A Unifying Moment
Illustration by Auroayush
What does it feel like to witness history being made right before you? The history of India winning the T20 Cricket World Cup after a massive drought of 17 years. For me, watching the World Cup with the whole school in the playground was an experience that words can not describe.
T20 cricket is a cricket format played within 20 limited overs. It is an international series that several countries play in this format every two years. And India reaching the finals unbeaten was indeed a big moment. Lately, I began watching cricket; in fact, it was the first international cricket series that I watched, which India was part of. And watching India climb over to the top of the table was a coincidence. It is indeed an essential cup for India. I spent time watching every match of India and seeing the progress and its journey toward the finals was thrilling.
Right before the semi-finals, there was already some news being spread that India had all the chances of coming to the finals. I was relatively confident about it, and my cricket-enthusiastic friends decided to go to the officials concerned with the projection of films in the playground. We thought it would be great to project the match in the playground IF India came to the finals. We approached Naga, who, too, thought it was a good idea but only agreed to project the first innings as he believed that there wouldn't be many who would stay for such a long time. We were disappointed. But we all did anticipate and imagine what sort of a brilliant experience it could deliver if all watched India there in the finals.
India’s journey towards the finals was compelling to watch. It effortlessly beat all the teams it had played with and reached the Super 8. We witnessed India’s standout performance, beating its two great rivalries, Australia and England, by huge margins. Then comes India to the finals against South Africa, which burningly desires a cup. It was when two unbeaten teams in the tournament faced each other. I could feel the enthusiasm among the students and the teachers, too.
The day of the finals
It was the day of the long-awaited finals, 29.6.2024. India coming to the finals was like a dream come true. There was some energy at the beginning of the day, but there were questions in our heads, too: Will the cup slip away again, as it did in the ODI 2023? It wouldn’t be a piece of cake for India either; they have to face the unbeaten team in the series. It was time for them to pull off something miraculous. One of the incidents that lit up the day's atmosphere was when Rohit Sharma mentioned in the post-match interview that Virat Kohli, who performed poorly through the series, had something saved for the finals. The playground was filled with kids carrying Indian flags and some wearing their respective favorite player jerseys. All our fingers were crossed as there was a rain forecast in Pondicherry that night. India bats first, as predicted. Virat Kohli goes big, with a consistent number of boundaries, and makes 76 out of 59 balls. The all-rounder - Axar Patel plays a good knock. The first innings was filled with ups and downs as the batter kept getting out. There were exchanges of high fives on every boundary.
Now, the crowd is silent as they know they must go home to watch the second innings. Along with my friends, I ran up to the projector room to convince Sachi Bhai and Vikas Bhaiya, who were about to pack up. It was not hard to persuade him when we had the whole crowd in the space next to the drinking water area, waiting for the next innings. Their eyes were filled with hope. They didn't want to go home; they knew their experience would be half-baked. They began shouting from below with impatience; it was a crowd of all ages, from flower room kids to old ashramites, passionate to see their country defending. The crowd gave Bhaiya only one option but to show the second half.
India puts up a total of 176. No teams chased down these many to win a World Cup. Then, when Bumrah’s ball clipped the bails, the crowd erupted in deafening cheer; at this moment, everybody was waiting to unleash their mania! The opener is knocked out by a perfect outswinger produced on the big day by Bumrah. Then comes the man dreaming of showing his power-hitting skills in the finals, Heinrich Klassen. He was a run-machine; every boundary he hit brought them closer to their target. Some of us shut our eyes and had our fingers crossed. Every boundary he hit brought a worse frown on our faces. It was a growing partnership between David Miller and Klassen. South Africa requires 26 off 24. Then comes Hardik Pandya, who cleans up mighty Klassen’s wicket; for a split second, there was an almost eerie silence as everyone registered the wicket; everyone jumped out, fists pumping in the air, some were dancing, while others hugged each other, unable to contain their joy. It was indeed a much-needed wicket for India. The fans return to their grumpy faces as Miller takes on Indian bowlers.
It was 16 off 6 balls. All our hopes were shattered. The skipper gives Hardik Pandya the ball—India’s final savior. Miller goes out of the ground with the ball, and just then…
Every eye was glued to the screen, dead silence; we held our breath, hoping for a miracle, our hearts pounding; then Surya Kumar Yadav launched himself towards the ball which was going out of the boundary, plucked it, tossed it up in the air, catches it next to the line. It was as if he caught the cup that slipped away from the Indians. That was about it. It was as if a dam had burst! With the rush of emotions and hysteria, many began to weep. The playground erupted. Cheers, high-fives, and claps filled the ground. Hardik Pandya finishes off in style. It’s India!
This, perhaps, was the most extended period in which I experienced constant goosebumps. The victory sank into the ground, and I was filled with a sense of pride. Watching India lift the T20 World Cup was more than just witnessing a sporting achievement. It was something more. Every cheer, every gasp, every hug, every tear, every clap brought us closer. It was a moment of unity.
Illustration by Auroayush
Illustration by Auroayush