India worthy world champions, Dhoni the hero: Aus media

Melbourne, Apr 4 (PTI) The Australian media raised a
toast to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's "bold" leadership as it
declared India the worthy world champions who defied history
and intense pressure to come out triumphant in the summit
showdown against Sri Lanka.
The newspapers here said Dhoni's leadership and his
performance in the final match in India's Western city Mumbai
stole the limelight from iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar who
was playing in his sixth World Cup.
With its headline reading 'India defies history to win
its first World Cup in 28 years', 'The Australian' said though
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 newspaper
said.
It said the current Indian team showed that it was no
longer solely dependent on Tendulkar to win matches.
"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."
The newspaper described Dhoni as an "all-conquering
captain" who now rivals Tendulkar in popularity.
"The 29-year-old is already cricket's top earner after
signing a record two-year, USD 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," the newspaper
said.
"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.
Writing for 'Sydney Morning Herald', veteran cricket
writer Peter Roebuck 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.
Indeed he dared to push himself up the order," Roebuck wrote
under headline 'Bold captain Dhoni India's hero of the day'.
"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."