India's cricket World Cup triumph brought joy and buoyed spirits among millions of people in a country plagued with corruption scandals and financial irregularities over the past months.
A tumultous season of scams and poor governance had shamed politicians and driven Indians to despair, but the gloom dissipated soon after team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored the winning runs against Sri Lanka at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium on Saturday night.
Cricket is almost a religion in the country with a population of 1.2 billion people, and all of India exulted as the home-team lifted the trophy for the second time after a generational wait of 28 years. Common people, celebrating the carnival atmosphere on city streets overnight, felt the victory had contributed to raising the Indian self-esteem.
"There is no limit to our happiness, I feel very proud as an Indian," lawyer Keshav Punj said outside his south Delhi home.
"We hugged and celebrated with strangers on streets last night. A unique feeling of love for our country infused the celebration," said Punj, his cheeks painted in the colours of the national flag.
Over the past months, Premier Manmohan Singh's government has been hit by one scandal after another which have damaged its credibility at home and abroad.
The country was subjected to international criticism over shoddy infrastructure for the Delhi Commonwealth Games amid allegations that Indian organisers had swindled millions of dollars from the October event.
The latest controversy came after a Wikileaks cable revealed that the ruling Congress party bribed lawmakers to survive a crucial 2008 confidence vote, allegations that were rejected by Singh. Ironically, investigators were filing charges in a telecoms graft case - India's biggest-ever corruption case estimated at 39 billion dollars - around the time team India was setting the foundations for victory at the Mumbai stadium. Revellers said the inspirational victory may help generate a positive national sentiment to cope with the challenges.
Indian leaders, meanwhile, heaved a sigh of relief as cricket had provided a breather from the opposition heat. Embattled Singh praised the team, saying they had done India proud.
Cricket came to the rescue in defusing regional tensions as well when Singh invited his Pakistan counterpart, Yousuf Reza Gilani, to watch the semi-final between the traditional rivals Wednesday, in what was dubbed a cricket diplomacy initiative.
The two leaders held talks around the game that contributed to improving ties that were strained after the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Pakistani militants.
Gilani also congratulated Singh on India's title and said he hoped that sporting links between the neighbours would soon be restored.
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