thinks his team played for all the muslims in the world! I sure hope that is not the kind of message PCB wants to send or does it?

plz dont mistake me i am not a paki hater but shoiab malik is disgrace !!! why did he have spoil the whole mood by saying sorry to all muslim s of the world so where does tht leave his team mate danish kaneria in the equation pity !!!

After humiliating defeats in World Cup, India and Pakistan both came hard on other Teams in T20 WC and results are here!

Congrats Team India - Winners
Congrats Team Pakistan - Runners Up...

India will win...
Pakistan will win...
India will win...
Pakistan will win...
India on top again...
Pakistan must win...
India Won...!

These were the comments from all around me, what a game. Thanks to Dhoni Malik et al. for providing such entertainment.

Being from the Pak side of the fence, I cant beleive Misbah (who was excellent throughout) played that shot with five needed off 4 balls, surely Joginder would have served up another six ball being a part time bowler.

Enjoy India for Pakistan will take the honours next time.

east or west cricket is best and sport has won so as india

Pakistan had but nice fight and terrific performance by both

Jai hind

Well said Mr. Abbasi!

But I was expecting a comment on Malik's post-match comment "First of all I'd like to thank people back home and the Muslims around the world..." and failure of both Mr. Dhoni and Mr. Malik to congratulate each other?

Great game. Well played both sides - the sport was victorious.

I am glad that India has won a major tournament without, that too without some of their big guns.....

Please greet the Pakistani team as Heroes when they arrive back..they tried their best and it could have gone any way..

Well said Kamran. In the end, only cricket mattered, and no matter who won or lost, the other side just looked a little better. This big fanfare that India has won all it's encounters against Pakistan will end some day. Like Dhoni said, one cannot take the first win for granted. For sure, cricket is not all about luck, it involves spirit and sportsmanship.

hey all im an indian... but i still feel dat WE won de cup.. WE in de sense india and pak 2gther won de cup... cheers ppl well playd awwwsssuuummm matchh too gud cricket and hats off to misbah ul haq wat a dude... de way he kept his cool i tink he shud hav been de man of de match SerioUSly!!!

yeah great match though just one thing, what a stupid comment by shoaib malik about muslims all over the world supporting pakistan. No offense but why do pakistanis have to bring religion into everything. What does religion have to do with sport? Dont we have enough crazed bigots on either side? Irfan and Yusuf Pathan are muslims in the Indian team and Irfan was the Indian hero. That comment just left a bitter aftertaste in the mouth after a great performance by both teams.

Good show by both Pakistan and India. Definitely, the game of cricket won here.
There were many candidates worthy of the 'man of the match' award - Umar Gul, Pathan and G.Gambhir. But most of all, I would award it to Misbah for taking Pak so close to victory after they were 6 wickets down.

Yes, definitely a valiant effort. Misbah played wonderfully again and got us so close but what a shame couldn’t cross the line once again!!! After our bowlers had done a good job, the target was gettable but some silly shot selection by batsmen made an easy task look so difficult. Rub of the green definitely went with India. Pakistan at least took it to the wire. So, credit to them and congratulations to India. All those who had been talking about auspiciousness of this month including Shoaib Malik should realise it had nothing to do with cricket.

Well done Pakistan and India. Just got off the phone consoling my younger brother and I want to say to all my fellow cricket lovers. The real survivor is not the one who never loses, it's the one who gets up after being knocked down or the one who never gives up. We have lots of positives from the tournament, e.g.Misbah did a great hand, Gul has reached the next level and now is the time to back the young Pakistan side, if one point fingers or gets sad, the next time these 2 teams play, Pakistani boys will feel even more pressure and the will fear losing. Just give 100%,like they did and forget about result. By the way congrats to Malik and Lawson who were also very brave and forthcoming including dropping Butt(rightly so, the guy is misfit in ODIs, bad athelete) and playing Tanveer instead of Rao thru out,,,,Well done for backing the talent, be Bold.
Well, done Pakistan, for making all of us proud.Congrats to India!!

Very balanced comments. Both Pakistan and India have given this part of the sub-continent great entertainment. In the end one has to win and the other loose that should not take away anything from the looser. Both teams have come out winners especially after their quick exit from the World cup. Given the excitement this sub-continent generates for the love of this game it is just enough that both teams were the finalists.