Aussie Media lauds Dhoni and Resurgent India !

"India are worhty world champions' declared the Aus media.

Dhoni's leadership and his magnificent performance in the WC final stole the
limelight from iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar !

"India defies history to win the WC in 28 years" said the Australian.

"Tthough it was not a fairytale finish but nonetheless India were the
deserved world champions. It was about two great South Asian teams giving
fans a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat one day final and a deserved triumph for
a cricketing nation which felt its time had come.It wasn't a fairytale
finish but for Mumbai and a nation still licking its wounds, it was more
than enough," the 'Australian' averred.

"Tendulkar might have been the name on everyone's lips but if ever there was
a sign that the Indian team has moved beyond its one-man juggernaut,
Saturday night's gritty victory was it.

"The team showed determination and discipline that surprised even the most
nationalist fans to snatch a victory every man in the team then dedicated to
their diminutive teammate playing in his sixth and final World Cup," it
said.

"The win bore little resemblance to the fairytale finish the Mumbai crowd
had been hoping for; one in which Sachin Tendulkar saw out his final World
Cup by hitting his hundredth century before his home town crowd."

Dhoni was described as an all conquering captain, who now rivalled Sachin in
popularity.

"The 29-year-old is already cricket's top earner after signing a record
two-year, $ 42 million contract last year to endorse whatever product
comes his way, and after Saturday night's remarkable home-ground win against
Sri Lanka, his marketability knows no bounds.

"With neither the Brahminical poise of hero-worshipped Sachin Tendulkar, the
joviality of Shahid Afridi, or the worldly eloquence of Kumar Sangakkara,
Dhoni is nonetheless the face of a new, harder-edged Indian team.

"It was Dhoni's innings of 91 not out, and his final game-winning six, that
made him the man of the match and sent a 33,000-capacity crowd at the
Wankhede Stadium into a frenzy," the newspaper said.

Highly experienced cricket writer, Peter Roebuck, writing for 'Sydney
Morning Herald'
praised Dhoni for his bold leadership.

"The day belonged to Dhoni. Like Jayawardene, his form had been scratchy but
he was able to put that behind him.

'Bold captain Dhoni India's hero of the day'. was Roebuck' headline in which
he wrote "Indeed he dared to push himself up the order"

"In the critical hour and despite modest returns, Dhoni dared to back
himself. That is leading from the front. Even in the toughest times, too, he
managed to convey composure.

Throughout, his players felt their captain remained on the bridge and the
situation was under control.

"Exuberant celebrations began the moment Dhoni clouted a drive into the
stands. It was a fitting end to an unexpectedly successful and mostly clean
tournament. Appropriately, the final was a superb contest full of twists and
turns and dominated not by power but by skill and temperament.

"No home side had won a World Cup before but India did not blink. Overall it
was a happy and entertaining occasion ... It was a fine World Cup, the best
for 25 years."

( The first ball of this WC was hit for a four by Sehwag and the last ball was hit for a six by Dhoni. This speaks volumes of Indian batting. Just imagine, a centurion, Y Pathan, has to sit out, because there is no slot for him in the Indian batting line up ! Imran used two words to define Indian batting - formidable and impregnable! ).