Congratulations, champagne, cash flow after India's historic Test

Congratulations, champagne, cash flow after India's historic Test win

Agence France-Presse New Delhi

Congratulations, champagne and cash flowed in India on Friday after Saurav Ganguly and his boys in blue snatched a maiden cricket Test series victory on Pakistani soil.

A delighted cricket chief Jagmohan Dalmiya immediately announced a five million-rupee (US$1.2 million) reward for the players, while national leaders jammed phone lines with good wishes and fans uncorked champagne at home.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee took time off from election campaigning to congratulate the home team, as fans mobbed homes of the players.

"The Indian team deserves all the credit for their spectacular display in all departments of the game which enabled them to win both the one-dayers as well as the Test series. It is a victory of teamwork, determination and a will to win," he said.

Abdul Kalam led the nation in hailing skipper Ganguly and his team after they beat Pakistan by an innings and 131 runs in the third and final Test to clinch the series 2-1 in Rawalpindi. Kalam was the architect of India's nuclear missiles, said in a message to Ganguly.