Team India begin New Year on Winning Note

Team India may have lost the final One Day International against South Africa at Ahmedabad, but Dhoni's boys have officially began the new year on a winning note.

India had already won the three match series 2-0 before the final ODI, and most of the key batsmen were rested for the game, to make way for newbies. South Africa had piled on a massive 365 for two in 50 overs and India suffered a 90 run defeat. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag had not played in the match and neither did Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the only experienced player in the side, and he is satisfied with the team's effort.

"The three fast bowlers that we played, their strength was not change of pace. If we had somebody like Ashish Nehra or Zaheer, things would have been different," Dhoni said after the match. "The kind of start they got, 340 would have been a decent total to restrict them to. We have done well over the season, there have been injuries, we have missed key players, if you look at everything, we have done really well. Our bowling has improved in bits and pieces we have done well. Youngsters are doing well. May be in one year we will also put up the best fielding side in the world," he added.

Sachin Tendulkar won the man of the series trophy for his outstanding form in the series. The Maestro created a frenzy when he cracked a record breaking 200 in the second game which effectively won the series for India.