Though it’s been nearly two days since India lost the final, fans are still grieving and that’s okay, writes Sarah Waris.
To truly feel what cricket means in India, a walk around any bustling street in any part of the country on Monday morning would have given you an answer. The start of the week is as disliked in this part of the world as it is anywhere else, but there’s also an inexplicable energy of looking ahead to a new start that revitalises.
It is the morning walkers who use the walk as an excuse to meet old friends before eating the most unhealthy fried kachoris and the bright sunlight attracts people. It starts with seeing the welcome first. Sun.
The barely connected state bus soon appears, filling the air with a gust of wind and breaking the silence with the roar of its engine. It’s a crowded space of men and women heading to various stops, some of whom vent their whims to fellow passengers, conductors, and co-workers, most of whom ride the equally unpleasant local trains and subways. They will gather afterward. People who use Uber don’t have it easy either. As boarding time approaches, you sigh and complain about the never-ending traffic jams.
But the familiar cacophony wasn’t quite right this week. As the monotonous daily routine continued, only the sound of horns and the screeching of tires broke the hallucinations and gave me a sense of calm. Nothing made sense. This is an existential crisis like no other.
Ever since India lost the World Cup trophy they nearly clinched despite putting in impressive performances in all areas over six weeks, it has been difficult to shake off all the happy hype. More than a billion Indians, some exaggerated and others sensible, rallied to bid farewell to their two biggest stars, even as the world pointed out their mistakes. They came to acquire Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but soon adopted nine other players as their own, and the jerseys no longer have the numbers ’45’ and ’18’ on the back. In addition to buying “93 Bumrah” and “11” as gifts. “I love Shami the same way.
Over 1.5 million fans attended the entire event, making it the most successful ICC event ever, but the majority were only there for India and they are not ashamed to admit that. yeah. Criticism of empty stands in neutral matches has sparked a debate over the future of ODIs, but what’s all the fuss about when each of his nine stadiums where India played were swallowed up by a sea of blue? Some may wonder if it was.
Template was well known. Rohit started the innings and Kohli led the middle order to a big score before Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul finished with successes. Perhaps for the first time, Indian bowling was equally respected. The sounds of oooo and ahh are interspersed with the brilliance of frighteningly fast and slow bowlers.
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They played for the stands, and the audience reacted in turn. Goosebumps arose every time Vande Mataram performed in dim lighting, and complaints from foreign players who had problems with the show fell on deaf ears. Finally, the time has come for India to host the World Cup on its own soil for the first time. Despite many hurdles and inconveniences, crowds gathered to see India’s glory.
I had a dream for 6 weeks. Strangers discuss cricket, street vendors close their shops to watch cricket, and journalists who have access inside the team, with hundreds of people gathering outside the stadium every time India arrive for training, suddenly find themselves with VIP status. I got. “Have you met Kohli? Did you tell Bumrah about our good fortune? Is Shubman Gill as handsome in real life?” Yes, it is, and it is.
It was a celebration of 11 outstanding personalities who forced rival parties, the BJP and the Congress, to come together. The was set to culminate in Ahmedabad on November 19th with the biggest trophy in hand, capping off an unforgettable and wonderful few days. Expectations were at an all-time high, his faith unwavering, his enthusiasm high, and he was one win away.
But it was not to be.
With tears in his eyes, Mohamed Siraj turned on his emotional faucet. They cried and the fans followed them. Nothing can distract you from defeat, like a perfect chocolate cake or Gulati’s famous butter chicken that instantly lifts your spirits. In the past few days, Mimi’s desperate attempts to watch the National Award-winning Hindi film have been met with Bumrah’s screams and Kohli’s stares, as she knows her life is in danger. Ms. suddenly burst into tears as she realized the unexpected turn of events. The transformer is broken.
If you often have perfect fairy-tale endings, you must be lucky. India must never let something like this happen again. You would think that the many heartbreaks since 2014 would have made their fans stronger, but they also knew this was India’s best chance. Most of the time they made it to the finals, but this time they opened the door.
The next morning there was an eerie silence. For most, it was business as usual, but for most, it was no ordinary day either, and hearts were heavy with great loss to grieve. There is no escape. Accepting that may help.
