Indian Cricket...
I have been an ardent follower of cricket from my childhood. Though I wasn't good at batting, bowling or fielding, my penchant for cricket never went down. I was just a "Galli Cricketer" like many of us :)
What is cricket to me?
Cricket was a fun, time-pass and a gentleman sport for me. But, the likes of Gavaskar, Kapil, Sachin, Ganguly, Sehwag, Dravid and many others (I was just lazy to type all the legends names here. No offense please :P) took it to a level where 1.3 Billion people of India have recognized cricket as a religion and the cricketers as their "Demi Gods". Not just movie stars, now we have cricket stars who get hailed for every win, every century, every wicket, every moment to which people associate to. However, on the flip side, the same people pelt stones, criticize in the most humiliating manner when a team or an individual fails. That is what cricket has done to the most lovable nation, India! I still feel, cricketers too are humans. Let us not forget the fact that every team plays to win and put their 100% on the field. Ultimately, it is one team which has to win. We just have to accept that and move on.
Moments I remember!
- 1983 WorldCup - Kapil Devils did it for the first time! Great story, a great journey and a great inspiration to the young aspiring cricketers. Entered the tournament as underdogs and came out winning the trophy was just brilliant.
- Anil Kumble's 10 Wicket Haul
- 2002 NatWest Trophy at Lords
In what could be called as one of the most brilliant fightbacks in Indian cricket, NatWest finals will top the list due to the fact that, it was against the home team England and most importantly at the "Mecca of cricket" LORD's Stadium.
Chasing a massive 326 runs, skipper Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag began the innings in the most lethal fashion that they could have with a 106-run stand for the first wicket.
But, in cricket, you always need to expect the unexpected. A flurry of wickets left India fumbling at 146/5. Then came the young duo Yuvraj-Kaif who played some brilliant knocks to take India home, the trophy. Also, this has witnessed one of the most aggressive celebrations in the form of Ganguly removing his shirt in ecstasy.
- 2003 WorldCup - An outstanding display from Ganguly led team which raised the hopes that Indian cricket winning a world cup is impending.
I still remember Sachin's uppercut over third-man against the deadly Shoaib Akhtar.
- 2007 WorldCup - an early exit, a loss against Bangladesh. Utterly disappointed. Dravid gave away his captaincy.
- 2007 T20 Worldcup - A Ticket Collector turned Dynamite Dhoni led the team to the victory against our neighbors (I don't wish to call them arch rivals). A bowl-out in the league stage. Joginder Sharma's final over! Sreesanth's nerve biting catch moment!!!
A ZERO in ODI WC to HEROES in T20 WC. What a turn around!
- Sachin's 175 against Australia in 2009 at Hyderabad
It could have been one of the most painful situations for a batting legend like Sachin. Having batted so beautifully and lost by just 3 runs is just devastating for him as well as India. However, the Sachin's fight would be remembered for years.
Sachin himself stated that he would have traded his innings for an Indian win. However, he still feels it was one of the best knocks in his glorious career though ending up on the losing side.
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