By Amandeep Kaur, IANS,
Hamilton (New Zealand) : Amid whoops of joy, Indians in New Zealand took to the streets as soon as Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni hit a huge six to clinch victory for India in the World Cup final against Sri Lanka.
India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in Mumbai Saturday to lift the World Cup after 28 years.
Indian fans in Auckland, Hamilton and other cities of New Zealand celebrated the victory.
Prayers were offered by Indian fans at holy shrines Saturday before the match began. Most of the Indians on night shifts took off from their work to watch their favourite team play.
The win brought smiles to the faces of Indian fans, who watched the match through the night. The moment India won, they came out on the streets and burst firecrackers.
Nitin Mehra, an Indian team fan, said: “Today Indian has proved that it is the best team in the world and deserves to be the world champion. It’s a matter of pride for people living abroad.”
Another cricket fan Musa said: “I am having a party since morning with my friends and will continue till night. This is an achievement that every Indian is proud of. Dhoni’s boys have done a marvellous job and Indians like us are really proud of them. We wish we would have been in India to celebrate this historic moment.”