My heart goes cricket

What a nail-biting, highly strung, cricket world cup final! How many days has it been? It seems like it was only yesterday. I’m not a cricket romantic, because I only watched the matches where India played and highlights of other matches. Because gosh, it’s time consuming and heart-breaking at times! So I always sat with a book or two to watch the matches, for 6 long hours on 9 different occasions. That is 54 hours of cricket! What’s wrong with me? I could almost hear my teacher’s voice, saying “Practice your guitar!” But you’re sitting in a different city, leaving me striving. I’d hear my dad say, “Prepare for the exam that’s coming” but no, that’s precisely what made me a worse guitarist. And all these things always ran in a loop! So I came out of it!

I almost didn’t watch the final match, being sad over the fact that MS got run out by Guptill and Matt Henry taking wickets after wickets! But I’m glad I decided to watch the match, and in the end, not even question the fact that Kane Williamson is a superhuman. And even though I was supporting New Zealand half-way through the match (upon being triggered by the fact that people were underestimating New Zealand!), I was still awestruck by Ben Stokes. He really fought like a warrior, didn’t he? But oh future people! Don’t just memorize the fact that England won the men’s cricket world cup 2019, because NZ definitely has one hand on that cup.

You wonder, when Trent Boult stepped over the boundary line after almost getting Ben stokes that is there such thing as fate and destiny. The overthrow by Martin Guptill, the substandard umpiring, awarding of 6 runs when 15 were needed from 6 balls, when NZ had everything going for them, their world crumbles. The smiles wipe off, the scores tie.

I’m an emotional fool, but I’m not being emotional because it was the “underdogs” who lost, as technically, no one lost. So why does one team get to celebrate while the other rue the day? Then the dreaded super over, just six balls to decide who wins the world cup. And even then, both teams showed their resilience. Especially New Zealand, instead of feeling dejected, when Jimmy Neesham hit that six, I honestly thought that nothing can stop this team from winning that cup. But well, the scores tie again. And a very unsound rule regarding the boundaries did shatter that dream of NZ.

Why am I so sad for them? Because they don’t deserve to lose! This humility, perseverance and their kind-heartedness is so infectious and so rare that I can’t stop wondering what and how in the name of god have you preserved such good qualities in this dog-eat-dog world?! One bad person ruins my day, one stupid conversation – and I start drowning in the whirlpool of my problems!

I know all is said and done, but I learnt that it is important to do what you love to do. Regardless of the failures, regardless of what anybody says, regardless of the probability of you making it. And most of all, realizing, that nothing is certain. Not even winning, when you ARE winning. You keep holding on.