The euphoria over India's arduous ascent to the Mount Everest of Test cricket is perfectly understandable given the craze for the game in our country as expressed in the cliched (Sub: stet), but apt, expression that cricket is a religion and its votaries, the players, demi-gods.
The euphoria over India's arduous ascent to the Mount Everest of Test cricket is perfectly understandable given the craze for the game in our country as expressed in the cliched, but apt, expression that cricket is a religion and its votaries, the players, demi-gods.
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Indian players celebrate after winning the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Brabourbe Stadium yesterday |
The loyal Indian cricket fan, generally starved of glory, may therefore be excused for his seemingly extravagant expression of joy over the Test team now being ranked number one in the ICC Test standings.
The celebrations may appear to be over-the-top to sports lovers in other countries, for whom sporting excellence is a fairly routine occurrence.
However, there is justifiable reason for the Indian cricket lover to feel six feet tall today, to hold his head high, his chest puffed with pride and a spring in his step.
Rare experienceAfter all, sporting glory is a rare experience for him as uncommon as integrity in our politicians. And this one has been 77 years in the making!
It cannot be denied that not many human endeavours, short of war, can rival excellence at sport in inspiring national pride and self-esteem.
It was so apt, indeed, that the assumption of the numero uno position in Test cricket by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's gallant team should come at the historic Cricket Club of India, which hosted a Test after 36 years.
The Brabourne Stadium win, the second successive innings victory for India, was India's 101st in Tests and the fifth at the world-famous venue in 18 matches.
It was a magnificent team effort for which all credit must go to the players, coach Gary Kirsten, the support staff, the selection committee headed by Kris Srikkanth and the much-maligned Board (BCCI) officials.
If sentimentality be permitted: In all modesty, the achievement is particularly poignant for this writer and his fellow pen-pushers who have dreamt of this memorable day for decades.
In their own unassuming, but persistent, way, the cricket writers have confronted, castigated, pushed and prodded our insouciant BCCI over the years for its periodic mismanagement, neglect and unconcern, its capricious and partisan selections and its myopic approach to technology, coaching, cricket academies, players' emoluments, preparation of wickets, the need to induct a sports psychologist, to produce fast bowlers, improve our physical conditioning, fielding etc.
Without meaning to sound grandiose, this historic achievement brings to mind our Freedom Fighters' refrain in relation to the BCCI: "Hum laye hain toofan se kashti nikal ke, sab dekhna mere bacchon issay sambhaal ke".u00a0
("We have steered the boat through the stormy seas, look after it carefully, my children").
But, in this proud moment, our cricket aashiq would do well remember (in the words of the song), that in sport, as indeed in life generally, it is: "kabhi khushi, kabhi gham".
Winning and losing are basic aspects of sport, the great leveller.
But this is no occasion to talk of defeat. For the moment, let us rejoice while remembering that victory is ephemeral and change the only certainty.
