Never before have we experienced something like this – Road lanes jammed everywhere with people, more than one billion glued to their TV sets. Especially when it was all for a cricketing reason!
The World Cup final at Wankhede drew a huge fan base and Team India went on to register their second World Cup win after 1983 under Kapil Dev at Lords. Let us give this moment to one of the greatest cricketer in the world, Sachin Tendulkar for him to cherish and remember. The Indian skipper displayed one of the finest captain’s innings of 91 alongside an intensive and fine-tuned innings of 97 from Gautam to pull-off the highest run chase ever achieved in a world cup final.
Initially, team India had the toughest of times when Mahela switched gears going for the lofted shots and even when Dhoni’s trusted bowlers to the likes of Zaheer and Harbhajan went for some runs, tension started gripping everyone on the field and every Indian who were there to support Team India. Mahela was on a killing spree slicing every bowler over the boundary ropes. And there was a sigh of relief all over when Kulasekara was run-out by a beautiful Dhoni work behind the stumps. But soon, the big man Perera was there just to show us how big the park was and took efforts to make the damage he was capable of. Finally, India were expected to chase a humungous total of 274 when 230 was considered a winning total.
Wankhede were literally on their toes cheering the most aggressive batsman on Earth, Virender Sehwag and India’s most protected Cricketing Icon, Sachin Tendulkar when they walked into the Cricketing arena to bat. The excitement was very short lived, just for 2 balls when Sehwag was sent back to the pavilion for a duck. Tendulkar braved the Lankan attack from there along with southpaw Gautham Gambhir. And especially after that straight drive off Tendulkar’s bat, I really thought who can play that very shot with ease without hitting the ball hard and only just by sheer timing? It just was like Wow. Tendulkar was going really good until a controversially-legal Malinga delivery kissed Sachin’s bat and landed right into Sangakkara’s gloves. Tendulkar departs. Silence everywhere, not a pin was dropped. When everybody thought it was curtains and this was just going to be India’s third World Cup final game, came in the man who lead the Super King Lions to victory in the IPL 3, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Yuvraj graciously stole a single when India required just 5 runs to get their hands on the most prestigious World Cup. The man of the moment, Dhoni sealed the game with a hard-hitting six that went sky-rocketing into the clouds and over the mountains! Everybody were excited right from the players in the dressing room, the support staff, the management and the fans who have come there to cheer their warriors in the lighter shade of blue!. It was emotions all over and the crowd erupted hugging and kissing each other and when the master blaster Tendulkar was carried by his teammates for a victory lap, it was all the happy tears that came down cheering. This seemed more than a World Cup game, almost 5 hours of cricket showcased outstanding professional talent and truly the game of cricket won, hands down! The Indians displayed an excellent sense of sportsmanship realising the responsibility they had earned as ambassadors of Indian cricket and especially when the younger players like Virat and Yuvraj stepped up with vital contributions in one match or the other in the World Cup, it speaks great volumes about the sense of commitment and the urge to perform. Also the constant backing of the senior players like Zaheer, Harbhajan, and Sachin really motivated them to bring out the real match winners in them.
Performing under pressure is a true trait and a reflection of one’s character and attitude and it comes naturally to the Indian Skipper every time he is on a mission. We saw that even in the IPL when Chennai outplayed the Kings XI Punjab in a decider. And it seemed even under extreme pressure conditions, Dhoni would exude calm and composure; even when an asteroid was plummeting directly towards him with just 20 seconds to react. What we saw on the screens was not for the camera, not for the crowd, but that desire to win a World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar showed every time Gautam, Yuvi and Dhoni went over the run chase. Team India played the game for each other, motivating every other player when they were down, battling big teams like Australia and Pakistan to take a fight with the SriLankans in this very final showing great sense of brotherhood. I really couldn’t control my emotions when Virat said “Tendulkar has carried the burden of the Nation for 21 years and it is time we carried him on our shoulders” making it Tendulkar’s proudest moment and a perfect swansong for him. The 28 long years of wait ends here, Dhoni and his men have proved it yet again wielding their willows and rolling their arms. The game of cricket has been elevated; it has gone one notch higher. It no longer is just a game of 11 players!
Truly, Incredible India!!!
1 comment:
awesome...!! just tooo good dude
Post a Comment