India erupts in frenzied celebration after World Cup semis win

Mohali/New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI) India erupted
into frenzied celebrations after Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men
beat arch-rivals Pakistan to reach the cricket World Cup final
with fans bursting firecrackers, distributing sweets and
dancing on the streets till the wee hours of the morning.
Fans across the country, who had been glued to their
television sets during the high-voltage encounter, poured on
to the streets and broke into wild celebrations moments after
India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in Mohali Wednesday night.
As Misbah-ul-Haq's shot landed in the safe hands of
Virat Kohli at long-on to signal the end of Pakistan innings,
ecstatic fans spilled into the roads, greeting each other and
dancing to the beats of drums, choking key street
intersections and thoroughfares.
Fans who were returning in trains from Mohali after
witnessing the historic victory, screamed their lungs out and
danced till the wee hours clad in their Team India jerseys.
Neither their excitement subside nor their energy
sapped as they shook their legs to numerous bollywood songs
and kept cheering, "Jeet gaya bhai Jeet gaya, India jeet
gaya".
In Delhi, fans who followed the action on big screens,
tiny television sets, radios, desktops and mobile phones, took
the streets, including the iconic India Gate at the stroke of
midnight and lit up the sky with firecrackers.
High fives were exchanged, friends and strangers
climbed into each other, breaking into a dance at the pounding
sound of the drums and the roaring theme of the World Cup
which streamed out of the car stereo sets.
A festive atmosphere prevailed in Mumbai, which will
host the final clash with Sri Lanka on Saturday, as also other
parts of the country. Cricket fans piled on jeeps and other
vehicles, waving the national flag and shouting slogans.
It was Diwali once again in Ranchi, the hometown of
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as hundreds of fans
assembled in front of his house, set off firecrackers and
distributed sweets.
Euphoric scenes were also seen at Behala locality in
south Kolkata, where former India skipper Sourav Ganguly
resides. Those watching the match on the streets on giant
screens, hugged each other and danced to the tune of 'Chakde!
India' and other Bollywood hit numbers.
At the start of the match in the afternoon, the
streets wore a deserted look on a working day.
The roads in Chandigarh and other cities were crowded
with people driving cars and riding motorcycles celebrating
the win.
The night sky was lit up with fireworks as Pakistan
lost their ninth wicket in Umar Gul who was held leg before by
pacer Ashish Nehra. Similar joyous scenes were witnessed in
the national capital and other cities of the cricket-crazy
country.
The entire stadium in Mohali broke into a thunderous
applause, with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son
Rahul cheering the team after the last Pakistani wicket fell.
Congratulatory messages poured in from chief ministers
of various states for the victorious team.
Nothing could stop the fans, even in villages where
there was no electricity, from watching the high-adrenalin
clash. Ten villages comprising the primitive Paharia tribal
community in Jharkhand's Pakur district's Litipara watched the
match on a portable TV with the help of car batteries.
"Electricity has not yet reached to our villages
situated at the top of hills. We arranged a portable TV run by
batteries to help the villagers share the thrill along with
other citizens of the country," Pakur Zila Parishad member
Shiv Charan Malto said.
Holding aloft the national flag, the fans came out on
streets not only in Hyderabad but other major cities like
Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
Attendance in offices was thin and some offices
announced a half-day for their staff.
In Dehradun, hundreds of people gathered at Ghantaghar
to celebrate the victory. "I have not seen such celebrations
in my entire life," said Vinod Pundir, who had turned up along
with his two children .
Several hotels, restaurants and clubs made special
arrangements for people to watch the crucial encounter. Police
personnel were deployed at many sensitive places for the
match, especially near the residences of the players.
In Jaipur, the deserted markets soon turned into a
site for boisterous celebrations which continued late into the
night.