Oh well, we won the Champions trophy and this time remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, like the world No. 1 ranked ODI side should be. Starting with the practice matches, to the way they progressed to the finals to winning it, is such a fantastic feeling. They started with a convincing victory against South Africa, succeeding it with a flawless and thumping victory against West Indies, smashed Pakistan in a mere formality of a match, thrashed the Srilankans in the semis and marched to the finals with an aplomb. The rain interrupted final did not befit the final, but to have fought in the middle to defend 128 in 20 overs and to have forced England to lose in a sorely one-sided match was something to watch!! It was unbelievable. It is like waking to a fantastic dream turned reality.
For some time now, there seems to be no dearth of laudable performances from the Indian team that it is thrilling to follow such a fairy tale. Not that there were no black marks, just that, the triumphant flags waving now, have become more of a certainty than a mere possibility and that to me is a fairy tale scripted by the team, led by a leader from the front. I love my team, loved them when they were tied to the match-fixing allegations and loved them when they exited from the world cup without even reaching the playoffs and loved them when all the young blood sometimes makes me wonder if cricket is a gentleman game. And it feels good to see them smile with the victories defining them more prominently. It feels great to see them stand in the field, to know that there are no “proverbial greats”, but just genuine good cricketers yearning to play for the team and make their presence count. And that is why it feels good, to know, that the everyday super star is just another ‘you’, who toiled his way and earned his spot and continues to hold his spot with his performances.
“Best fielding unit” – a phrase that was so alien in not so distant past, has become a “catch phrase” of this cohesive unit and it enthralls me to watch them convert ones to twos, dive for the balls a little out of reach, back their fielding throws and crash wickets with unnerving accuracy. It tingles my spine, that the team I watched since so long, grew into a mammoth force that could seem insurmountable on a given day and all this, done by a nascent team. I am basking in the glory of this triumphant Indian team. I am enjoying this fairy tale, this awesome team success more than I can put into words. Thank you ICT! I love you!
