After 28 years

Saturday morning. It started like every normal Saturday morning usually starts. We had our end-sem lab quiz scheduled that day, it sounds important but could it be more important than the event that was scheduled for that day! Well the answer might be subjective but it is unquestionable at the same time. So, just like each lab class we ‘calmly’ went inside and almost all of us were trying to have premonitions, not about the quiz questions of course!!So, the lab ended at 12:30 for the 1st batch (I was in it) quiz takers and at 1:00 for the 2nd batch. And after the lab, we didn't have any classes, not by time table. It was because the day was more of a festival for the citizens of a country where cricket is an unequivocal religion. So, we all fastened our seat belts and got ready for the war to begin. I was getting flashbacks, or rather, flashes of the Ramayana.

The match began. Many boarders were enjoying the match in the dining hall of our hostel and it felt like a stadium but, I preferred watching it online. Whatever! The match went on and on and on. India’s innings started and started rather at a low note. Sachin’s wicket came as a heart choking situation and many were disheartened. Well, the match was full of nail biting moments. Sachin and Gambhir’s wickets were like ‘Nooooo…..that can’t be…..!’ moments. I started disliking the bowler. Anyways, I was watching the match alone in my room, so it was a bit of pressure to witness some worrisome situations. The last 6 overs to go! It was expected that Malinga was going to bowl the 48th and 50th overs-the 2 crucial overs for India. I was feeling that it was kind of a live or die moment. At last, at the end of 47th over, I thought, I can’t handle the pressure alone and went to a friend’s room (who was also witnessing the match online) for the last 3 overs. And, as expected Malinga bowled the 48th over but…..tchtchtch….what great strokes! My heart elated with each stroke. That was just wonderful, awesome! Starting of 49th over…..5 runs,12 balls and a great performance awaited. We were praying for a six but the first ball contributed for a single run. Next, 11 balls, 4 runs…..Dhoni on strike. The ball was bowled, Dhoni hit the ball…..and buffering stopped. We were sure that it must be a six or at least a four but for 5 seconds could not judge what it was exactly! I patted the laptop heavily as if it would listen to me and would show the consequence. That was funny but at that moment it was not! Finally, after 5 seconds we saw that it was a huge six and……..INDIA WON THE WORLD CUP 2011! I was spellbound. I did not know for a minute how am I supposed to react. I was just left in that moment. I did not want to come out of that. I was seeing my friends screaming and dancing with joy and I was just asking them,”Is it for real? ” Then, we saw Yuvraj and Harbhajan crying and then I realized, 'Yes. We actually have the cup now. We are the champions now!' A lot of thoughts and lots of feelings were streaming in but I was just confused what to do. Should I scream, should I laugh or should I cry. Anyways, we enjoyed the last moments of the world cup in the dining hall. Sachin being carried on the shoulders and India’s victory walk round the stadium was heart-elating. Sachin’s last ODI world cup in his hometown, in his ground with a victory, world cup victory, and his cherished dream of holding a world cup in his 21 years of carrier, that was one of the most glorious moments. But that was also sad. I was feeling as if this is the last world cup match for me. Anyway, we are the champions now and that’s the best thing. When the team was posing for a photo with the World Cup in their hands and a banner reading ‘Champions’ in front of them, I bet most Indians would have witnessed a ‘goose bumps moment’. Oh, that is just so good, it’s hard to come out of it.

All this glory, all this pomp is worth the win, a win after 28 years. But, what disturbs me is the amount of money. Yes. Many organizations-govt. and private have already announced and some are yet to announce huge prize money for the team members for their win. I agree that they are worth it and deserving. But, just think, gifting each player 1-2 crore rupees on one side and people of the same nation dying of hunger, committing suicides out of hunger on the other, where does this issue fit in? If one crore rupees have truly been invested for such a cause, how many lives could have been saved? How many people could have been benefited?

Think of 2007 world cup. We, residents of a civilized nation turned into terrorists when Indian team failed miserably. We were in the verge of demolishing their houses; we burned down their dummies and what not. Let us forget the past. It was bitter. But shouldn’t we give it a thought? We are healthy minded people and have got the capacity to think and ponder over an issue. We are happy now as our team won the world cup. They are happy too. It’s our win, our country’s win. But, when the team lost in 2007, was it only their loss?! Were they feeling happy about it? We were feeling bad; but, at the same time we should have thought, what they were feeling at that moment. They were also depressed and we added on to it by burning down their dummies, by attacking their homes and by bad mouthing them. Is this what independence should look like? Definitely not. Now, we are raining gold on them. If a small, just a trifle amount could have been used otherwise, a lot of deaths could possibly have been done away with.

Anyways, it was Team India! The men in blue! And, tomorrow is Blue Day. Just hope, the glory remains with us forever.

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