29th June, Long off! Long off & World Cup

You must be thinking I’m so late on this but trust me 11 days late for 11 year ICC Trophy drought is so fitting. What all have we gone through these 11 years just feels like vanished off like Tony Stark in Avengers: End game.

The Beginning

As I was all excited like everyone of us for the match it was also too much of stress at the same time and as toss went our way it gave confidence as it was India batting first and we could breath knowing how well we have performed batting first in Caribbean conditions and how our top order collapses in important chase.

I wasn’t able to control my anxiety and had to listen ‘Kun Faya Kun’ before the start of match to calm myself down. Well, it worked and I started watching the match with belief. Watching Rohit Virat walking together felt like their last dance in T20 World Cup as they even hugged each other before taking the strike giving each other a Go well push.

I had a hunch that Kohli is going big today and giving us that ray of hope in finals to complete his trophy cabinet. He started with 3 fours in the first over playing his flick and cover drive, it did give nostalgia and made me say, ‘Today is the day’. Rohit played reverse sweep and was in aggressive mode like all his world cup innings and tried his best to give a flyer start but picked Klassen sweeping to mid wicket and it just gave mini heart attack as he was our best player this world cup and gave good starts.

Collapse & Partnership

23-0 to 23-2 in 2nd over gave a serious stress and Pant did a Pant. After an over, Surya holed out to his favorite side of the ground trying to send the ball into stands. Rabada and Klassen celebrated like the wicket of their life as they knew how crucial that was and his record against Proteas has been top notch. 34-3 and the whole India is looking up to one man Jersey Number 18, King Kohli.

Axar came in at 5 and both started stitching a partnership together, Today was the day we needed Baapu’s batting the most and he delivered counter attacking to spinners with the wind. Virat rotating the strike and Axar striking the ball well kept runrate in check and we were cruising towards nice total. It took a supergood throw from De kock and some laziness from Axar to get runout when all was going well. That 47 off 31 was just a knock to be talked more about as it changed the game adding 72 run partnership for 4th wicket.

King Kohli and Dube Cameo

Dube came in and he was under pressure not getting enough runs but it was just for a ball as he dispatched one into stands wasting no time. His cameo of 27 from 16 was much like one Rohit played in 2007 T20WC Finals. He proved his mettle at the right time. Kohli took the charge in the last three overs and made the most of death overs with his sixes. His 76 off 59 was again a knock which gave shades of Gambhir’s knock of 75 runs in 2007 T20WC Finals. He almost got us through a disaster and helped posting a respectable total of 176.

Proteas Chase & Klassen attack

Back in 2nd innings we very much believed this is our game keeping our bowling form in mind and the conditions suiting our spinners but it’s never over until it’s over. Bumrah produced a Beautiful outswinger to knock off stump of Hendricks. What a ball!! Arshdeep started bowling slower as he was hardly getting swing and trapped Markram. Now we have 2 wickets in 3 overs. Jumping in joy that South Africa will choke this up.

Wait a minute…….

Surprise! Surpise! This was South Africa in Finals and not Semis, they fought really hard and got going with 58 run partnership between De kock & Stubbs. They started thrashing spinners as well and wicket wasn’t helping spinners. AXar gave a timely breakthrough hunting Stubbs smartly and we all had some relief for an over I guess. Klassen wasn’t really in touch the whole world cup and got going against us and monster in him was awaken against spinners. That batting was Nightmare.

Miller & Klassen duo hammered our spinners and they has their worst outing of tournament. There comes 15th over and Klassen took away the momentum and hit 24 runs. I lost hope. I can see my dream getting shattered. I threw my mobile away in anger and went out to vent and scream in corridor.

Clutch Pandya & G.O.A.T. Bumrah

Came back to watch it again with a little belief in Bumrah and it was 30 ball 30 equation. They played through that over and It was evident that Proteas gonna lift it up with 26 needed from 24.

It took one man to change the plot of the game and it was Hardik Pandya. He took wicket of Klassen the danger man and pressure started bulding up. Next over Bumrah cleaned up Jansen and made it dependent solely on one man “Killer Miller”.

Equation came down to 20 off 12 and Arshdeep just bowled a 4 run over. Paaji did a great job already up there with wickets but this 19th over was more important than anything else.

Long Off, Long Off, Long Off!

Hardik has the ball with 16 needed off 6 balls.

19.1 - Miller hits the wide full toss ball and it goes high in the air almost over the ropes and Surya kumar Yadav with his presence of mind juggled it well and pulled off a heist.

We can’t forget two set of commentaries on this ball. 

First, Ian Smith on Air, “Wide, Miller hits it, and he gets plenty of it, does he? No! What a catch! Oh my god! Unbelievable what I have just seen! Athleticism at its very best! This is quite an incredible moment, folks. It is just the best piece of skill I think I've ever seen in a game of cricket."

& Jatin Sapru’s, “Long off, Long Off, Long off, Surya Kumar Yada!!! Surya Kumar Yadav ne pakda hai apne career ka sabse important catch”,

These two are etched in our memories to the core.

19.2 - Rabada nicks one to third man

12 off 4 needed

19.3 - Rabada misses and runs a bye

Now there comes a slight drizzle to the ground for final 3 balls adding a Cinema touch. I was hoping Rabada doesn’t comes back on strike as he is a good striker of ball.

19.4 - A Leg bye and Rabada on strike.

19.5 - Wide, Now 9 from 2 and Rabada hits it straight into hands of SKY

We are celebrating with 1 ball 9 run equation but we do fear a no ball here.

19.6 - Heart was pumping when Hardik was running for that final ball and there goes just a single. Ravi shastri on Air, “ India lifts the World Cup after 17 years”

God, How much I had waited for this!!! A DECADE!!!

SATISFACTION 101

I lost control and I was running in my hostel corridor Screaming “Jeet gate BC”. We are dancing in joy, Slogans of Vande Mataram & Bharat Mata ki Jai are echoing on streets of Hyderabad. We are parading on bikes and blocking the road celebrating with people we don’t know. A true realization that “It's just not the sport, It’s an Emotion”.

Never have I ever experienced a joy like this. It was the best night I had and Sleepless one as well.

These are the moments we used to pray for and I couldn’t believe it came to life and even asked a guy to pinch me and tf it was real.

Indians got one healing line “There’s a 29th June for every 19th November” and we are burying the ghosts of 19th November.

There’s one song making rounds everywhere -

Lehra Do Lehra Do
Sarkashi Ka Parcham Lehra Do
Gardish Mein Phir Apni
Sar Zameen Ka Parcham Lehra Do

Jai Hind!