India are the World Champions of Cricket!!!

India are the World Champions of Cricket!!!

India are the World Champions of Cricket!!!

India are the World Champions of Cricket!!!

Well, it still hasn’t sunk in, and therefore the twice-repetition. Just when nobody expected them to win, Indians have finally emerged as the well-deserved suitors of this new, lively, nubile 20-only bride of cricket, and the honeymoon has just begun.

What a match? If ever, there was a match that swung more than the swingers of Irfan Pathan, it was this one. I almost had two heart attacks before the Indians romped home and picked up the trophy. But I think enough has been written, said, read & heard about the match, and whatever I may say now would only be old wine in a new bottle, and so I shall spare you the misery. What I will dwell upon are other aspects of India’s victory & what it augurs for Indian cricket.

First things first: this young Indian team has proved to everyone that they have absolutely no fear. The big stage fright does not weaken their nerves; in fact, it motivates them to higher levels. And playing & winning against Pakistan is just a small hurdle that can be cleared easily. Reputations do not matter; great play does – that is what epitomizes the team belief & is reflected in their spirit on the field. South Africa & Australia have already learnt their lesson the hard way – by being chucked out of the tournament just when they thought they were close to winning it. The message from the team clearly is, “Bring ‘em on and then some more!”

While Dhoni & his men have shown that they mean business, and are ready to rule the world, we must remember that this is T20. A traditional 50-overs a side one-day match is a completely different ball game, and they would do well not to get too carried away, and to be mentally & physically prepared for that as well. The taste of success can be very heady causing hangovers that take forever to get out of, and the team needs to be ready for the next challenge pretty soon. As regards tests, I think the team would be very different and would include the trinity of Sachin, Sourav & Rahul, but it would still be nice to have the boys who have performed be a part of the new-look India that has no past baggage to carry.

Coming to the trinity, I was fairly surprised to notice that none of them went to South Africa to cheer the team for the finals! After all, this was a world cup final, made even more interesting & important by the fact that it was against our arch-rivals, Pakistan. So, what were our seniors doing here sitting inside their homes watching the match on television? Why did they miss being a part of history – win or lose, it was going to be a historic moment for India? Why did they not cheer for the team from the stands? Did they rue the fact that they thought that T20 was frivolous and chose not to participate? Or were they jealous of this young team that has performed miracles without any of the top 3 being in the team, and could make them redundant in the small form of the game? I know that such thoughts should not colour my imagination, but what to do – my imagination is quite colourful!

Finally, I must admit that the slug-fest was quite entertaining. That India won the championship was an icing on the cake. And I am forced to take back my earlier opinion on bowlers being marauded in this crazy & cacophonic carnival of cricket. When it mattered the most, the bowlers did stand up to be counted and proved that when a batsman is hell-bent upon trying to hit every ball for a six, it is a good bowler, who practices his skill well, who can make a difference.

Well done India, and keep it up!