45 days of mayhem…14 teams battling out… billions of eyes hooked to the television – some high voltage action in the sub continent had kept every one busy for the last few days. A World Cup of extremes- if I may say- saw some nerve wrecking matches, saw some superstars in making from new teams, saw stones being thrown at after being all out for 58 and saw some great matches in cricketing history. Ultimately it was the best team winning the battle and lifting the coveted trophy.
As an Indian and a cricket fan it is not only a matter of joy for me to see my team as the champions, but a matter of pride – we are now the WORLD CHAMPIONS – for the next four years I can always be happy thinking we are best from the rest. It’s a week now from the historic night but the feeling is still fresh for me. In a fast pace life these days we overcome everything very fast. But this is one feeling which I am still rejoicing as if I was one of the players of the squad! I can only imagine what our players must have felt.
Thinking back – D day went tensioned filled, I woke up feeling tensed on what will happen? Who will win the world cup? What will happen if we don’t win the world cup? This is probably the last chance for Sachin to make his dream come true.. and I even thought of what he will go through if they didn’t win the cup! It almost felt similar to nights before the exams when I was never prepared and didn’t know what will happen the next day! I remember I dint feel like having breakfast or lunch.. didn’t feel like doing anything and only waited for the clock to struck 2 so that we can watch the toss. My tension only heightened with the confusion at the toss. I bet every other Indian was as tensed as me till the last ball. All throughout the Lankan innings I kept on praying that they should score as less as possible.
But my blood pressure started rising within the first few overs of our batting. Indro, got so tensed that he shifted to another room and started following the match in cricinfo! And me being me couldn’t leave my lucky corner and kept watching with hopes in heart. My friend started messaging India had no chance and how she had stopped watching the game. But the optimistic side of me replied her not to lose hope so fast. One of the channels was telecasting the matching 5 seconds before Star cricket. So each time my neighbors erupted in cheers there was a twinkle in my eyes as I knew next ball would be a boundary. I was finding it so comforting that I chose not to watch the match in the other channel! What cricket does to us!
Last 30 minutes of the match I spent in the kitchen walking up and down and only praying ‘God please help us win this match, in no situation should we lose this match’. I even ended up threatening Him that He can’t play deaf to prayers of 1.2 billion Indians. And my already tensed husband peeped into the TV at times and smiled looking at me walking up n down my kitchen in tension! When the colony almost erupted in screams I came running knowing that would be the final blow. I knew no bounds and just kept on shouting in joy god knows for how long. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so happy before. Not even after ranking in class or being first in some dance or animation competition. Every single Indian must have experienced the same, few for the first time and some for the second time. A team winning the World Cup after 28 years, by all fair means…winning a battle like soldiers… I don’t know if I can ask for more. God did answer to all our prayers. [Suddenly it reminded me of a forwarded text message -Pakistan asked God,’Please help us in the match against India’ and he replied ‘Sorry I can’t. I open the batting for India’. That came in my mind each time Sachin’s catch was dropped, he was adjudged not out via UDRS and by the Third Umpire. I am sure God had come in his dreams and bestowed His blessings on him telling for some time of the day no force on earth can uproot you from the crease. J ]
For me Team India has played almost three finals starting with their quarterfinal match against the Oz. Even under an Everest of pressure, our Indian team fought like the Tigers first by hunting the kangaroos, then leaping over the moon and stars and finally beating the lions, to keep everyone out of their territory for the next four years.
I still don’t know how to express my gratitude towards Dhoni & company, I feel every word, and every gesture is falling short in contrast to the joy and pride they have brought to us. Many might think this is being over emotional, but I don’t know about that, I just know I am too happy… I am happy for the Team…I am happy for Sachin… I am happy for India… I am happy for all Indian cricket fans… I am very very happy for myself to have been lucky to watch this match and experience what it feels to be the ultimate winner. No controversy over fake or real cup, land allotment, prizes that are being showered on them matters to me now. No celebration seems to be enough for this feat. I am yet to celebrate it in a BIIIGGGG way. I thank Team India to put every Indian across the globe on cloud nine.
