INDIA--World Twenty20 Champions

Ten days earlier, India and Pakistan couldn't be separated in Durban. In front of a frenzied crowd at the Wanderers on Monday, they played out perhaps the best final ever seen in a major tournament. Once again, the ice-cool Misbah-ul-Haq threatened to drag Pakistan back from the brink, but the Indians just about held their nerve to clinch a five-run victory and the inaugural ICC World Twenty20.
The architects of the Indian triumph were the two left-armers, Rudra Pratap Singh and Irfan Pathan, both of whom scalped three wickets to scupper the chase. Singh struck in both his opening overs, having Mohammad Hafeez caught at slip and knocking Kamran Akmal's off stump out of the ground, but Imran Nazir played a blinder at the other end to keep his side ahead of the asking rate.

Two sixes and two fours came in Sreesanth's opening over, as Nazir cut and pulled with immense power. Sreesanth redeemed himself with a maiden to Younis Khan, but India still needed wickets as they sought to defend a middling total. The inspiration came from Robin Uthappa, whose unerring throw from mid-off to the keeper's end ended Nazir's blistering 14-ball 33.

Gambhir tried to break free of the shackles, and a massive six that thudded into the scoreboard at midwicket had the Indian fans dancing, but Gul's retribution was swift. An attempted flick-paddle went straight to Asif at short fine leg, and Gambhir's splendid innings was finally over.

Sharma had shone against South Africa in a crunch game, and he came to the fore again in the final two overs, taking Arafat for two fours before he lofted a slower ball from Tanvir in the direction of long-on. Hafeez got there, but could only tip the ball over the rope. On such incidents are matches between these two great rivals won and lost. On an enthralling afternoon at the Bullring though, there were no winners or losers, just a resounding success for a format that is undoubtedly here to stay.