The Feeling has finally sunk in...

Rewind!

10.55 pm , 2nd April 2011

Mahindra Singh Dhoni's name got itched into the history books of cricket as he banished the white ball into the stands which ended the Indian drought of 28 years and brought the coveted trophy home, not to mention supreme joy to millions across the cricket crazy nation.

At a time when the entire nation took to the streets and partied till wee hours of the morning & Politicians & Actors showered their best wishes to the team by greeting the 'cricket' intoxicated common man, Yours truly walked back quietly to his room, had a small talk with his cousin about the victory, grabbed a beer and went to sleep. A lot of people would have laughed n said ' Hey, u know what, the entire nation partied, except YOU'. ' This is India's Biggest Moment, OUR biggest moment.' But truth eludes them. The feeling had not yet sunk in. I couldn't believe we had crossed the line this time. My mind was still replaying the Loss of 2003, the semi final of 1996 & the early exit of 1999 & 2007. Cricket had been synonymous to childhood for me. Cricket was everything. It would take time & so it did.


Finally, after a week the feeling has sunk in..WE are the World Champions!


Like every Indian born after 1983 i too had a dream of watching India win the cup. The Indian team did not disappoint this time. India strategically outplayed Sri Lanka in the finals & gave its Best player a fitting Farewell. In my opinion it was not only the brilliance of Dhoni, but a combination of the magical opening spell from Zaheer, Bhajji's wicket of Dilshan, Sachin's early momentum, Gambhir- Kohli's base building partnership & finally a captains knock which sealed it for us.In Cricketing terms, it was a complete " Team Effort" . India proved it that they are the most lethal team in World cricket today. But my heart goes out for Sri Lanka. They have been a part of two consecutive finals & finishing runners-up each time must have dented their morale. ( the effect has carried on to the IPL as both Sanga & Mahela, who have stepped down as leaders of the country ,have lost their opening games).They played superb cricket throughout the tournament & it also means they have been a force to reckon with for the past 4 years.


A week later, the celebrations have died down, IPL has begun already & various governments have announced that they will squander away our hard earned money and shower them with a token of their appreciation. And Frankly speaking, i agree that they should be applauded & appreciated for the sheer effort & brilliance displayed by them. They ARE the Real heroes who have brought glory to the nation & have made us proud. But what hurts me, is that it's the common man which has to bear the brunt of these pay-offs. I'm sure these crores will be swindled from some unused money for Public Development which was lying in some bank accounts ready to be transferred into an already over flowing politicians pocket. No hard feelings, though! We Indians have learnt to suffer in silence. And i believe that when you can't stand up to it, you shouldn't be complaining as well.


Switching topics, the win augers well for the coming generation of young Indian talent. Young talents like Virat, Raina & Ashwin showed they are capable of performing under tight situation. Sachin couldn't have asked for a better parting gift & he admits candidly that Dhoni has been the Best Captain he has played under in his career. To me, this was not the best team India has ever had, but it was one which believed that it could win. It has more match winners for we dint see a batting collapse when Sachin & Sehwag failed in the finals. More Importantly, it won matches against all 4 World Champions - West Indies, Australia, Pakistan & Sri Lanka which establishes its might & proves that they were the best side in the tournament. An interesting aspect which comes out of the wins against Aussies, Pakis & Lankans is that the venue where these matches were played had not been good hunting grounds for the Indians in the past. Yet, they defied all odds & created history. That's the mark of a True Champion. And that's why the Indian team stood out for me in this tournament.


I'm sure the players must have wanted a few days to savour the win & spend time with their family, but not to be. The hype & hoopla is over & its showtime again. As i write this, IPL is getting ready for Delhi vs Mumbai at Kotla today & Aussies are gearing up for their second ODI vs the Tigers.


Phew! Too much happening too soon.! Will post soon on IPL