That’s exactly how a majority of the Indian junta received this day of their life; well, that’s exactly how I did… And at the end of ruining the hopes of the billions, our honourable captain prefers calling it as the ‘darkest day of his life…’ Well Rahul (Dravid), for us - it was the darkest weekend of our life.
Ok, I’m not blogging on this to express my anguish on the Men in Blue (which even our opponents Lankan’s were!), but I take this opportunity to wake the nation from its devotion towards this sport. It’s amazing that a country as huge & diverse as ours has one common thread – the religion of cricket.
Kudos to the enthusiasm & the fervour.
But in return, it has always been disappointment that has been served to the followers of this religion. Considering the fact that the cricket playing population in our country is one of the highest in the world, its astonishing to note that the last time our boys did us proud (by bringing home the world cup) was more than two decades back.
Still the smiling face of Kapil Dev, adorned in a Blue blazer with a cup in his hand brings smiles to the face of many – including my mom…
As for folks like my father, the 1983 World Cup victory is (& was) more commendable moment than our ladies Sushmita Sen & Aishwarya Rai bagging the Miss Universe & Miss World titles – the latter being a more commendable achievement as per my sister.
While I feel proud (at such moments when the majority of the nation is in despair) not to have been as fervent follower of this sport as most of the people around me are, it does sends a chill down my spine to know that we were ousted in the league matches itself. Aah! A country whose economy is also referred as a Rising Cricket Economy is no more in the tournaments that decides the most talented team in the world of cricket.
I wish that now the media & India Inc. learns a lesson from this episode & gets rid of the blot of a one sport nation. I mean, it’s high time we wake up & start acknowledging the existence of other sports & focus on them too. & I have always felt that the level of attention that we give to this sport in effect mars the mental state of the players, making them more conscious thereby, making them more vulnerable to errors.
I wish the change from a one sport nation to a multi sport nation comes soon…
Lastly, I feel sad for all the Indian cricket fans who bought in new TV sets to witness their country win… for all the money lost in betting & hoping… & a humble sorry for all the efforts spent by ‘Hyderabad Times’ editions of ‘The Times of India’ for roping in our celebrity cricketers with their views on the preparedness of the team to bring home the cup! I can almost imagine each of those players putting their foot in a mouthful of words… At-least, for some time now, I won’t feel punished for reading Turbanator’s diet regime & the exercise regimen of a Chandigarh lad.
& I hope the Stock market Sensex doesn’t plummets on Monday on account of the cricket dream getting shattered, considering India being termed as a rising Cricket Economy (though me haven’t got any clue as to what does a Cricket Economy mean)
As for team India - Better luck next time…
