India the World Champions...

the moment...

As the ball left Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s bat and sailed high over the boundary rope, there was a collective roar by 2 billion people. A roar which reverberated across the globe reaching every corner of the world announcing the arrival of India, the world champions in cricket. Yes, after a long wait of 28 years India has again captured the Holy Grail of cricket; the Cricket World Cup.

The great Muhammad Ali once said that, ‘Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision’. The Indian cricket team proved this today. After the catastrophe that was the 2007 World Cup, it didn’t look like Indian cricket would reach the top of the rankings much less win another World Cup. There was a need for massive rebuilding and restructuring. It was a time to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.

It all began with the new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s desire to be the absolute best. He is a born leader and it immediately showed when he brought in young players to form a great mix of young and old in the team. His desire and positivity rubbed onto his team mates as the team steadily climbed to the top of the rankings in both the ODIs and Tests. The team also won the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup. Things became better and better as the team’s performances hit a consistent high and it also showed in the results.

They even dared to dream of winning a World Cup again and it was no surprise then that India entered into this World Cup as favourites to win. Things began well but hit a low as they tied a match against England and lost to the South Africans. But instead of being bogged down, the team rose to the occasion with every player playing his role. The stellar performances against Australia and Pakistan showed the character of the team and the players. Today against the Sri Lankans this was even more evident when having lost two early wickets they held their nerves to come up top in one of the most exciting World Cup finals.

Players like Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh lead by an example and inspired the others to perform. Players started peaking at the right moment. Suresh Raina came from the bench to finish off a very crucial game against the Australians. Nehra after having a horrid match against the South Africans came back with a strong performance against Pakistan in the semi-finals. Dhoni though leading the team from the front, saved his best for the last as he played one of his best innings when it mattered the most, in the finals.

A vision that was created in 1983 as a relatively unheard team felled the giants of cricket to lift the World Cup has been achieved again. It has taken 28 years of hard work and passion to achieve it but the wait has been worth every moment. A country which has been many a time blamed to be underachievers has answered her critics. Today as the Indian cricket team lifted the World Cup, I was ecstatic and I had tears in my eyes. But like Sachin I couldn't stop them or cared as they were the tears of happiness and pride. 

The World Champions of 2011...

India vs. Pakistan: More than just cricket match…

When you read words like ‘Bring It On…’, ‘Frenzy peaks’ and  ‘More than a game..’,  in bold headlines, you can be sure it is the run-in towards one of sport’s greatest and most intense rivalries. A rivalry so huge, that other famous sport rivalries like those between Manchester United and Manchester City or Barcelona and Real Madrid feel like mere playground squabbles. A cricket match between India and Pakistan.

the greatest sporting rivalry...

Unlike other matches where the players have to deal with the people’s passion for cricket, in these matches they have to deal with the passion, the pride of their nation and an almost unbearable burden of the people’s expectations. Such is the pressure under which the players have to play a cricket match and every one of the 180 matches played between these countries which include Tests, ODIs and T20s has managed to maintain the same amount of intensity.

In the run up to the game there is an almost visible shift in the wind and the effect is felt in so many spheres of life. The tension in the air is palpable, people wait impatiently for the match day to come, and the streets are filled with people showing their support for their teams. Temples and other places of worship see a sudden increase in attendance. TV broadcast channels run continuous analysis, expert’s views and endless reruns of their team’s past victories while newspapers and magazines extend their sports sections to accommodate the various articles. The political system too is not spared as all the unresolved agendas between the two countries are suddenly put into spotlight and the politicians run for cover to avoid talking about ‘Peace Talks’ between the two countries. It has also been observed that both countries suffer a considerable drop in production on the day. But my favourite would have to be how people get busy thinking about unique excuses to skip office or college on the day. I can sympathise with them, as I too have been thinking for a good excuse since last week!

Since India and Pakistan won their respective quarterfinal matches last week, the subcontinent is buzzing with nationalistic sentiments. I might even be bold enough to say that people in both the countries seem to be making preparations for a war rather than a cricket match, such is the intensity. The world seems to have totally forgotten about the other semi-final match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

The captains leading by an example

In terms of statistics when both the countries are compared, Pakistan is ahead of India in the number of wins in Tests and ODIs. But when it comes to the day of the match, predicting a winner is near to impossible as both the teams are quite similar and the pressure and intensity bring the best out of both sets of players. When it comes to World Cups though, India holds a clean record against Pakistan; 4-0.

But when the players take field tomorrow, all statistics, expert views and analysis and history between the two will be forgotten. All that will matter is how well the teams perform and who wins. For a moment the World Cup itself will be forgotten and only this match will matter. Whatever happens, it is surely going to be a cracker of a semi-final at Mohali tomorrow.

India; World Cup 2011 Winners?

People in fourteen countries will be united in praying for and supporting those 11 men who will be carrying the hopes and pride of their respective nations. As I start to write this blog, there is only a day, nine hours and four minutes left for the greatest spectacle in cricket to begin; the Cricket World Cup. Returning to the subcontinent after 15 years, the 10^th edition of this cricketing extravaganza is sure to be the biggest and the best till date.

The Indian team apart from the carrying the huge expectations of a billion people at home will also be carrying the tag of favourites as they enter the World Cup. It is maybe for the first time since the World Cups began, that India is being considered as strong contenders to win. It is hardly surprising considering India is ranked first and second in tests and ODIs respectively. They also go to the World Cup on the back of a strong season where they hardly lost any series home or away.

The closest rivals this time will be the South Africans and the Sri Lankans, but with one of them still battling the tag of ‘chokers’, the only real competitor to India will be the Sri Lankans. The champions Australia are on a decline like the West Indies of the 80's and are a mere shadow of their real selves. Though England had a brilliant Ashes victory and Pakistan are on a revival, they are highly inconsistent. New Zealand are resilient but are still trying to find a right combination for their team and while West Indies and Bangladesh can spring the occasional surprise, they are hardly what we call challenges. Though it is a bit harsh, but the rest of the teams will be more like spectators than competitors.

Captain Cool

Certainly under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian team has shrugged off all its stereotypical problems like bad fielding and poor form away from home and have become a force to be reckoned with. Under his leadership the team has constantly evolved until now, when they have finally found a winning combination.

On the batting front, with openers like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir who complement each other so well, more often than not the team gets off to a flying start. Sehwag goes on a rampage from ball one, while Gambhir holds the fort on the other side, slowly building an inning. They are followed by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who in his last World Cup looks anything but old. Looking at his performances over the last season or so, it won’t be far from the truth if it is said that he is in his best form ever.

The top order is followed by a very formidable middle order comprising of the young and versatile Virat Kohli, who has been a revelation be it when he is batting or on the field stopping a ball. Then there is the swashbuckling southpaw Yuvraj Singh, who on his day can destroy any kind of bowling attack on any kind of pitch. He is followed by another southpaw Suresh Raina who is a very valuable asset to have in the middle order. The captain comes in next and according to what the situation demands; he can either play a blistering innings like the one he played against the Kiwis in the warm-up match or hold the fort with a constructive innings. Last in the middle order is the hard-hitting Yusuf Pathan who can hit the ball out of any stadium in the world.

The lower order batsmen though never known for their batting prowess, have shown time and again that they too can contribute valuable runs whenever given a chance. Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan have contributed a lot of runs very low down the order and have won a couple of matches for India too. Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla and Ravi Ashwin too can be handy on their day.

to win again?

On the bowling front Zaheer and Nehra have spearheaded the attack and even on good batting surfaces have given some very decent performances. Munaf with his very tight line and length can slow the rate of scoring at any given point of the match. But the real strength of this Indian bowling line up is spin with Harbhajan Singh leading the attack and a choice of Ashwin and Chawla to follow him. The spin attack also consists of part-time bowlers like Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan who do a very decent job in the middle overs.

Under the captaincy of the cool headed Dhoni, the amount of resources at his disposal, the home advantage for most of the games and the tremendous fan support wherever they play, India has a strong chance of bringing home this World Cup. I wish the team Good Luck and only wish that I was back home so I could have gone to the Wankhede Stadium to the see the finals. Go India!!!!