An Impossible Cricket Romantic

Izvor: KiWi

It had been on 23rd March 2007, the only day which I regret badly and will undoubtedly be regretting for my entire life, that a Dilhara Fernando delivery had the gates of Tendulkar, and a cuss word appeared out of my mouth for the very first and last time for Tendulkar. (God! Did I hate Fernando after that!) There is a lot of raw emotion involved. There was my group of friends together and everyone wanted the trio of Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly out from the team because of their bad
Shows. I had joined them also. It was then I understood that I loved this game of cricket over any single player. I wanted our team to gain, with or without Sachin. After all, it's THE planet cup!
Going exactly four years back on 23rd March, 2003 (pray that India don't play their quarter-final on 23rd March this year!), I kept asking that question to myself and to everybody around me - why the hell did Tendulkar play that premeditated shot to Mcgrath, when he could have seen him off and then taken on the weaker bowling of Symonds and co? I never got that answer. If Tendulkar had stayed on in that match or if Ganguly had been positive batting first, probably cricket would have had an alternative meaning in my life. Dig up further on our affiliated website - Hit this web page: small blue arrow. I used to be 16 years old then. Though it healed faster as we had many other new things to look forward to back then, it left a scar on many a wanting minds from my generation. But the disappointment of having so close yet so far from the World cup prize remains till day!
I'm, this world cup isn't just about erasing these sad memories, nonetheless it is more about completing the process began by V.V.S.Laxman and Rahul Dravid (the stalwarts of Indian cricket and idols to my generation) on another date in the month of March it self i.e. on the 14th of March, 2001, if they showed the cricket universe that India had indeed arrived. That has been, by a long way, the best day in Indian cricket, when every bowling approach employed by Steve Waugh had arrived at naught and the couple kept unbeaten building 376 in one single day. Even the 2007 World T20 title glorious day can not match the significance of that series-turning day, which I feel could be the major reason why we are nowadays hopeful about winning a world cup. From that time, Indian cricket ceased to be a one-man army and Sachin got the necessary cushion of pressure-relievers! When there is one moment which can actually surpass the happiness of that day, it can only be on 2nd April. 2011.
The Killer Instinct
It's also about remaining true to the I-don't-give-a-damn attitude developed by Ganguly from the start of that 2001 series, when he kept Waugh waiting for the toss or when he flung his shirt off after that Natwest victory in 2002. We felt these emotions making our adrenaline rush like never-before. Didn't we? Yet I feel, it's today this killer-instinct which India lacks. The photo of a rudely smiling Ricky Ponting kissing his wife together with the world cup in turn in the Times of India on 24th March, 2003 is still as fresh as if it happened yesterday. Several teams have won a large event minus the brashness or the attitude. Remember Maradona in 1986, Rafael Nadal over the last several years, Australia over last three cricket world cups or for example as recently while the Dutch team in 2010, if they almost took the FIFA world cup from Spain playing dirty football.
And what we did was, we performed tamely against Netherlands and Ireland and failed to deliver the message. Also, we needed Sreesanth dropped for his attitude dilemmas. I wish Dhoni gave more games to Sreesanth, supplying him confidence and making him work his mouth down. He's a far better bowler when he is excited. I don't care, if even Sachin shows the temperament of the Ponting and fails a tv within the dressing room, when he gets out. If the Indian team gets branded as loudmouths and wins the world cup, it will be okay with me and I do not believe anyone from India will have any issue either. Therefore, pump-up the volume, relax in the temperature and allow MCs and BCs move with full effect!
Me, You and the Cup
If I set my life in perspective with respect to what happened to the cricket field every one of these years, I can not imagine my life without that Adelaide, Perth or Johannesburg victories. I can only remember the significant events in my private life in line with the cricket collection India have played. I've known no other time-line. Should people require to dig up further about the infographic, there are millions of online resources you might pursue. When people look the listing of holidays in per year, they take into account the important things they have to perform on those days. They think about going out and make a plan for their entertainment or celebrate any festival. I have no other thought than which match is going to be used that morning and will I be able to watch it.
Going more, I can even say (and it might sound stupid) that I had imagined my potential four years back only till 2nd April, 2011. Even now and I stay true to my words. I don't care what happens on 3rd April! I do not care if I've a future or the Indian team has a future. I've known no other game than cricket all my life. I've performed no other game. I do not feel the goose-bumps when Man U battle with Liverpool or Brazil with Argentina in football. I dismiss hockey. I'm fed up with F-1 being a monotonous sport. Yes, I really do have an interest in tennis, however it is by using regards to only two Federer and persons- Nadal. But cricket? It's opium for me! Cricket gives a TOP to me in exactly the same way, up to pursuing my dream does! When Sehwag and Tendulkar go berserk everywhere on earth I am incapacitated to perform any work. I feel a strange number of loss if I don't reach watch also an Indian loss.
An interesting truth is, I've lost poorly, whenever I've betted on India winning. I win that bet, whenever I bet logically on cricket. But with India, it's just too a lot of heart involved. So in these times, I have ended gambling on India so that profit and loss don't come in picture itself, when Indian group is in equation. And it's not just about me anymore. It is about history of Indian cricket the past 10 years. A lot more than that, it is about the common man on the street, who regardless of how hopeless the problem is, prays for an Indian win. One cricket writer had mentioned, 'How I wish the number of prayers win fits than the number of works '! Just to-day evening, when I was having a cup of tea at a tea-stall, the assistant of the stall-owner held arguing with the owner on what India is way better placed to get the cup given their powerful batting line-up and his faith in the top three. But, the master was reluctant to recognize after viewing the bowling of Nehra and co washing away Tendulkar's century just past Saturday. Personally I think that it is the Indian team's obligation now, to prove that assistant right, to prove my hope right and to satisfy what the collective consciousness continues to be demanding through the years.
Is it Really About Tendulkar?
Therefore, where does the notion to all of this place of winning the cup for Tendulkar?? Is it just about Tendulkar or is it also about an entire generation, who've recognized no other HERO than Tendulkar? In his book 'All That You Can not Leave Behind', Soumya Bhattacharya writes - 'It strikes me that there's an entire generation of Indian cricket fans who are, say, inside their mid- or late-twenties, remember no Indian cricket apart from that dominated by Tendulkar. They will, once he goes, understand the strangeness of devoid of him there. They will have to deal with the vacuum. And they shall talk to future generations of what it had been like to own him around.'
I am one of those of an incredible number of supporters who have lived and felt the pain each time India has failed to get the World cup for Sachin or otherwise (just in case that you don't determine what otherwise means, it means for the country). Okay! I want to clarify this right. Get further on this affiliated portfolio by going to BuddyGo: Helpful Tips to Hair Extension Salons. What does 'winning the earth cup for Sachin' mean exactly? If you discard the knowing that patriotism is simply about sacrificing your lifetime on the battlefield, maybe, just maybe, there is no greater patriot than Sachin in India. His often-cliched statement after a nervous 90 breakdown goes like this - 'So long as the team wins, I am pleased with my 90s.' (Seriously! Who on earth is happy getting out in the 90s?) What does this statement mean? It just means Tendulkar is either really humble or not human. If you think anything at all, you will seemingly fancy to research about in english. He desperately desires to cap his international career with his long cherished dream. Now, what is wrong with that? Also being a Tendulkar diehard, I don't care if he reaches his landmark of 100 centuries till the ultimate or not! Even though he gets from zero in every innings henceforth and India wins the cup, I will be much more than happy.
The Present Situation
That being said, I am fed up with people criticizing Nehra and Dhoni, for the other day against South Africa. Dhoni is just a gambler. Sometimes it takes care of and sometimes not. It generally does not mean we must publicly begin a hate-campaign against Nehra. Have faith! They've been our cricketing investments over time. If he is for the reason that team of 11, he's the top job in India recruited through probably the most cunning procedure for selection. My gut-feeling says Nehra can come good in the residual matches. He has to!
My head is already wandering to the Wankhede on second April with Sachin playing that delightful cover-drive to Brett Lee (most probably!) to log off the mark. Ah! How many times I will need to have relished that drive? However, I can't have enough of it. I'm a dreamer and an optimist! Yesterday, among my friends said to me - You're building castles in the air! My answer is - Yes, certainly. I'm building castles in the air. It's now., If there's time for you to build those. It is time to dream. If at all the dream isn't fulfilled on 2nd April or crushed even before that, I'll at least have the satisfaction of getting recognized my team with all my heart till the end. No cynicism or pessimism..only HOPE, the greatest of all feelings, coz' as Andy believed to Red in The Shawshank Redemption, 'Hope is a good thing, maybe the most useful of things, and no good thing actually dies '!.