Sunday, April 3, 2011

When in India, be a cricket fan

Its been an hour and half and I'm still not sure how to celebrate the greatest Indian accomplishment I ever witnessed.

Curses, praises, screams of joy and swear words were all that I came across when the Indian team was up on the field battling for the holy grail of international cricket. I remember 2003 world cup, probably the first world cup from which i have memories. 2007 was a disaster and I couldn't catch every single match due to the time zone difference and all that. Coming back to 2003, the tourney saw the complete wrath of the man I worship, Sourav Ganguly. He was remarkable and I was believing he could bring us what Dev and his men did years ago. Sadly, it never happened.

This year, at home, almost everyone of us believed we could do it and we did. For Sachin, for Yuvraj and most importantly for 1.2 billion people. Imagine, its the world cup! I remember almost ever single ball, savouring  the match with my dad. Complaining, scolding and losing hopes more than once when Sehwag walked to the pavilion without as much as a single boundary. Sachin disappointing yet again and when Gambhir seemed like he was struggling. After the 30th over every fog of doubt got cleared and there was this comfortable red carpet that led us to the cup of glory.

That catch Sehwag took off Tharanga's bat, the dive that I saw of Yuvi at backward point after a millennium, the way Harbhajan and Yuvi hugged each other and cried, the saint like expression on MS's face after he scored the winning runs. Every single moment shall remain deep in our hearts. Every single player upon whom doubts were cast played today. I bet even though Sachin has a million other innings to remember and cherish, this would top his list. That medallion which reads "winners-world cup 2011", will be wet with tears of the great man himself.

I have been giving my opinions on how Sachin is overrated and all this god worship. But today, I tell you, one needs a quality to be overrated and he has it. Cricket truly being the religion that we proclaim it to be has united Indians across the stands of the Wankhade, across towns and cities, across the country and across the globe. I'm pretty sure the celebrations have not ended yet.

Every year it needs 190 plus countries to discuss world peace and unity and today we showed the world that a sport can unite a nation.




Eleven men to rule them all, eleven men to find them, eleven men to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.



I'm proud to say I lived when India won the world cup. I'm proud to say as a result of today's match, I lived.

5 comments:

  1. Man, What a meaningful post!!!!!!!!!!!!!! your confessions!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Eleven men to rule them all, eleven men to find them, eleven men to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
    dat ws awesomeeee...
    n Ind Rocks :)

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  3. Hi Vignesh
    Now that was simply awesome!!"I'm proud to say as a result of today's match, I lived." sema:)

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  4. Good one. Liked the LotR touch. Sport could well be the answer to the question of oneness, today.

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  5. Thank you all :) And yes, we did it :D :D WE.ARE.THE.CHAMPIONS.

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