It was a fitting climax to what will go down as one of the most entertaining Cricket World Cups in history and there was no better place to watch it than in Mumbai itself.

You didn’t have to be at a stadium to find a vibe, you didn’t have to be an Indian supporter to know how much this meant to India and you certainly didn’t need any clichés talking about scripts and fairytale endings to dictate how Saturday was going to pan out.

Sri Lanka won the toss after the second time and chose to bat. Zaheer Khan got off to an excellent start and at one stage the pace ace’s figures read: 4-3-2-1, but Mahela Jayawardene consolidated for the visiting side with an unbeaten 103 off 88 as they set 274 in their allotted 50 overs.

When Virender Sehwag fell off the second ball of India’s innings and Sachin Tendulkar went out early, India held its collective breath. The streets of Mumbai and the stadium fell silent, but Guatam Gambhir was up for the challenge. Gambhir knuckled down and chipped away at the deficit, and was well supported by Virat Kolhi.

Kolhi was dismissed for 35 and that’s when MS Dhoni stepped in to play a captain’s knock. It was a tense chase with the runs required and balls left often being equal, but India held their nerve and won by four wickets to be crowned Cricket World Cup Champions.

When Dhoni hit a six to secure the winning runs, Mumbai – and the rest of India – erupted in an euphoric frenzy. People took the streets in cars, on bikes and by foot to wave their flags and celebrate the victory. Fireworks lit the sky like lightning and everyone was entranced by the victory.

India was more alive than usual and navigating through the streets by rickshaw was nearly impossible. People were dancing on top of cars waving their flags and randomly stopping cars to shake hands, hug, dance and share the joy that they all felt.

While the players may have scored the runs and taken the wickets to take them to the top of world cricket, Gary Kirsten’s role should not be underestimated. When he lifted the cup and hugged Tendulkar and the rest of the Indian team, you could see that this win meant as much to him as it does to the Indian team and the rest of the country.

At least one South African got to touch the world cup this year.