India, The Superpower - 2020

The title might be slightly misleading, as this blog is not about the dream or vision of our former President Abdul Kalam. Though we might well be in the direction towards accomplishing Kalam's dream, it is too early for me to share my thoughts on the same. So now you might have guessed what I am talking about...

Yes, the T20 WORLD CUP.

The inaugural twenty - twenty world cup, where all the major test playing nations participated invited slightest of my attention earlier, wherein I got to know that India's first match was washed out due to rain & "surprisingly" was intimated by a friend that India is taking on Pakistan in its second match of the round robin (was travelling and hence could not see the match). "Surprisingly", since I am of the kinds who sit and watch even a match being played between Kenya and Scotland.

Might be, off late, the ardent cric-lover in me hibernated, attributed to some work & added responsibilities @ office, attributed to my initial disliking to this format of the game (at that point of time) and of course majorly attributed to India's early exit in the World cup at the West Indies earlier this year.

But it was just a matter of time and I was back to square; thanks to the outcome of the round robin match played between India and Pakistan that ended as a tie, and India edging the winner after the bowl out. Thereon started closely following the remaining matches, especially the Indian starrers and the rest, of course is History now. A few observations about this new format of cricket, about the inaugural World Cup & a few perceptions of mine that got shattered.

• India's learning curve in this format of the game is steep. They have been a few matches old in this twenty twenty format, but there has been tremendous improvement shown by the boys match-on-match.
• It was India, which changed the T20 tradition of winning the toss and chasing, to winning the toss bat first and bowl out or restrict the opposition.
• The Indian team also changed the dimension from going hard from the first ball, to a strategy, wherein, play the first 10-12 overs with rotating the strike and reserving the wickets, and then go hard at the bowlers in the last 8-10 overs, which indeed did the trick.
• Unusual fearlessness in the ranks of all the Indian batsmen and bowlers
• One of the brutal hittings I have ever witnessed -> Yuvaraj Singh, who was definitely at his prime form. Effortless heaves over the boundaries that included six sixers in one BROAAAD over
• A cup, a world cup, an inaugural world cup sans the Sachins, Sauravs, Dravids and the Zaheers
• Last but the most important thing about the entire episode is that, I feel India has managed to unearth a captain, whose character is well reflected in his team's performance. Fearlessness. In the presentation ceremony in the semi-final match between India and Australia, while Ravi Shastri calls up Dhoni to speak a few words, the man arrives and says "You have mentioned in a news daily today morning that the Aussies are favorites. We wanted to prove you wrong, and you are now happy that we proved you wrong". No mincing words - That's Dhoni for you!!

Would love to recapture the lovely memory of me watching THE Final against the Pak with Rajesh, one of my good buddies, with whom I have quenched my thirst of immitating and portraying (nenaiputhaan) Sachin, McGrath, Jonty etc. In short, with whom I have played a lot of matches at Tirunelveli for over four years.

Joined him at his home and enjoyed the drama that unfolded alongside with him and his brother. Starting from Sreesanth's bruises of Nazir, followed by Uthappa's direct hit, it was like a tide.. Up & down!! When at one stage Pakistan was tottering at 105 for 7, I felt that match was sealed and we were breathing easily. But then came an over from Harbajan, where his last three deliveries were smashed consecutively for three huge sixes.

Now the momentum shifted towards Pakistan, when Tanvir hit two more sixes of Sreeshanth, though he was cleaned up in the last delivery. Then came RP, the best bowler of the tournament, in my eyes, who came up with another peach of a delivery to get rid of the 9th wicket. When the last wicket fell, leaving Pakistan 5 runs short of the title, there was a loud cry from all of us watching the match out of ecstasy and my friend tightly hugged me and we jumped together.


I, as a cricket lover could not have asked for a better T20 final. This match could not have better unfolded. For the sweet revenge the two Asian teams took after their early exit from the World Cup 2007, for the quality cricket exhibited by both the finalists, for the match being dragged to the very last over to decide the Champion, for the calculated risk that both the teams took (Misbah by rejecting a single in a Harbhajan over and smashing the next three balls out of the ground; Dhoni by opting a rookie in J Singh for the final over, as against his strike bowler Harbhajan), for the batsmanship displayed by the Misbahs and Gambhirs, for the accuracy in bowling exhibited by the RPs and Guls, and most importantly for India having won a world cup final after a solid 24 waited years.

A superb advertisement by Videocon that came in Times of India, which could be well related in the context of India's progress towards lifting the cup.