Soon after India registered its first-ever one-day cricket series triumph on Pakistan soil, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar dedicated the victory to the country.
"We have been reaching the final and losing there for a while. And to do it finally in Pakistan means a lot to us. We dedicate this victory to all of India," Tendulkar said after India beat Pakistan by 40 runs in the fifth and final one-dayer at the Gadaffi stadium in Lahore on Wednesday.
"Moin Khan (who scored 78) batted well towards the end but we maintained our nerves. It was team work," he said.
Nineteen-year old Irfan Pathan, who picked eight wickets in the three matches he played, said he "did not have words" to express his feelings.
"It is a great win for us. I don't know what to say; I don't have words to describe it," he said.
"I knew God was with me. I knew in my mind he was helping me, which gave me the confidence (to perform).
"I did not play in the first two matches but I knew how to bowl on the subcontinent wickets with variation," he added.
Man of the match V V S Laxman, who found form at the right time with an important century, said it was "one of the memorable knocks" as it helped the team win.
"I am glad that I made the runs when the team needed them most," he said.
"I made a conscious effort to come on the front foot today. I was going on the back foot in the previous matches, I think it was because of the influence of the Australian tour."
"The bowlers did a great job in containing the runs in the first 15 overs. Pathan and [Laxmipathy] Balaji are really the finds for India," Laxman said.
Captain Sourav Ganguly said winning the fourth match to level the series 2-2 was crucial for his team to regain the momentum.
"Yes, winning the previous match was a fantastic effort, particularly after being down 95 for four. Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif helped us gain the winning momentum," he said.
"This team has played some fantastic cricket in the last one year or so.
"We did not have our key players in the series and for the youngsters to come and do what they have done, particularly in Pakistan, is phenomenal."
Losing skipper and man-of-the-series Inzamam-ul-Haq, who also bagged awards for being the highest scorer and having the highest average, said the winning edge might have gone to India ahead of the Test series.
"Our boys did play well but a win always gives you confidence. I think the edge [in the Test series] might have gone India's way," he said.
"The wicket was a good one and 294 was not a big total to chase. But, unfortunately, we lost early wickets and that made batting difficult in the end.
"I have been playing well, I hope to continue in the same way in the Tests and help the team win."
