2003, South Africa...the eighth Word Cup of Cricket. The Australians toted as the overwhelming favourites by one and all.
Back home in India, the millions of avid fans have given in to an inevitable Indian failure..another in the long list. The paper tigers, as the Indian team is called, have possibly the best batting line up in the world...on paper. And on some rare occasions, playing at doctored pitches and in home conditions, the batting has come good. The TV screens are suddenly splashed with ads featuring our Indian cricketers. Really..you dont need to watch cricket to know when the Indian team is winning.
The current Indian team, on its road to the world cup, had its worst defeat in a decade at the hands of the Kiwis, whitewashed in the test series, and beaten comprehensively in the one dayers. The scars of the defeat were only too visible when they struggled to put a decent total on board against the minnows Holland in the first match.
The next match against the indomitable Aussies was the final nail in the coffin. A crushing defeat in which nothing went right for the Indians.The magnitude of the defeat was realised a day later when the Indian public decided to vent their anger towards the unfortunate families of the cricketers. Saurav, Rahul, Kaif...no one was spared. Such a failure was simply not acceptable to the fanatic fans in a country where cricket is a religion, and not just a game. Former cricketers-turned-commentators, failed cricketers-turned-critics..everyone jumped in the fray and hurled their abuses at our insipid cricketers who had let our country down.
And then..the miracle happened. The players were pushed too far, too deep, and the insults had got too personal ...and something snapped. And in a remarkable turnaround, the team that had looked so terribly out of sorts, finally started to play as a unit. The batsmen started to bat, the bowlers started to bat....and the bowlers started to bowl..and the batsmen started to...oh well, the bowlers didnt need the batsmen to bowl, cos they had wiped the opposition out themselves. Namibia, Zimbabwe, England, and then, the biggest scalp of all..Pakistan..the Indian Juggernaut had begun to roll, and it didnt look like stopping.
The same fanatics who had so badly bashed the players up, had now begun to worship them....the wheel had spun a whole circle...the ex-cricketers had begun to sing praises of the ’’most complete team’’ that India had ever produced. This team was being billed as the best Indian team ever. The bowling attack was termed as the best contemporary bowling attack . Not only had the Indians qualified for the Super Sixers, but even more importantly, they had denied Pakistan a place in the same. Couldnt have it any good than this if you were an Indian fan.
It is now just one week away from the final day which could herald the arrival of a new era in Indian Cricket. The Indians have won all their super six matches, and are now scheduled to face the minnows-turned-dark horses Kenya for a place in the final, possibly against the Aussies. The mood is upbeat in the Indian camp , and the confidence is running high. They have the world by their side, and at their feet at the same time. With all due respect to Kenya, India should reach the final against Australia. The stage is all set for the final redemption. Will the Indians exorcise the ghost of the defeat against Australia? Will Sachin again rise to the occasion like he did in Sharjah a few years ago, and put the demons to rest? Will Bret Lee and co finally meet their match? Watch the finals next Sunday to find out. Good luck to the Indians. Cheers.