Gautam Gambhir (right in first picture) and Virat Kohli, who shared a 224-run partnership, wait for the presentation ceremony. Adjudged Man of the Match, Gambhir walks up to anchor Ravi Shastri. Gambhir says he cannot receive the award without Kohli. Shastri then calls Kohli to the platform. Kohli steps up and accepts the cheque for Rs 1 lakh. Pictures by Santosh Ghosh

Dec. 24: Many walked out of the Eden Gardens after Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal, for eight, but those who stayed back were witness to the emergence of a young Turk, Virat Kohli, and the confirmation that Gautam Gambhir truly is a class act.

The early dismissals of stand-in captain Virender Sehwag and Sachin, coupled with the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, did present a bleak picture this evening, but the two Delhi’ites wrested the initiative superbly.

Kohli (a U-19 World Cup-winning captain) was the more aggressive to begin with, showing the fearlessness which has come to symbolise the new generation of our cricketers.

Not that Gambhir, currently the No.1-ranked batsman in Tests, was outshone for long.

Later, in a gesture which speaks volumes for the spirit within the Team India dressing room, Gambhir decided to share his MoM award with Kohli, who has largely worn the ‘Replacement Man’ label. Gambhir, in fact, made Kohli collect the cheque for Rs 1 lakh and the trophy.

The selectors, according to The Telegraph’s sources, are looking at Gambhir as a future captain and such acts of camaraderie are bound to raise his stock in the quarters that matter.

Nobody is in a hurry, though.

Gambhir (150 not out) and Kohli (107, his maiden hundred) added a record 224 runs for the third wicket and, after that, there was no way India could be denied in the ODI.

Eventually, the target of 316, in itself a first at the Eden, was overhauled with 11 balls to spare.

The win helped India claim the Karbonn Mobiles Cup, the 3-1 scoreline rendering Sunday’s match at the Kotla of little consequence.

Sehwag was lucky that his bowlers didn’t have to bowl in conditions where the dew was pronounced.

“The thought of losing never crossed my mind. I knew that if Gautam and Virat were around for 10 overs, we would win,” Sehwag said in his seedha style.

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, didn’t hide his displeasure over the profligacy of key bowlers like Lasith Malinga (none for 75). “Once you have 315 on the board, you expect your bowlers to do the job…. We bowled either too full or too short on either side,” is how he put it.

Sangakkara did pat the inexperienced bowlers in his XI, but the reality is that this bowling unit is short on a few things, class being one.

The visitors tried to give it their best shot, which included bringing Sanath Jayasuriya back, but their best wasn’t enough.

Sehwag, on the other hand, had reason to smile broader than he usually does: he won both ODIs (the first in Cuttack) as the stand-in captain.

No wonder, then, he has “absolutely enjoyed” leading the home team.

The wicket played true, ensuring that memories of the 1996 World Cup semi-final, featuring the same teams, didn’t come back in a flood.

Glitches were seen at the Eden, which hosted its first international match in over two years, most notably the 26-minute stoppage owing to power going off in one of the four towers.

This was Jagmohan Dalmiya’s first test since his return at the Cricket Association of Bengal, 17 months ago, and there are lessons to learn for even this seasoned administrator.