Prabodh Kumar Enumula

It has been a while. 2011 to be precise. I have stopped watching. It felt like giving up on religion for me. Initially it was hard to not follow the game, but over time i got used. But It is hard to ignore whats happening now. If you follow cricket, you know what i mean. As an Indian cricket follower of 15 yrs(from 1996 to 2011), As an Indian cricket fan of that generation, i recall more disappointed than happy days. We hardly recall matches where bowling won matches. Something changed over last decade. This world cup seems like the peak of what went well.

Harsha bhogle used a quote few years back to describe the transition of Indian cricket.
As India’s economy changed, Tendulkar is a product of a new economy whereas Gavaskar was a product of a licensed, socialism driven economy. He (Gavaskar) batted like he had bank deposits whereas Tendulkar bats like he’s playing on the equity markets. If i have to extend this quote, Today Team India plays like they are a growing unicorn. They are fearless, fast growing and looking for dominating the market.

During the course of the tournament, there was a sentiment floating around let the bad day be in one of the non knockout matches, but I always felt that is legacy of where we come from. We were afraid law of avgs will catchup and we will loose. But I always felt champion teams bulldoze others. The 70s West Indies and late 90s Australia were like that. If we were to be one of those, we have to be one of those.

Don’t know how the day will turn out tomorrow. Irrespective of the result. this tournament performance is one for a generation. The only thing left for tomorrow for me is whether it will be remembered in joy or a super sad anti-climatic nightmare. Irrespective, in the long shot, the baton will be passed after this. It jus feels yesterday that Kohli made that statement, He’s carried Indian cricket on his shoulders for years. It’s time we carried him on our shoulders, and someone is going to repeat the same tomorrow about him.

I hope and wish the nightmares of 2003 are gone. I could not sleep for days. If there was ever a time to settle that feeling, it got to be this. I hope it is. I will be travelling on road tomorrow at the match time. I will watch out for the skies to know what happened or may be hope to see someone dancing on the road to celebrate like i did in 2011 to know how the story ended.