'Happiness isn't just a word, it's an emotion. Even though I am not a cricket fan, I don't like to watch Cricket matches at all but yesterday was something nobody could miss it for the world, for it was not just a match, it was a battle and a battle well won'
One Wednesday afternoon a nation went silent. Offices, colleges and schools got closed; everybody got glued to their television sets. It hadn’t even started and people were already high on emotions. The anticipation of a miracle, the expectations of a billion people and most of all the pressure and responsibility on those 11 men wearing blue, was this going to be their day? Was India finally going to be in the world cup finals? Nobody knew the answer and then I wondered did they even care? Everyone whom I knew wasn’t even interested in the cup; they just wanted them to win against the Pakistanis, a match so well awaited that even if it was being played in the initial rounds of the world cup it would have the same effect as the final of the world cup.
World cup 2011 of cricket: The best cricket team so far of India and everybody in good form. When India beat Australia, people were celebrating more than that people were waiting for the next match. Indians were to face the Pakistanis, even the non cricket lovers got awaken, not out of love for cricket but for being patriotic. 30th march 2011, a day that will be remembered by everyone, when Indians won the toss and chose to bat, everybody thought it was a good decision, luck was in our favour, maybe we could win this match. Mohali pavilion was jam packed, full of Indians and Pakistanis, ministers, actors, NRI’s had flown in from different states and nations. It was not only time for some cricket, it was time for war, was it really a war? Was it just a game? It was more than that, it was about respect, it was about living upto the hopes of those billion people praying, it was not only about winning, it was about our nation’s pride.
It was a day where cricket was being played between the two rival nations, people cheering in the stands holding banners that talked about friendship with Pakistan, but it was also a day where the prime ministers’ of both the nations would meet after the 26/11 terror attack. ‘Cricket diplomacy’ is the word coined for their meeting, unofficial as they termed the meeting, many issues would have been discussed. A time where one prime minister could take an initiative and start the peace talks again, a time where everybody would be distracted with cricket and they could discuss the fate of those billions.
When the two opening batsmen of India walked into the pavilion with their head held high, bats in their hands, chest pumped up and with only one thing mind, to win today. They walked in and the crowd roared at the top of their voices, one of them was called God and the only hope for India. The start to the game was unexpected, Sehwag thrashing the Pakistani bowlers with fours and Tendulkar being as cautious as he could be. When the first wicket was taken for Sehwag the stadium went quiet, it was too early for him to go, even he knew that but he gave Indians a good start. The match went on, whenever an Indian came on strike, the crowd would cheer loudly, they would roar at the top of their voices, chant their names, they just wanted to see them win. Wicket after wicket, the scenario for Indians had just turned, Pakistanis were too good with the ball and Indian players were baffled, they didn’t have an answer to their attack, they were helpless and tensed. When Yuvraj went on duck, everybody knew the match was going in favour of the Pakistanis, they were happy, they knew they had nailed it, they had made them weak. The scoring of the runs went slow, everybody in the stadium sat holding their breaths, would we make even a 200? Everybody thought, keeping fingers crossed, somehow Tendulkar struggled and steady he managed to make enough runs to let India survive. At the end of the 50 overs with 260 runs first half was over, India somehow struggling, managed to make enough runs for them to chase, Raina the last batsman to play was able to keep India’s hopes still high. He was the last hope for everybody and he somehow managed to prove them right.
The second half of the match started, everybody knew India’s weakness, bowling wasn’t their forte and coordination wasn’t one of their best qualities. But for just one day, for one match could they work as a team? Because even they knew the gravity of the situation, Pakistanis were happy with what they had done, they were relaxed. But then India did show their greatness, the second half of the match became the best part of the match, with bowler after bowler taking wicket after wicket, it was a glorious day. The shouts, the screams, the roars of people in the stadium whenever somebody got out were beyond comparison, that’s how ecstatic everybody was. Yuvraj, was agitated with the way he got out and he took his revenge right, he got 2 wickets. The team coordination, the fielding, the motivation and the determination to win was visible on everyone’s faces. The last over, the second last ball, people already celebrating on the streets, the win, with just one more wicket left, the Indians did not give a chance for all the balls to get finished, for the 50 overs to end, they took the last wicket on the second last ball and ended the match themselves.
There were firecrackers everywhere, people were on the streets celebrating and players were running around with wickets happy. For India, we had already got the cup. This was their epic win and they had done it, they managed to give those billion people a reason to be happy, forgetting their worries they got lost in the celebrations. It had been a good day not only for them but the entire country. For everybody the next morning was going to be a good one, where going to offices, schools and colleges won’t be that painful.
When I went on facebook and read a friend’s status, I instantly liked it; it was an epic status for an epic moment. ‘One nation just had an orgasm’ and indeed it was that happy for them.
In India, cricket is religion and one thing that can bring the entire nation to forget everything and bring everyone together, yesterday was that day.
