Twenty-eight years on from the match that transformed the history of world cricket, India recaptured the crown that Kapil Dev and his men first lifted at Lord's in 1983, and this time they did it in their very own back yard. An iron-willed 97 from Gautam Gambhir was matched for intensity by the finest captain's innings since Ricky Ponting at Johannesburg eight years ago, as Mahendra Singh Dhoni trumped a poetic century from Mahela Jayawardene to pull off the highest run-chase ever achieved in a World Cup final.
Against a triumphant backdrop at the Wankhede Stadium, victory was sealed by six wickets with 10 balls to spare, as Dhoni - who had promoted himself to No. 5 to heap extra lashings of responsibility onto his own shoulders - rushed through the gears as the victory target drew nearer. With 15 required from 17 balls, he flicked Sri Lanka's only true threat, Lasith Malinga, through midwicket for consecutive boundaries, before smoking Nuwan Kulasekera over long-on to finish on 91 not out from 79 balls and spark the most delirious scenes of celebration ever seen on the subcontinent.
This was a victory that had to be grasped, and Dhoni had the character to come to the fore when it most mattered. His 109-run stand with Gambhir was the highest by an Indian pairing in three World Cup final appearances, and even when Gambhir gave away the chance for an unforgettable century with a tired charge and slash at Perera, his captain retained the discipline to see the contest to its end.
Dhoni at one stage looked so immobile with a back strain that a precautionary retirement seemed the only logical response, but after some harsh work from the physio he resumed his stance and responded with another trademark filleting of the extra cover boundary, an area in which he scored six of his eight fours - three of which helped to blunt Muttiah Muralitharan's attacking instincts.
As one of five Indian veterans from the side that lost to Australia back in 2003, Dhoni's performance was thick with the wisdom of experience. And that he saved his best for when his team most needed it was typical of a man who has always been able to separate himself from the hype that surrounds his side. There have been few worthiers recipients of the Cricket World Cup.