To achieve success, one must get through a number of obstacles and face disappointments in different shapes and forms. In trying to be successful, I myself am going through what people might call a crossroads of sorts. 6 years of work experience and to be honest, no real stability to show for it. I have a fantastic wife, wonderful in-laws but there is no direction…yet. My time will come; sooner or later and I know I will have to work for it but it’s never too late. Forget about me for now and focus on someone else who has done what I am doing at this point of time. Someone has been waiting for years to prove a point and be recognized. Any guesses?
That someone is not a person but a group of people backed by millions, no actually billions of people. It is Team India. 28 is an interesting number for 2 reasons. I actually first met to be wife when I was 28 and just short of my 29th birthday but 28 is also the number of years India had to wait to see those 11 men lift the World Cup for the second time. 28 years is a long time as it’s actually another 7 World Cups, but was it worth it? Stupid question.
For a professional to win a tournament or championship is always an arduous task, filled with moments of pain, disappointment and ecstasy. It’s almost like those movies where the protagonist has to complete all the tasks without getting killed so as to save the princess or find the treasure. It’s a journey, and Team India’s journey is one I can’t stop reminding myself about.
6 league matches, a quarter final, a semifinal and the final. To be honest, India’s performance in the league phase was lackluster to say the least, with the batting probably at 80% potential while the bowling was no way near potent.
Against Bangladesh in the opening match of the tournament, the Indians were on fire when they batted first up, with Sehwag amassing 175 and Virat Kohli hitting a debut World Cup century. The bowling was less to be desired with Bangladesh falling short by 87 runs with only Zak and Munaf putting in positive performances.
India then went up against the Brit boys in Bengaluru. I was lucky enough to witness that see saw game which showcased a Sachin Tendulkar hundred with 4 big sixes off Swann and Collingwood and a mammoth Strauss 158. The game ended a tie but was filled with so many breathtaking moments such as:
1. Hearing the Indian national anthem in a stadium filled to the brim with 45,000 people.
2. Sachin’s hands aloft celebrating his feat.
3. Hearing 45,000 people calling Ian Bell a cheat when he should have been given out LBW to Yuvraj Singh.
4. The Indian comeback, thanks to Zaheer Khan’s super return spell.
After that tantalizing game, India went up against Ireland (England’s conquerors) and the Netherlands. India won but not convincingly at all and eyebrows were raised as to why the minnows were not blown away. Still….a win is a win and points on the board as they say.
March 12th…Nagpur..India vs South Africa…GAME ON! After losing the series 3-2 in their backyard, India had a point to prove and did so up until 267 for 1 as Sehwag and Sachin went on a rampage. From then on, India imploded losing 9 wickets for 29 runs as the batting power play proved to be a catalyst in the Indian collapse. India made a fight of it. When it looked like they had a foot over the line, they were piped at the post thanks to what a majority of India thought as a bad decision by the captain, as Ashish Nehra gave away the 13 runs off the final over needed, with Peterson doing the scoring. Should Bhajji have bowled the final over? I thought so but I’m not MS Dhoni.
By the time India played the West Indies, everyone knew who had qualified for the quarter finals but group standings had yet to be decided. Sehwag was out with an injury and R.Ashwin was brought in to debut, and he didn’t disappoint. After Yuvraj’s super hundred in the Chennai heat, India put up a fighting total of 268 and thanks to an impressive bowling effort when it looked like the Windies were on target, victory was achieved by an 80 run margin and a tantalizing contest with the defending champions, Australia was set up in the quarter final.
A repeat of the 2003 World Cup final. Even though we beat the Aussies in the practice game; that counted for nothing as a do or die game is where it all counts. Australia was unbeaten in over 33 World Cup matches starting from the 1999 edition. Ponting was under pressure for not having any scores behind him and Dhoni needed the boys to put in a good effort in the field. Finally my hopes and prayers had been answered as Suresh Raina found his way into the squad at the expense of the under-performing Yusuf Pathan. Batting first, the Aussies put up 260, with Ponting playing a captains knock getting to a hundred being supported by Haddin and David Hussey. The Indians had fielded well but chasing against an Aussie attack made up of Brett Lee and Shaun Tait would not be easy.
The Men in Blue started well but lost Sehwag for 15. Sachin and Gauti consolidated with both notching fifties. Tait got rid of Sachin and for some reason after trying to run himself on 2 occasions, Gambhir did so on the 3rd attempt. With 74 still needed and the captain back in the dugout, in walked Suresh Raina. How would he fare? Would he face a barrage of short stuff? He did face the short stuff but came out pulling along the ground and confidently running ones and twos with Yuvi, who was closing in on yet another 50. Tait came in pounding at Yuvi and he pounded him to the boundary. Lee tried yorking him and he guided him fine to the 3rd man boundary. Batting power play taken and Raina lofted Lee over his head for a sublime six. Field brought in and Yuvraj cover drove Lee to the fence and fell to his knees in ecstasy as India had done what no one had for over 11 years. They had sent the Aussies packing. From one exciting encounter, India had now set up the match of the tournament; a mouthwatering show down against Pakistan in Mohali.
India Pakistan World Cup matches have always been one sided with India winning on all 4 occasions but never say never as anything could happen on the day. The last time India had played Pakistan at Mohali had seen India on the losing side, when Inzamam’s side chased down India’s 321 comfortably, so a big score had to happen. India won the toss and decided to bat. Sehwag came out like a man on a mission and dismantled Umar Gul like a tinker toy as he raced to 38 off 25 balls. Sachin finished on 85, having been dropped not once but 4 times and escaping an LBW shout initially given only to be reversed on review…THANK YOU UDRS!!! Wahab Riaz ended up causing the most damage dismissing Kohli and Yuvi in successive balls, leaving the Men in Blue tottering at 141 for 4. In the middle now, was Dhoni and Raina, who battled hard to take India to 260, which was par total for the ground averaging 253 for 1st innings. Pakistan started off briskly but once they lost their openers, their momentum grounded to a halt thanks to all-round good bowling effort from their 5 bowlers , who took 2 wickets each. Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal did give the Indians a bit of a scare but removing them before they got going meant a job well done and even a Misbah hitting spree in the last 2 overs was too late to count. Hence…INDIA THROUGH TO THE WORLD CUP FINAL against SRI LANKA. Could this be the year?
An Asian team had now been in the World Cup final in every edition since 1992. What an achievement.
2nd April 2011 ... Remember this day! India vs Sri Lanka for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Who would get a game in the final? Would the 3Ms (Malinga, Murli & Mendis) play? Would Ashwin or Nehra play? Well, Mendis didn’t play as they opted for Suraj Randiv due to the fact that in recent times, the Indians had played him particularly well. Neither Ashwin or Nehra played as India opted for Sreesanth, with Nehra out with a fractured finger from the Pakistan game. Shocks were flying through both sides of the fence. TOSS TIME. Sri Lanka called right and in they went to bat.
The first 10 overs showed the Indians field as if their bodies were taken over by the Proteas; diving to the left and right, stopping runs like they were fire fighters saving lives. Zak bowled a superb opening spell of 5-3-6-1 accounting for the wicket of Tharanga. DIlshan and Sanga then brought life into the innings with Dilshan unfortunately bowled by Bhajji in a very weird fashion. Mahela and Sanga then did what they do best…building a partnership through no risk at all. With Sanga falling one short of his 50, Mahela then built fifty plus partnerships with Samaraweera and Kulasekara, taking him to his hundred and Sri Lanka to 274.
India had a problem. They would have to make the highest chase in World Cup history and no team had lost if their player had scored a century. Odds against India? Would Sachin win this World Cup for his nation? So many questions, yet those questions might have been answered as India lost Sehwag without tickling the scorers to Slinga Malinga, and he was soon followed by the master blaster, who nicked Maliga to the keeper, who gleefully accepted. The Wankhede crowd went silent as Malinga ran riot. Would India fail at the final hurdle again?
Kohli joined Gambhir and they both strung together an 83 run partnership at a good rate that seemed to lift the spirits and keep those 1 billion Indian hopes alive…WAIT! Dilshan came and plucked a return catch out of nowhere to remove a flabbergasted Kohli for 35. In came Yuvraj…NO…this wasn’t Yuvraj but captain cool himself. Dhoni had promoted himself up the order, maybe to continue the left hand right hand combo. Just imagine the pressure on the captain at the time. He had not scored many runs and at 114 for 3 if Dhoni were to get out, who knows what would happen. Dhoni played the innings of a lifetime; rotating strike and hitting the occasional boundary. He and Gambhir put on 109 before Gambhir gave it away being on 97. 54 still needed and Yuvi strolls in. A captain is valued based on the decisions he makes, the results he brings and what he gets out of his players. Dhoni did all of this and more, leading from the front, hitting boundaries of Murali, Suraj Randiv, Malinga and a six of Perera. With victory in sight and 4 runs needed, Dhoni tonked Kulasekara over long on for a massive 6, smiling at the shot and then turning around to pick up stump, while Yuvi rushed to his captain to embrace him.
INDIA HAD WON THE WORLD CUP.
I fell to my knees and broke down watching that ball fly over the boundary. I still think back to that day and my hair still stands up on end. I see Dhoni, Sachin, Yuvi and Bhajji crying after what happened and I can’t help but wonder how much pressure they must go through. To see India lift that trophy was a sight I will never ever forget. To hear what Virat said about Sachin, was probably the best way to dedicate their win to him. Everyone on that team wanted the World Cup, not for themselves but for the man who has worn the Indian badge on his chest since the tender age of 16 and given so much to the game and the country. As Mathew Hayden said "His life seems to be a stillness in a frantic world...When he goes out to bat, it is beyond chaos - it is a frantic appeal by a nation to one man". Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar wanted to win a World Cup and so he did on 2nd April 2011.
That someone is not a person but a group of people backed by millions, no actually billions of people. It is Team India. 28 is an interesting number for 2 reasons. I actually first met to be wife when I was 28 and just short of my 29th birthday but 28 is also the number of years India had to wait to see those 11 men lift the World Cup for the second time. 28 years is a long time as it’s actually another 7 World Cups, but was it worth it? Stupid question.
For a professional to win a tournament or championship is always an arduous task, filled with moments of pain, disappointment and ecstasy. It’s almost like those movies where the protagonist has to complete all the tasks without getting killed so as to save the princess or find the treasure. It’s a journey, and Team India’s journey is one I can’t stop reminding myself about.
6 league matches, a quarter final, a semifinal and the final. To be honest, India’s performance in the league phase was lackluster to say the least, with the batting probably at 80% potential while the bowling was no way near potent.
Against Bangladesh in the opening match of the tournament, the Indians were on fire when they batted first up, with Sehwag amassing 175 and Virat Kohli hitting a debut World Cup century. The bowling was less to be desired with Bangladesh falling short by 87 runs with only Zak and Munaf putting in positive performances.
India then went up against the Brit boys in Bengaluru. I was lucky enough to witness that see saw game which showcased a Sachin Tendulkar hundred with 4 big sixes off Swann and Collingwood and a mammoth Strauss 158. The game ended a tie but was filled with so many breathtaking moments such as:
1. Hearing the Indian national anthem in a stadium filled to the brim with 45,000 people.
2. Sachin’s hands aloft celebrating his feat.
3. Hearing 45,000 people calling Ian Bell a cheat when he should have been given out LBW to Yuvraj Singh.
4. The Indian comeback, thanks to Zaheer Khan’s super return spell.
After that tantalizing game, India went up against Ireland (England’s conquerors) and the Netherlands. India won but not convincingly at all and eyebrows were raised as to why the minnows were not blown away. Still….a win is a win and points on the board as they say.
March 12th…Nagpur..India vs South Africa…GAME ON! After losing the series 3-2 in their backyard, India had a point to prove and did so up until 267 for 1 as Sehwag and Sachin went on a rampage. From then on, India imploded losing 9 wickets for 29 runs as the batting power play proved to be a catalyst in the Indian collapse. India made a fight of it. When it looked like they had a foot over the line, they were piped at the post thanks to what a majority of India thought as a bad decision by the captain, as Ashish Nehra gave away the 13 runs off the final over needed, with Peterson doing the scoring. Should Bhajji have bowled the final over? I thought so but I’m not MS Dhoni.
By the time India played the West Indies, everyone knew who had qualified for the quarter finals but group standings had yet to be decided. Sehwag was out with an injury and R.Ashwin was brought in to debut, and he didn’t disappoint. After Yuvraj’s super hundred in the Chennai heat, India put up a fighting total of 268 and thanks to an impressive bowling effort when it looked like the Windies were on target, victory was achieved by an 80 run margin and a tantalizing contest with the defending champions, Australia was set up in the quarter final.
A repeat of the 2003 World Cup final. Even though we beat the Aussies in the practice game; that counted for nothing as a do or die game is where it all counts. Australia was unbeaten in over 33 World Cup matches starting from the 1999 edition. Ponting was under pressure for not having any scores behind him and Dhoni needed the boys to put in a good effort in the field. Finally my hopes and prayers had been answered as Suresh Raina found his way into the squad at the expense of the under-performing Yusuf Pathan. Batting first, the Aussies put up 260, with Ponting playing a captains knock getting to a hundred being supported by Haddin and David Hussey. The Indians had fielded well but chasing against an Aussie attack made up of Brett Lee and Shaun Tait would not be easy.
The Men in Blue started well but lost Sehwag for 15. Sachin and Gauti consolidated with both notching fifties. Tait got rid of Sachin and for some reason after trying to run himself on 2 occasions, Gambhir did so on the 3rd attempt. With 74 still needed and the captain back in the dugout, in walked Suresh Raina. How would he fare? Would he face a barrage of short stuff? He did face the short stuff but came out pulling along the ground and confidently running ones and twos with Yuvi, who was closing in on yet another 50. Tait came in pounding at Yuvi and he pounded him to the boundary. Lee tried yorking him and he guided him fine to the 3rd man boundary. Batting power play taken and Raina lofted Lee over his head for a sublime six. Field brought in and Yuvraj cover drove Lee to the fence and fell to his knees in ecstasy as India had done what no one had for over 11 years. They had sent the Aussies packing. From one exciting encounter, India had now set up the match of the tournament; a mouthwatering show down against Pakistan in Mohali.
India Pakistan World Cup matches have always been one sided with India winning on all 4 occasions but never say never as anything could happen on the day. The last time India had played Pakistan at Mohali had seen India on the losing side, when Inzamam’s side chased down India’s 321 comfortably, so a big score had to happen. India won the toss and decided to bat. Sehwag came out like a man on a mission and dismantled Umar Gul like a tinker toy as he raced to 38 off 25 balls. Sachin finished on 85, having been dropped not once but 4 times and escaping an LBW shout initially given only to be reversed on review…THANK YOU UDRS!!! Wahab Riaz ended up causing the most damage dismissing Kohli and Yuvi in successive balls, leaving the Men in Blue tottering at 141 for 4. In the middle now, was Dhoni and Raina, who battled hard to take India to 260, which was par total for the ground averaging 253 for 1st innings. Pakistan started off briskly but once they lost their openers, their momentum grounded to a halt thanks to all-round good bowling effort from their 5 bowlers , who took 2 wickets each. Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal did give the Indians a bit of a scare but removing them before they got going meant a job well done and even a Misbah hitting spree in the last 2 overs was too late to count. Hence…INDIA THROUGH TO THE WORLD CUP FINAL against SRI LANKA. Could this be the year?
An Asian team had now been in the World Cup final in every edition since 1992. What an achievement.
2nd April 2011 ... Remember this day! India vs Sri Lanka for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Who would get a game in the final? Would the 3Ms (Malinga, Murli & Mendis) play? Would Ashwin or Nehra play? Well, Mendis didn’t play as they opted for Suraj Randiv due to the fact that in recent times, the Indians had played him particularly well. Neither Ashwin or Nehra played as India opted for Sreesanth, with Nehra out with a fractured finger from the Pakistan game. Shocks were flying through both sides of the fence. TOSS TIME. Sri Lanka called right and in they went to bat.
The first 10 overs showed the Indians field as if their bodies were taken over by the Proteas; diving to the left and right, stopping runs like they were fire fighters saving lives. Zak bowled a superb opening spell of 5-3-6-1 accounting for the wicket of Tharanga. DIlshan and Sanga then brought life into the innings with Dilshan unfortunately bowled by Bhajji in a very weird fashion. Mahela and Sanga then did what they do best…building a partnership through no risk at all. With Sanga falling one short of his 50, Mahela then built fifty plus partnerships with Samaraweera and Kulasekara, taking him to his hundred and Sri Lanka to 274.
India had a problem. They would have to make the highest chase in World Cup history and no team had lost if their player had scored a century. Odds against India? Would Sachin win this World Cup for his nation? So many questions, yet those questions might have been answered as India lost Sehwag without tickling the scorers to Slinga Malinga, and he was soon followed by the master blaster, who nicked Maliga to the keeper, who gleefully accepted. The Wankhede crowd went silent as Malinga ran riot. Would India fail at the final hurdle again?
Kohli joined Gambhir and they both strung together an 83 run partnership at a good rate that seemed to lift the spirits and keep those 1 billion Indian hopes alive…WAIT! Dilshan came and plucked a return catch out of nowhere to remove a flabbergasted Kohli for 35. In came Yuvraj…NO…this wasn’t Yuvraj but captain cool himself. Dhoni had promoted himself up the order, maybe to continue the left hand right hand combo. Just imagine the pressure on the captain at the time. He had not scored many runs and at 114 for 3 if Dhoni were to get out, who knows what would happen. Dhoni played the innings of a lifetime; rotating strike and hitting the occasional boundary. He and Gambhir put on 109 before Gambhir gave it away being on 97. 54 still needed and Yuvi strolls in. A captain is valued based on the decisions he makes, the results he brings and what he gets out of his players. Dhoni did all of this and more, leading from the front, hitting boundaries of Murali, Suraj Randiv, Malinga and a six of Perera. With victory in sight and 4 runs needed, Dhoni tonked Kulasekara over long on for a massive 6, smiling at the shot and then turning around to pick up stump, while Yuvi rushed to his captain to embrace him.
INDIA HAD WON THE WORLD CUP.
I fell to my knees and broke down watching that ball fly over the boundary. I still think back to that day and my hair still stands up on end. I see Dhoni, Sachin, Yuvi and Bhajji crying after what happened and I can’t help but wonder how much pressure they must go through. To see India lift that trophy was a sight I will never ever forget. To hear what Virat said about Sachin, was probably the best way to dedicate their win to him. Everyone on that team wanted the World Cup, not for themselves but for the man who has worn the Indian badge on his chest since the tender age of 16 and given so much to the game and the country. As Mathew Hayden said "His life seems to be a stillness in a frantic world...When he goes out to bat, it is beyond chaos - it is a frantic appeal by a nation to one man". Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar wanted to win a World Cup and so he did on 2nd April 2011.
