The best part of Saturday’s final is that it’s the most keenly contested amongst the last four World Cup finals. That makes the triumph even sweeter for India. They played their best cricket when it mattered the most, and beat the best teams to win the Cup.

The national carrier Air India has decided to promote four of its employees, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, for winning the cricket World Cup.

Coming into the game, he was the only batsman from his team who was under pressure. By his standards, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had had a poor World Cup with the bat. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Playing a bowler, sidelined through the tournament, in the final was always going to be a risk. After playing the first match of the World Cup against Bangladesh, S Sreesanth was discarded by his team, and did not even look a part of it during the practice sessions. Sanjjeev Karan Samyal reports.

It is as if destiny has come knocking at Sachin Tendulkar's door. A World Cup in the subcontinent, the last of his career, his team is in the final on his home ground and he is one short of 100 international hundreds. Sanjjeev Karan Samyal writes.

After 48 matches, India and Sri Lanka are the last two standing. HT deconstructs the strengths and weaknesses of both.

India went to Mohali with great expectations. Even when they had got to the World Cup finals in 2003, they were not firm favourites, but this time, a billion people believed they had right of way to the finals. Sanjjeev Karan Samyal writes.

Afridi and Dhoni differ in approach but share the same hope. Atreyo Mukhopadhyay writes. History at the penultimate stage | Teams | They're saying

Indian coach Gary Kirsten has given specific instructions to his squad to help them raise their skill level and surmount the huge pressure of expectations in their bid to win the World Cup. HT takes a detailed look at the prominent points of Kirsten's dossier.

Most members pick themselves in the India XI, but there is a fight for the final bowling spot. In the fray are Munaf Patel, S Sreesanth and Ashish Nehra. Sanjjeev Karan Samyal reports.

On Tuesday, both Sri Lanka and New Zealand will be thanking themselves for having made “The Other” semifinal. Frankly, apart from people in Lanka and New Zealand, no one’s really concentrating on the first semifinal, which is probably to their advantage, writes Anil Kumble.

It's a dream semifinal, India against Pakistan in the World Cup, but people must not lose sight of the fact that it is only a semifinal. Javagal Srinath writes.

England’s spin bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmed, was in a jovial mood on Friday, imitating the bowling action of the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Bob Willis and Daniel Vettori at the nets. Amol Karhadkar reports.

A sea of people heading towards the stadium and erupting in waves of ecstasy inside it to celebrate each high point achieved by India against the fiercely competitive Australians - it was a test of nerves and character for the players. Atreyo Mukhopadhyay reports.

India have been reluctant to accept the Decision Review System (DRS) and their aversion to it reflects in their inability to use it to their advantage.