I was watching the World Cup final at the pg. Some of the girls brought beer, but I decided to stick to Red Bull which was a mistake I think. It definitely didn't help my blood pressure.
The mood was euphoric during the first twenty overs. I've never seen India field quite so superbly. By the end of that innings though, I'd returned to my room to calm myself with a never-you-mind because I was convinced we were going to lose.
Second half. Sehwag was already out by the time I went back upstairs. Everyone was shaking their heads and muttering about how he really doesn't perform when he should, but people were still calm. That's because Sachin Tendulkar was at the crease. But he didn't last long.
I didn't think he'd get his coveted ton that day. It would have been too perfect. But in the end, it didn't really matter, because after all the ups and downs (and man, were there a lot of downs) and a lot of desperately smoked cigarettes, Dhoni hit a six and we had the cup.
It's difficult not to sentimentalise sport. It's even more difficult not to be sentimental about a player like Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat Kohli said something afterwards, and I thought it was a pretty accurate sum up of what many Indians have been feeling recently. He said that Sachin Tendulkar had been carrying the Indian cricket team on his shoulders for twenty one years and now it was their turn to carry him.
That's the beauty of it. He didn't get his hyped hundredth ton, but in the end, it didn't really matter. The younger players kept their cool and guided India to victory - a good omen for the future. And it was a team effort. And it reinforced the impression I got throughout the tournament - this was Sachin Tendulkar's world cup, but it was for him, not because of him.
There was one scene from the final that caught my eye.
It was soon after Sehwag's dismissal. Gambhir was looking terrified and he was struggling. Tendulkar had a few quiet words with him, and Gambhir hit the next ball for a four. He eventually went on to make 97 runs, even though Tendulkar got out soon after.
They carried him around the field after what was probably his last World Cup match to thunderous applause. So what if he'd had an inglorious personal exit from the World Cup stage. He's done more than enough already and I'm glad, glad, glad, glad, that Indian cricket could do this for him.
The mood was euphoric during the first twenty overs. I've never seen India field quite so superbly. By the end of that innings though, I'd returned to my room to calm myself with a never-you-mind because I was convinced we were going to lose.
Second half. Sehwag was already out by the time I went back upstairs. Everyone was shaking their heads and muttering about how he really doesn't perform when he should, but people were still calm. That's because Sachin Tendulkar was at the crease. But he didn't last long.
I didn't think he'd get his coveted ton that day. It would have been too perfect. But in the end, it didn't really matter, because after all the ups and downs (and man, were there a lot of downs) and a lot of desperately smoked cigarettes, Dhoni hit a six and we had the cup.
It's difficult not to sentimentalise sport. It's even more difficult not to be sentimental about a player like Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat Kohli said something afterwards, and I thought it was a pretty accurate sum up of what many Indians have been feeling recently. He said that Sachin Tendulkar had been carrying the Indian cricket team on his shoulders for twenty one years and now it was their turn to carry him.
That's the beauty of it. He didn't get his hyped hundredth ton, but in the end, it didn't really matter. The younger players kept their cool and guided India to victory - a good omen for the future. And it was a team effort. And it reinforced the impression I got throughout the tournament - this was Sachin Tendulkar's world cup, but it was for him, not because of him.
There was one scene from the final that caught my eye.
It was soon after Sehwag's dismissal. Gambhir was looking terrified and he was struggling. Tendulkar had a few quiet words with him, and Gambhir hit the next ball for a four. He eventually went on to make 97 runs, even though Tendulkar got out soon after.
They carried him around the field after what was probably his last World Cup match to thunderous applause. So what if he'd had an inglorious personal exit from the World Cup stage. He's done more than enough already and I'm glad, glad, glad, glad, that Indian cricket could do this for him.
1 comment:
Totally agree. This is a lovely post.
Hi, by the way- just looking around and liking what I see :)
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