INDIA - A land of great diversity.
But, yesterday evening, the whole nation was united for a single cause. There was only one religion called Cricket and the biggest festival, the 2011 Cricket World Cup final, was in full swing. It was the clash between India's demigods and Sri Lankan lions. The Indians in the country and abroad were glued to the television sets in support to their team. Every Indian wished only one thing, a win in the finals and becoming the world champions. The Indian team reached the finals thrashing titans like Australia and Pakistan on their way.
Indian team was the favorite to lift the cup even before the start of the series. People were anticipating a fairytale end for Sachin Tendulkar, the man with virtually every record under his name, except a World cup victory. At the age of 38, this could be practically Sachin’s last World Cup and he wishes to win this one very badly. The sentiment is so strong that the team said that it will win the cup just for this man.
And as the history unfolded before the millions of spectators, India fought superbly and became the champions. Gambhir displayed the greatest nerve under pressure and Dhoni matched shot to shot with him. The world cup feather was added to Sachin’s cap in style. It was a very emotional moment for whole team.
The whole nation went into a kind of mass hysteria once India won the cup. Every city witnessed its masses on the streets dancing and singing. Every individual had his own way of expressing their happiness. Some danced to a bollywood number while some were emotionally singing the national anthem. The tri-color was everywhere. The traffic jams became a norm and yet the usually restless souls never complained.
The people of India are well known for their impatience and differences. Yet, a sporting event can put all those differences aside. It was a great feeling to see your favorite team winning, but witnessing the greatest party with no limitations whatsoever is a different thing altogether.
This happens only in India…
