India, Feb. 4 -- It was the dream final every principal stakeholder involved wished for but didn't even whisper about, for fear of breaking the spell. For the International Cricket Council, it would serve as the perfect springboard for its newest product, the T20 World Cup. For the official broadcaster, it would translate to tens of thousands of dollars, making the cash ploughed into acquiring broadcasting rights money well spent. And for the Board of Control for Cricket in India, it was the ideal platform from which to espouse the cause of the newly formed Indian Premier League, officially launched during the World Cup.

We are talking India vs Pakistan, of course - the irresistible force versus the immovable object. Much like at the Wor...