I felt this sudden rush flow through my body as if it had been awaiting this moment my whole life. It felt like sadness flowing into happiness, and then happiness becoming ecstasy. That ball leaving Dhoni’s bat and crossing the boundary marked a moment potentially a billion Indians will never forget. It was not just a win, or the world cup, it was a something we had been waiting for our whole lives. The joy on the faces of the players, knowing the fact that after decades of waiting and promise it all finally came together.
This feeling as great as it was, almost became surreal and brought tears to my eyes as I saw Sachin running onto the field, he was running like a child with typical beaming Sachin smile. The smile I first saw when I was 9 years old, now 21 years later there it was again, my role model, my idol, my god, Sachin Tendulkar finally getting what he has deserved his whole life. A gift that he can treasure, after the countless moments of joy he has given us for the past 21 years. For once we as a country had something for him, and that was just too much emotion for me to handle. In his joy was the joy of all of us, we knew that making him smile made us smile even more, his success was our success, his tears of happiness were the all that we needed to finally be at peace.
Many people think the adoration of Tendulkar is with the Indian Fans, but you have to just talk to his star team mates and you will realise they are themselves Tendulkars biggest fans. Every one of them in all their joy said the same thing “We did it for Sachin”. Many have grown up just like you and me, watching Sachin carrying the Indian team since he was a mere teenager, they have wondered why is not the rest of the team helping him achieve the goals he wishes to achieve for India. Now that they have become his team mates, they feel almost obliged to ask the same question of themselves. “I need to play my part, and contribute like Sachin does”. They love him like all of us love him, they want to see him hold the world cup like we all have hoped for so many years. Maybe that was their only goal, something human about trying to win it for a guy like Sachin that might drive people more than doing it for personal goals, or even for a nation. As Kohli said “Sachin has carried the burden of Indian cricket for 21 years, it’s about time we put him on our shoulders”, and that they did.. That they did! That was a beautiful shot of Sachin making his way around the stadium on the shoulders of the youth of India, the Rainas, the Kohlis, the Pathans.. The kids who idolised him when they were growing up finally getting a chance to hold him up high.. That was a beautiful sight, forever etched in my memory.
You could thank a number of players, but you just can’t look past Dhoni.. He is the symbol of the new India, a man who plays for his team, a man who doesn’t let passion get in his way of thinking clearly. He is the best captain India has ever seen and in my eyes the best captain in the world at the moment. His determination and self belief is almost unbelievable, he will go in when the team is struggling, he will get players that others might leave in the fringe. He inspires confidence, and makes his entire team believe they are champions. He is only second to Tendulkar if you have to put them on a list, but and in many ways ahead of Sachin. If it weren’t for him Sachin might have never seen this day.
In the end all I feel is unsurpassed joy, I feel justice was done and if sport had to win in the end, then its hero had to be held up in the air so that the fans could finally appreciate him. I can now rest in peace knowing the dream I once had has finally come true.
Thank you India.. Thank you Sachin…
Your biggest fan…
Anukool
