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India look to cap dream run with World Cup glory today
The final of the ODI World Cup between India and Australia is set to ignite the dreams of future generations and leave lasting legacies in cricket. Both teams have a rich history and intense rivalry. The match will be a big occasion emotionally for the players, but they must remain focused. The buzz around the venue is palpable, with high-profile attendees and extravagant entertainment planned. Despite the carnival atmosphere, both teams are aware of the match-winners on the field. Australia believes they haven't yet played their best game, while Indian fans are confident of victory. Ultimately, the cricket will take center stage as one team emerges as world champions.
For Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, India’s 1983 World Cup victory acted as the catalyst that sparked a cricketing dream. India’s appearance in the 2003 World Cup final may have buoyed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, KL Rahul and other seniors in the current team. Ditto for young Shubman Gill after the triumph in 2011. Beyond the here and now, this is what Sunday, with 132,000 people cheering at the cavernous Narendra Modi Stadium, will do for future generations wanting to take up the game. Dreams will be kindled, heroes will be worshipped, and lasting legacies will be carved.
After 45 days and 47 matches, the final of the ODI World Cup is here. One with 48 years of history and six different champions. One that seems to still hold resonance for the players despite what critics may say. And between two teams, India and Australia, that have jostled with intensity to make this the cricket rivalry of this century. They are the most successful teams in this competition – Australia have won it five times and India have triumphed twice, like the West Indies.
“Emotionally it’s a big thing, a big occasion. Without a doubt, whatever hard work and dreams you have, you have for this,” Sharma said on Saturday about the final. “And tomorrow, that day will be in front of us. But see, the biggest challenge for professional athletes is how you can put all this aside and focus on their work. So, along with me, all the other 10 players who will play on the ground tomorrow, their focus will be more on their work for the team rather than thinking this is the biggest moment of my life. Of course, it is. There is no doubt. Back of the mind it is there. You can’t hide from that. But it’s really important to remain calm in such situations.”
The buzz was palpable in and around the venue on Saturday. Akin to a tourist spot that visitors flock to during the holiday season, scores of fans – at least five Indian languages were heard – were milling about outside the main entrance of the stadium on a nippy Saturday morning. The request for tickets was expectedly the common refrain, though they know such calls will be in vain on a day when all roads will lead to Motera. Unless you have deep pockets. On a ticket reselling website, the going rate was ₹8,32,918 on Saturday morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other high-ranking dignitaries will be in attendance. A slew of celebrities, from Bollywood actors to internet influencers, will fly in. The Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team, featuring a fleet of nine aircraft, will wow the spectators with a 15-minute airshow ten minutes before the start of the game. Pritam Chakraborty, a music director with many hit numbers, will be one of six performers squeezed into a 30-minute innings break. A laser and light show will take place during the second innings.
Amid the pomp and show, don’t forget the cricket though. The two teams may have had contrasting journeys to make it this far – India dazzling in a 10-game unbeaten run and Australia, well, just being Australia by reaching the climax despite not firing on all cylinders – but match-winners abound across these line-ups.
According to Pat Cummins, who posed with the trophy alongside the rival skipper at the Adalaj Stepwell – one of the city’s tourist attractions – in a photo-op on Saturday afternoon, Australia haven’t yet put out their best display. “I think one of the pleasing things is I still don’t feel like we’ve played the complete game. Maybe against Netherlands, but outside of that, we probably haven’t. There have been no huge wins. We’ve had to fight for every win, but we’ve found a way to win. And different players have stood up at different times. So, I think taking that confidence, knowing that we don’t have to be at our absolute best to challenge any team, we can find a way through it. Yeah, I’m sure we’ll draw a lot of confidence, all the boys draw a lot of confidence from that going into tomorrow,” he said.
If you simply went by the carnival mood on Saturday, you may be led to believe India are invincible. “India will win for the next 15 years. No team can beat India,” said a bearded, middle-aged man in a sound bite to a television channel. “Arey ticket milegi ki nahi? (Will we get a ticket or not?)” another chimed in as laughter erupted. “India will hit 500,” someone else added.
Among the seemingly more cricket-educated fans, there’s genuine excitement about the two teams locking horns. “Australia had a bad start in the first two matches, but the way they have come back, they have been the team to beat other than India,” said a fan in his mid-20s.
Once the first ball is bowled, the cricket will take over and grip a heaving stadium and beyond, with one team walking away at the end as world champions.
