Having guided India to victory with his 78-run innings, Yuvraj Singh said he had proved a point to those who thought he could bat only on batsman-friendly wickets. “I have answered those who said Yuvraj can only bat well on pitches on which the ball comes nicely,” said the left-hander, after being adjudged Man of the Match.

The knock was also significant as Yuvraj was playing only his second match after coming off an injury layoff. “I was a bit rusty but I am happy to be among runs. I hope there will be a better wicket at Mohali, and at my home ground I will be giving more than 100 per cent.”

Meanwhile, skipper Dhoni, who shared a 148-run partnership with Yuvraj, admitted that the newly laid Kotla wicket was a difficult one to bat on. “It was a tough wicket to bat on but Yuvraj played an exceptional innings. He played his natural game despite that,” he said.

Dhoni, however, guarded the team against complacency. “We cannot afford to relax. It is important we keep up the winning momentum.”

His counterpart, Ricky Ponting conceded that India were the better side on the day. “They deserved to win. Dhoni and Yuvraj batted exceptionally well on a difficult wicket,” he said. Ponting said his side were 20-25 runs short, which eventually made the difference.