In a backdrop of continued hues and cries against the abolishment of 50 over format of the game what we witnessed over the last 40 odd days was one of the most successful ODI World Cup till date. Successful not only because the host nation lifted the trophy to create a record of its kind but more so for the euphoria and excitement this event generated by the quality of the cricket being played. Successful not only because it gave the lesser known associate nations a chance to showcase their skills but also because it witnessed a resurgence of old warriors and new heroes of the game who will become the flag bearers of tomorrow. Successful not only because the event generated unsurmountable moolah for the organizers and sponsors but also because it kept the shameful and longstanding vices of corruption and bureaucracy at the bay. There were varying theories leading to the world cup as to which team thoroughly deserves to win the world cup, most of these being discussed and debated endlessly in the studios of numerous 24*7 news channels and the sports column of leading newspapers.Team India were dubbed as the clear favorites not only by the experts and pundits but also by the leading betting agencies, the logic behind this tag was certainly a very strong and consistent string of performances in the last 2-3 years. If one set of experts professed South Africa as the true contenders of the coveted trophy based on their consistent performances, strong squad and playing against the choking odds and not so encouraging history to lift their first ICC trophy. The other set of pundits cautioned the rivals against the down by certainly not out Aussies, based on their strong ODI side, impressive performance in the recently concluded ODI series against the Ashes Warriors, advantage of being the proud owners of the No.1 spot in the ODIs and an impressive unbeaten record in the world cups for the last 12 odd years. Some experts even backed Srilanka to lift the trophy based on their consistent and impeccable performance in the subcontinent conditions and also emphasizing the fact that the Lankan lions were the runners up in the last edition of the world cup. The dangerous Underdogs tag was unanimously kept aside for the mercurial Pakistani side who despite their ever so familiar crises of match fixing and internal rifts were looking ominous and confident after a good showing in the Kiwi land.
It may be a bit unfair to state this but cricketing logic apart if there was one team that truly deserved this trophy more than any other team at this juncture it was Team India. India has been a powerhouse of Cricket for over two decades now, not only in terms of revenue generation but also in terms of mass following. If there is any sport which comes close to this euphoric and crazy follower-ship than it is certainly soccer but otherwise there is no match to the hysteria, festivity and togetherness this game(cricket) generates in this vast country. So if 1983 was the seed which triggered this phenomenon it was certainly the dividends time for the ardent fans of the game in this cricket crazy nation. The fan in this country has gone through everything to support the game and his/her team, so much so that it was certainly the payback time for the game to its staunchest supporters. Naturally a majority of youth in this nation has not experienced what it means to win this coveted trophy. All their lives they have either watched Australians lifting the trophy every four years or those virtually black and white images of Kapil Dev lifting the trophy almost three decades back. So for a fan who breeds on cricket and follows Indian team day in day out, it was high team he/she actually experiences this feeling first hand. And it's not that this premise has been built upon just these emotional cursors, obviously the team has been doing exceptionally well and showcasing high degree of consistency in all formats of the game. So if there was one time when this team truly deserved to win the cup, it was NOW. Not only the game owed a lot to the loyalist fan of this nation but it also owed something to the little genius (not withstanding the fact that no individual is greater than the game) who has been the best servant to this beautiful game for over two decades now, Sachin Tendulkar, and is all for sure playing his last world cup.
By the virtue of a strong team performance, high quality captaincy and a solid fan support the team went on to win the much awaited and a well deserved title and no points for guessing the entire nation went berserk. But the journey wasn't as smooth as it seems, if Viru's bangla bashing was celebrated across the nation, Team India's not so impressive bowling performance against the minnows raised quite a few eyebrows. If master blaster gave the nation hundreds of runs to smile about, the nation breathed fire every time Chawla was picked in the squad. If Zaheer Khan instilled confidence in the prayer murmuring lips of millions, the likes of Nehra and Munaf literally dozed off the nation. If Yuvraj's new found savior avatar was the talk of the nation, Dhoni lack of batting form till the final was a constant cause of worry in every household. Such is the insight about this game in a common man that every Indian has an advice or two for the Captain and interestingly most of them aren't that bad either. Eventually with thousands of Pujas and Havanas, millions of fan mails, billions of superstitions and little bit of cricket on the field the Team went on to the lift the World Cup.
And the atmosphere and the feeling that descended on this reverberating nation thereafter was certainly a never before. Millions on the street, crackers all over the sky, tricolor in every hand and hugs and hand shakes all around. If there was any event that could come close or super-cede this celebration and euphoria it can't be anything other than the night of 15th August 1947, such was the feeling and joyousness the swept across the nation. And seeing the bonding which this victory generated, even the likes of Aussies, South Africans, Lankans and Pakistanis wouldn't deny the fact that if there was one team or rather one nation that truly deserved this title at this juncture it was certainly INDIA!
Perspective: It would have augured well for this nation and the team if the cash rich IPL4 would have started a little later, as it would have given us a little more time to savior and cherish this memorable victory!
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