India were the best team in the ICC Champions Trophy, and against the elements and a dogged England side, desperate for their first ever major 50-over crown, M.S. Dhoni and his men in blue stood tall in the pressure moments to pull off a sensational victory.
Rain was the dominant factor at Edgbaston Sunday, with the weather refusing to relent, and forcing the game to be reduced to 20 overs each.
India, though, somehow found a way to come back from the depths of a certain defeat to win yet another major ICC tournament.
"I never turn up on the field to achieve something as a captain," Dhoni said. "For me, winning the game is very important, and that is of utmost importance for us as a team.
"I feel the first ICC World Cup (T20) in 2007 that we won, and this tournament that we have won, there is a bit of similarity. There also there were quite a few -- quite a number of players who were making their comebacks into the team, so they wanted to do well desperately and be part of the team.
"The thing that is the case in this team also, there are a few who wanted to do well and have a secondary position on the side.
"The 2011 World Cup, I think it was the right mix. We had very experienced players and some of them felt it could be their last World Cup because of age and everything.
"So I think, and also the fact that it was happening in India, we all wanted to do well because the expectation was too much. We just wanted to express ourselves. I think there are similarities between the 2007 (side) and this team."
After a near six hour delay, play finally started with India asked to bat on a wicket which had plenty of moisture and was giving the quality England pacemen plenty of help.
The India batsmen were not at their usual flowing self, and England tightened the noose, restricting the dominant batting side to just 129 for seven in their 20 overs, with Virat Kohli (43), Ravindra Jadeja (33) and Shikhar Dhawan (31) making useful contributions.
Part-timer Ravi Bopara did the bulk of the damage, picking up three crucial wickets - of Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Dhoni - to give his side the perfect chance for victory.
However, England did not start too well, losing skipper Alastair Cook early, before the spinners - R Ashwin and Jadeja - started to turn the ball like a top to befuddle the English batsmen.
England were soon 46 for four, before Eoin Morgan and Bopara got together for a crucial 64-run partnership, which sent them on the brink of a victory.
However, Ishant Sharma picked up both batsmen off consecutive deliveries in the 18th over, and from there on India leapt on England, giving them barely any room to breathe.
England finally ended up on 124 for eight, and were left wondering how on earth they had let this trophy slip out of their fingers.
"We had a good tournament to get to the final," Cook said. "There were six other teams which would like to be in the situation we were in at the start today (Sunday). We would have liked, obviously, to play a 50-over game, a real tournament. But, look, if we had won the Twenty20 game, we wouldn't be saying that.
"We went through in the 24-over game against New Zealand, so you have to adjust. I'm proud of the way the lads have fought. We've been under a fair bit of pressure in this tournament. Quite a lot of criticism and flack have flown our way, yet we got to the final.
"We played some good cricket, but we just couldn't quite get over the line."
