By IANS,
Mohali : India’s batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar said it would be a memorable occasion for him to play the World Cup final in his Mumbai hometown.
Tendulkar praised the effort of the team after pulling off a 29-run victory against arch-rivals Pakistan in Wednesday’s semifinal in Mohali.
Tendulkar, who scored a chancy 85 in India’s total of 260, was given the Man of the Match award.
“Going back to Mumbai for this event, is going to be a wonderful occasion. We have got to be calm and focussed. This has been memorable, and something I will cherish all through my life. I am proud to play the final in Mumbai.
“I would like to thank everyone for the terrific support. It was a team effort, we bowled fabulously,” said Tendulkar, who has played in all the five World Cup matches featuring Pakistan with India winning all of them.
Tendulkar said the wicket slowed down a bit. “Initially Viru (Sehwag) got us off to a flier and that gave us extra time to check the flow of runs and adjust to the wicket when it slowed down.
“We just had to make sure we got to a decent, fighting total. When we started I was thinking of 310 to 315, which was par score for me, but the way the ball started stopping and spinning, something closer to 265-270 was par.”
India play Sri Lanka in the final and Tendulkar said it will not be easy.
“Sri Lanka are a great side. They know the conditions well. We will have to do our best.”