No sooner had S Sreesanth held the catch to signal the end of the Pakistan challenge, the whole of India erupted as one in celebration at a much awaited world title on the cricket field.
Fans throughout the country, who had been hooked on to their television screens for every ball of the nerve-wracking encounter, poured out on the streets expressing their joy at the victory which few would have predicted a fortnight ago.
Emotions ran high and passion touched a crescendo with the Chak De India! song on every lips as Indian team members, led by a gutsy new skipper in Mahendra Singh Dhoni, draped themselves in the tri-colour and did the victory lap in Johannesburg.
For the fans back home, the game they treat like religion had turned into an eyesore after India was ousted in an humiliating manner in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies earlier this year.
And they were not going to let this opportunity to celebrate go waste on a night reminiscent of June 25, 1983 when Kapil's Devil had brought the World Cup home beating the mighty West Indies.
In Ranchi, the hometown of skipper Dhoni, crackers began bursting at the start of the final and continued till late in the night.
It had not been a happy time for the left-hander lately but his role in India's title run here would have erased some bitter memories.
"We have been praying since the Indian team left for the Twenty20 World Cup," V V S M Pinakapani, a neighbour of the Dhoni household, said.
Ranchi came out to the streets and sang and danced to celebrate the occasion.
Chief Minister Madhu Koda, who had promised Dhoni a surprise gift if he brought the cup home, was glued to the television set in New Delhi and was ecstatic after India's win.
"We will felicitate when Dhoni returns to Ranchi," Koda said without saying what the gift would be.
"I spoke of a surprise gift and it is waiting. Let him come. I will then reveal it," he said.
It has already been announced that Dhoni will be conferred the Jharkhand Ratna, the highest award of the state, on November 15 when the state celebrate its 7th anniversary."
In Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Kolkata and elsewhere the scenes were the same.
In Chandigarh, father of Yuvraj Singh was also a happy man even though his son did not perform that well in the final.
"They fought like lions. This is just the beginning and have to achieve many more such big win," Yograj told reporters.
"It's a big victory for us and will definitely boost the team morale," he said.
Youngsters came out in open jeeps and cars and performed traditional bhangra. At some places, vehicular traffic was also disrupted as people burst crackers.
At Jamshedpur, crackers were burst and sweets distributed.
Fans burst crackers each time fours and sixes were hit by the Indian players and at the fall of Pakistani wickets.
Giant screens were put up at several places where fans gathered to watch the dream final. A victory procession was also taken out.
