SPORT-WC-CELEBRATION 2 LAST

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.