Silly M(a)id-on

WARNING – Longer than usual post. Very frequent uses of the words “Incredible”, “awesome” and other similar ones. Clichés abound. Fangirl makes an appearance too.

Hmm.. so where should I begin this one?

I’ve spent the last few hours going over the last over of the Final and the “aftermath” if you will, on youtube. Again, and again, and again. And each time, the euphoria remains. Each time my heart swells up. Each time I see a Harbhajan or Yuvi with moist eyes and I get how much it meant to them. The incredible hug Tendulkar gave Dhoni and Yuvi. I’ve never seen him this animated. The lap of honour with Tendulkar and Kirsten on the young ones’ shoulders. What did Virat say? “Tendulkar has carried the team for 21 years. I think it’s time we carried him on our shoulders”.  Yes, Virat. You can say that again. Incredible.

I gotta say though. When Tendulkar edged that Malinga delivery, I had that sinking feeling in my stomach. This cannot be happening. We aren’t going to collapse again, are we? Another 4 years’ worth of wait? No, this cannot happen. A tiny part of my brain reminded me that my team had faced such tricky situations in the last couple of years, and handled it really well. What do I say of what happened after that. Writers better than me will explain how that innings was built by Gambhir and Virat and then Gambhir and Dhoni. I will only say this. Gambhir, in my book, deserved the man of the match as much as Dhoni did for this win. Just sayin’! Not complaining! The adjudicators could have given it to Sreesanth for all I care. As long as the trophy was given to Dhoni .

Let me just briefly jot down my thoughts on a few players in this team and their WC performances (in order of their batting) –

Viru – I find it incredible that a player like Viru has such an amazing Test record. He is just a slightly better version of Afridi for me in ODIs. But even so, a quickfire 35 from him can really dismantle a good bowler (like what happened with Gul). Makes it easier for people coming in after him.

Tendulkar – I have no words for this guy. Enough has been said. Rest assured I’m glad he has a WC gold medal for himself.

Gambhir –  This guy. This guy has nerves of steel. Mostly. On the rare occasion when that steel is melting away, he runs himself out in the ugliest manner. But otherwise, his presence on the batting crease gives me the sort of peace of mind that Dravid used to once upon a time (i.e. when he still played ODIs).

Virat- He is 4^th on my list here, and he should never ever bat lower than this number. You hear that Dhoni? I complained when he wasn’t sent out at #4 against England. I had my head in my hands when the same happened against SA. But Dhoni realised his mistake in good time, and all was well with the world. Virat is my hope for the future of Indian cricket. As long as he keeps his attitude in check. Don’t ever let me see that arrogant smirk on your face, Virat!

Yuvi – Was ranting to a friend a few months ago about how it was so painful to watch someone so gifted like Yuvi, so disinterested in his game. For someone who used to be an incredible fielder, to watch him move about listlessly on the field..it wasn’t a good sight at all. Whatever has reignited the fire in his belly, I hope it stays for years to come.

Captain Cool – Dhoni, dear Dhoni. Oh my dear Dhoni. Saved his best batting for the end, didn’t he? Everything we associate with his brand of batting. All those characteristic shots. That mad running between the wickets. Did I say Gambhir has nerves of steel? Well, this guy right here has nerves of Titanium (I hope I have my chemistry right here…don’t correct me if I am wrong. It’s ok. I make a living out of software stuff, not chemistry ).  The format allowed him a little leeway to test a few of his hypotheses and he made good use of it. Got the batting order and batsmen right (good decision to drop Yusuf, like I pointed out in my previous post). Almost good enough with the bowling line up too. And also discovered how the team was messing up with the Powerplays and worked that chink in the armour out. All in all, a job well done! And there are 2 distinct images of Dhoni I’ll take away from this tournament. One, that look of calm in his eyes as he hit that 6 to seal the match. And two, that giggling teenager at the press conference after the match! Gawd Dhoni, what was that all about??

Raina – He came in a little late but he showed his captain, and the team and us what we all were missing before he came in – electricity on the field that ends up lifting the standards of others in the team too. And an innings of a finisher that is aggressive enough, but lasts more than 5 balls. He played his part to perfection.

Zak – The unofficial bowling coach. The “Anil Kumble” of this team. Dhoni’s go-to guy. The guy to toss the ball to when things are happening. The guy to toss the ball to when things are not happening. The joint highest wicket taker of the tournament with an average under 18. ‘Nuff said.

The Team – They only lost to SA. And that wasn’t a loss handed over the plate either. They were part of the toughest group. They had an incredibly hard path to the finals. Beating Australia and Pakistan is no joke. They stuck together. Someone was always at hand to do what was needed. Whether it was an innings of calm that was required, or a cameo. Whether India needed some wickets ASAP or they needed to stem the flow of runs. The fielding lifted towards the end too. I mean if you see Nehra flying about, you know there is something special going on on the field. This was the culmination of years of hard work. By the team, and their support staff too. Which brings me to…

Gary Kirsten – To you sir, I can only say Thank you. Thank you for giving my team 3 years of your life, away from your country and family. Thank you for building my team and doing everything you can to make them believe. You’ve given us the number 1 ranked team in tests. You’ve given us the number 1 ranked team in ODIs. You’ve given us the World Cup. I shouldn’t ask for more. I am incredibly sorry to see you go. Best wishes for your future endeavours.  If I could, I would give you the Bharat Ratna. Uh, would you mind coming back to give a “handover” of Project Team India once we have a new coach?? Please? Pretty please??

Nope, I’m not done yet.

I had to walk halfway to get to Southall yesterday coz the roads were all cordoned off. With an injured foot to boot. But it was so worth it. The fireworks, the naarebaazi, the flags, the vuvuzelas, the march on the Broadway. Southall screeched to a halt on Saturday, as did other parts of London (I’ve heard it was not possible to get out of East Ham train station after a while). The cheers went on even on public transport, no consideration for fellow non-Indians on board. The Met Police might have anticipated something like this, but I’m sure even they would have been surprised by the extent of it. Who knew there were so many noisy Desis around, eh?

I should mention the Sri Lankans too. They were worthy opponents. Mahela played a sublime knock. I was really surprised to note his final strike rate was over a 100. Never realised when the gears shifted to such an exent. And more than the Akhtars and the Aussies, I feared Malinga. And he did give us a glimpse of why he is feared. Those 2 wickets would have given millions of Indians a queasy feeling, including yours truly. Those yorkers, man, how does he do that will such regularity?? I guess the pressure got to him at the end, but nothing should take away from his achievements. And what about Murali the Magician. You either call him a master craftsman, or a chucker. There is no middle ground. I chose the former. And I will always remember the sheer joy on his face everytime he got a wicket. Jumping about like a little child. His last match ever did not do justice to the calibre of the man. He wil surely be missed, and not just by the Lankans.

Final thoughts – My dad has his ’83 story. I finally have one of my own too. And be sure of one thing. I’ll watch re-runs of this match till every detail is etched in my brain. And I’m going to bore my kids and their kids, the other people’s kids with stories of how we won this World Cup.

It was a 28 year wait this time around. One gets the feeling that the wait will be much shorter for the next one.

To all you Team India fans who’ve been with the team through thick and thin, enjoy and savour this victory. They’ve done it!!

Mumbai Ka King Kaun?? INDIAAAAAA……..

This is what it boils down to. After close to 50 matches, India vs Sri Lanka it will be in Mumbai tomorrow.

To me the World Cup showcased everything an ODI can be, given the right situation. The powers-that-be would do well to pay heed to the signs too. There is no need to tamper with the format. No pink balls, or innings splits or anything. For starters, good pitches, meaningful matches, and  adequate support for Associates will help muchly.

Tomorrow is a day of importance for an Indian cricket fan. Besides the fact that this is a chance for us to regain the trophy after 28 long years, it is also going to be Tendulkar’s last appearance for Team India at the WC.  Tendulkar has always done well for India in all WCs (except 2007, I guess). Let’s hope the team is able to rise up to the challenge of tomorrow and give him a WC send off in style!

 It will also mark the end of Gary Kirsten’s innings with India. After John Wright retired I was very sceptical of ever finding a coach who would be able to match his contribution to the team. But Gary has been great. It is very heartwarming to see how the players acknowledge his work with them and are sorry to see him leave. Scepticism raises its ugly head again every now and then, now that Gary is retiring. But I hope we are able to find someone as suitable to replace him. Needless to say though, the new coach has big huge shoes to fill.

Back to the final – I don’t know who holds the edge, who is the better team on paper and all that jazz. I cannot predict who will win it tomorrow. It is a difficult choice. Both teams have their own strengths and weaknesses. Hard to tell who will be able to soak up the pressure better. What I do hope for is a contest worthy of a final (unless of course India wins, then I don’t mind a crushing defeat for the Lankans!). Is 2011 going to be it for India? We shall soon know. Good luck to Dhoni and his men!