2011 World Cup Final - Match made in Heaven

'Na bhuto na bhavishyati' meaning one that was never around, and will never come again. Such can be said about the ICC Cricket World Cup Final played on Saturday, the 2nd of April 2011. A cricket match that will be etched in the memory of all present at the brimming cauldron of nervous energy that was the Wankhede stadium and of those billion plus Indians at home and all over the globe who simultaneously exploded in an immeasurable mass of raw ecstacy the moment MS Dhoni obliterated the six to seal India's victory over Sri Lanka. That the host nation won despite a magnificient century by Mahela Jayawardene leading a spirited fight back by the Lankans who then had India on the mat after dismissing Sehwag and Tendulkar, was the most amazing effort I have witnessed an Indian team showcase on a cricket field. No praise is too high for MS Dhoni nor any quantum of solace enough for Kumar Sangakkara but I guess both should feel immensely proud and privileged for having led their respective teams so well throughout a tournament which culminated in a final of epic proportions, one that will forever find its place in the annals of cricketing folklore. Dad was at the airport to take his flight to Singapore and I was on the phone with him, describing the events of the last over of the match and I vaguely remember screaming my lungs out - "yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, we did it, we did it, we did it" the moment the six was creamed and for a few moments I could neither hear Dad's voice nor the pandemonium that erupted at home and in the neighbourhood. I have felt such exhilaration probably only twice before in the aftermath of a cricket match - Hrishikesh Kanitkar's boundary in near-darkness to overhaul Pakistan's 314 in Dhaka, 1998 and Mohd. Kaif and Zaheer Khan running like maniacs to overshadow England's 324 at Lords, 2002. In both matches, India came back from the dead to chase down mammoth scores and the recent World Cup final was not too different. Just that the pressure was exponentially more immense, it was home territory, Sachin Tendulkar's home ground, and over-expectant sea of blue at Wankhede and above all, it was a World Cup Final !!! I recollect now that as the match wore by, my catalogue of emotions multiplied as follows: Quietly Confident and Patriotic - at the end of our National Anthem. Extremely Confident - SL 30-odd for 1 post 10 overs amidst tigerish Indian fielding. Irritated - SL 120-odd for 2 post 25 overs, Sanga and Mahela rebuilding. Enormously Impressed but Panicky - Mahela makes a sterling hundred. Depressed - SL end at 274/6 with Zaks and Bhajji going for plenty in the last few. Asphyxiated - Viru gone for nought, Sachin out for 18, India 31/2. Worried - Kohli gone, India 114/3. Hopeful - Gambhir and Dhoni doing it nicely and getting us close. Flabbergasted - Gambhir needlessly charges and chops on, missing his ton, 54 to get off 52. Upbeat - Dhoni and Yuvi laying into Malinga, Kulasekara and Murali. Unbridled Exuberance - India win, Ravi Shastri roars, Dhoni finishes it off in style with a six. Deeply Moved - Sachin carried for a lap of honour by India's young brigade. So, between feeling patriotic and moving to tears, I, along with my billion other countrymen and women, entered the Guiness Book of World Records for the most number of emotions rendered simultaneously within the space of 7 hours. A triumph of such colossal magnitude takes time to sink in, and I hope it doesn't sink in, cuz I want to revel in this moment forever. It was definitely the best World Cup I have witnessed and the toughest and most pulsating for the ultimate victor. The might West Indies steam-rolled their way to two cup victories in the late 70's before Kapil's devils made history in 1983 on a day where slow and steady won the race against the quickies. Gatting reverse-swept the cup in Australia's hands in 1987. Pakistan, as erratic as can be, led by an astute Imran and two unplayable Akram in-swingers, came from nowhere to win in 1992. Jayasuriya's pyrotechnics and a brilliantly prolific Aravinda stole the limelight for Sri Lanka in 1996. The legendary Aussies led initially by Steve Waugh, then by Ricky Ponting, with their once-in-a-generation team of bullies smote aside all the sub-continent heavy-weights to win three cups on the trot before this one. But almost all of these finals were near one-sided affairs, the victor being proclaimed long before the advent of the final 5 overs. In this edition, India managed to halt the Baggy Green juggernaut in a hard-fought, nail-biting contest despite a Ponting scare, then body-slammed a mercurial but upbeat Pakistan in an over-hyped, politically overshadowed battle of nerves, and finally brought their best game on show against the unrelenting Lankans. In effect, I felt India played 3 finals, and were deserving winners with all these matches being extremely hard-fought and almost going down to the wire. On summary, an impressive aspect was the spirited performance of the younger generation, including Gambhir, Raina, Kohli and R Ashwin, under pressure. More comforting was the shouldering of responsibility by seniors like Yuvi, Bhajji, Zaks and Dhoni. Unabashed, stroke-filled conduct by Viru showed his indomitable spirit and killer instinct. And finally ... the pristine form and presence of Sachin Tendulkar was enough inspiration for the team to win the World Cup for HIM who for the last two decades has been and forever will be the 'God' of Indian Cricket.