Click to play videoNew Delhi: Huge crowds turned out at New Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium on Thursday to greet the Indian cricket team on their return to India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) felicitated the players at a special function at the Stadium for winning the tri-series for the first time in Australia.
Fresh from their victory in the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia, the players also got a Rs 10 crore bonanza.
The team had left for the Australian tour nearly three months ago and experts feared that the world champions would rout them easily.
However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team turned the tables on Australia and returned came home as heroes. The first stop was Mumbai where a chartered flight waited to take them to New Delhi.
"The guys played brilliantly. The young guys stood up to the test and I think Sachin (Tendulkar) led from the front," a jubilant fielding coach Robin Singh said.
When asked about the mood in the team, Robin simply replied that it was 'brilliant'.
Fellow passengers provided the first insight into the mood of the young team as they flew in.
"They were extremely excited and very confident looking forward to be counted as the No. 1 team in the world cricket," a fellow passenger said.
In New Delhi, preparations were on in full swing to welcome the Men in Blue. The chef at Hotel Intercontinental where the team checked in before going to the Kotla Stadium had their favourite food ready.
"We have prepared a pizza for Dhoni and we have tow pizzas. One is vegetarian other is non-vegetarian pizza. Vegetarian pizza consists of coloured peppers," the chef said.
When the team reached the hotel, thousands of fans greeted them. Though the players were tired and exhausted but the exhilaration was there for all to see.
Finally the team reached its destination to the beat of Chak De India which has become the country's sporting anthem.
Top BCCI officials greeted each of the players. Skipper Dhoni, Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh got the most applause and Dhoni thanked the fans for their support.
"Of course mein apni team ka shukriya aada karunga kyonkiI think uske bina yeh sab possible nahi ho pata. Kafi tough tour tha Australia ka, kafi dino se hum bahar mein the but I think jis tarike se saare player ne apne aap ko on the field and off the field conduct kiya hai, thats really amazing. Aur aane wale samay mein bhi hum koshis karenge ki hum aapko aise karte rahe (I want to thank the entire team. This would not have been possible without them. The Australian tour was very tough but the way all the players conducted themselves both on filed and off field was amazing. We will try to give our best in the future too)," Dhoni said at the felicitation ceremony.
So a picture perfect day; an adoring nation said a grateful thank you to the men who carry their hopes into cricketing battle.
Celebrations like the one at the Ferozeshah Kotla now seem synonymous with Dhoni and his team. Despite the jet lag and the nearly three-month long tour, it is day that the players will cherish. And they will remember the day as they set out to scale much greater heights.
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