Ponting hit only one four in a relatively sedate half-century but then struck eight sixes as the defending champions raced to a record 359 for two after they were unexpectedly asked to bat by Sourav Ganguly.

The Australia skipper's score was the highest in a World Cup final, beating Viv Richards' 138 not out against England in 1979, and his eight sixes were also a World Cup record.

His team's total was the highest ever in eight finals, bettering their own 253 for five in 1987 and West Indies' 291 for eight from 60 overs in the inaugural 1975 tournament.

It was also Australia's biggest score ever in a one-day international after 109 runs came from the last 10 overs.

``It was a bit overdue,'' Ponting said of his innings after receiving the man-of-the-match award. ``It was an enjoyable day. The batters took it up and put their hands up. There was a bit of sideways movement but we cashed in at the end.''

India opener Virender Sehwag batted with immense confidence to reach 82 from 81 balls with three sixes and two fours before he was run-out from a direct hit at the bowler's end by Darren Lehmann.

But although India batted brightly throughout they also kept losing wickets regularly, succumbing for 234 from 39.2 overs.

Australia, unbeaten in 17 successive one-day internationals as well as throughout the tournament, became the only team to win the World Cup three times after their previous successes in 1987 and 1999.

They would have lost them faster if Australia's fielding had been of its usual standard.

Brad Hogg and Ponting dropped fingertip chances and Damien Martyn spilled a high catch at midwicket off Yuvraj Singh, one of three lives granted to the young Indian..

Martyn, who had been cleared to play after fracturing his right index finger in the semifinal against Kenya last weekend, made amends later with a fine, diving catch at mid-off, running backwards, to dismiss Dinesh Mongia for 12.

CLASSIC CLASH
The match had been billed as a classic clash between Australia's exciting young speedster Brett Lee and India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar. Perhaps, fittingly in a match India will be anxious to forget, they did not even meet.

Tendulkar pulled the fourth ball of Glenn McGrath's opening over for four then tried an injudicious hook off the next. The ball hit the splice of the bat and lobbed up on the leg-side, where McGrath all but pushed his team-mates out of the way in his eagerness to complete the caught and bowled.

The India opener received the man-of-the-tournament award from former West Indies' all-rounder Garfield Sobers after scoring a record 673 runs, although it would have been small consolation for failing to perform on the big day.

In a bizarre twist, India were given a glimmer of hope when storm clouds gathered over Johannesburg and Sehwag and Ganguly began to bat with almost feverish haste.

Ganguly, calculating that quick runs on the board could possibly give India the match if the Duckworth-Lewis system for rain-shortened matches was called into operation, walked down the pitch to hit McGrath for a sliced six over point.

He raced to 24 from 25 balls before he was caught off Lee and Ponting, making similar calculations, called up left-arm spinners Brad Hogg and Darren Lehman in an effort to complete the 25 overs necessary before a result can be declared.

A heavy rainstorm stopped play to the joy of the large India contingent, hoping against hope that play would be abandoned before 25 overs were bowled which would have meant the match being replayed today.

But the ground was soon bathed in bright sunshine and the match resumed after only 25 minutes.

FLYING START
Australia had got away to a flying start when a 10-ball opening over from a nervous Zaheer Khan went for 15. Adam Gilchrist raced to 57 from 48 balls as the 100 came up in only the 14th over and Ganguly was forced to turn to Harbhajan Singh as early as the 10th over.

The India off-spinner, who made several deliveries jag away sharply from the two left-handers, responded with the wickets of Gilchrist, caught by Sehwag at midwicket, and Matthew Hayden caught behind for 37.

The quick-footed Ponting, whose team came into the match with a record-winning streak of 16 in one-day internationals, was relatively subdued at the start, bringing up his half-century from 74 balls with just one four.

He immediately accelerated, hitting India's most dangerous bowler Harbhajan for consecutive sixes over wide long on, the second flying out of the ground.

He then turned his attention to Ashish Nehra, hitting the left-arm paceman for six and taking another off left-arm spinner Mongia.

Two more came off Zaheer Khan and another brace off Javagal Srinath, including one in the final over of the innings. In all, Ponting batted for 121 balls, striking four fours in addition to his eight sixes.

Almost unnoticed, Martyn stroked his way to an immaculate 88 not out with seven fours and a six in an unbroken partnership of 234, only three short of the World Cup record.

Australia exposed India's lack of a fifth bowler, with Ponting and Martyn scoring at six an over without taking any risks against the gentle spin of Sehwag, Tendulkar , Mongia and Singh.

But the much-vaunted India pace attack failed to make any impact, bowling too short and failing to exploit the early life in the pitch. Khan went for 67 from seven overs, Srinath 87 from 10 with Nehra the pick of the bunch with 57 from 10.

AUSTRALIA
A.Gilchrist c Sehwag b Harbhajan 57
M.Hayden c Dravid b Harbhajan 37
R.Ponting not out 140
D.Martyn not out 88
Extras: (b-2, lb-12, w-16, nb-7) 37
Total: (for two wickets, 50 overs) 359
Fall of wickets: 1-105, 2-125.
Bowling: Khan 7-0-67-0, Srinath 10-0-87-0, Nehra 10-0-57-0, Harbhajan Singh 8-0-49-2, Sehwag 3-0-14-0, Tendulkar 3-0-20-0, Mongia 7-0-39-0, Yuvraj Singh 2-0-12-0.