Nobody would grudge Australia hanging on to the World Cup for another term. It had better credentials to troop out a champion after India ran out of steam when it mattered most.
Ricky Ponting was a true leader giving Australia the Cup with an unbeaten run in the tournament.
India was drowned under the Ponting deluge as Australia clinically destroyed the ambitions of Sourav Ganguly and his men in a one-sided contest.
The Aussies were too professional on the day. What chance does an opposition have while chasing a target of 360?
The Indians were hit by a storm ahead of time. There was forecast of a thunderstorm in the afternoon, which probably prompted Ganguly to field first – a decision he will rue for life.
The much-awaited duel between Sachin Tendulkar and Brett Lee did not materialise as the Master failed in a Cup final once again, perishing in the first over bowled by Glenn McGrath.
The biggest gain from the final was Virender Sehwag. He did not flinch, and played a characteristic, aggressive knock.
Ganguly lived dangerously, slashing at almost every ball in a desperate attempt to rattle the bowlers. He got away with a few before making his exit.
Sehwag, meanwhile, kept treating the bowlers with disdain until Darren Lehmann ran him out with a direct hit. It was a much-needed breakthrough for the Australians, who erred in their fielding later as Yuvraj Singh was let off twice by Brad Hogg and Damien Martyn. He was duly out later to a similar hoick to midwicket.
Rahul Dravid's 47 prolonged the battle, while some comical hitting by the lower-order entertained the crowd, but the Indians never really threatened the Australians.
Earlier, Ponting's effort was simply breathtaking. His unbeaten 140 was easily the innings of his life, and his partnership with Martyn left India in a daze.
Gilchrist was in imperious form, driving through and across the line to unsettle the bowlers. His wicket, as well as Hayden's, provided a brief respite before Ponting and Martyn took over.
Harbhajan Singh was the only bowler to earn respect but, ironically, he was the first to suffer Ponting's fury. Two sixes off the off-spinner set the tempo.
Ponting then turned his attention to Ashish Nehra, Dinesh Mongia and Zaheer Khan, and it was raining sixes at The Wanderers. When Srinath returned for his final spell, Ponting simply exploded.
Due credit must be given to Martyn, as he, too, hit some glorious strokes and picked the right deliveries to punish.
The Indians simply couldn't stop the majestic march of Ponting and his men.
The scores: Australia 359 for two in 50 overs (Adam Gilchrist 57, Matthew Hayden 37, Ricky Ponting 140 n.o., Damien Martyn 88 n.o.) bt India 234 in 39.2 overs (Virender Sehwag 82, Rahul Dravid 47, Glenn McGrath three for 52), by 125 runs.
Toss: India.
Man-of-the-match: Ponting.
