Sweet tears of Joy !

 We all had given up on India’s chances to win the Finals of the 2024 T20 cricket world cup when the best batsmen of SA, Henry Klassen hit 22 runs in one over of Axar Patel in the 15th over. SA needed just 30 runs from 30 balls. And anyone who knows and watches T20 cricket would have thought the same as almost all of Indians were thinking. Yet another Finals. Yet another loss and the agony and pain it would bring for days and months together, at least till we play another world cup and raise our expectations again.

 But destiny and prayers of 1.4 billion Indians did the magic. Jaspreet Bumrah bowled the 15th over so well that he gave away only 4 runs. 26 needed from 24. Drinks break. Rohit Sharma had just one over left from Bumrah and Arshdeep his two trump card bowlers. He had no choice but to give Hardik Pandya the 16th over. First over after drinks break. First bowl Pandya bowled a slower leg cutter outside the off stump. Klassen thought it to be a juicy half volley and went for it without moving his feet. Faintest of edges and the gloveman Rishabh Pant did the rest. Whole of India erupted in joy and triumph. The key wicket of Klassen was gone. SA still had David Miller on the crease, and we all know how dangerous David Miller can bat in the slog overs. It was a cat and mouse game now. Pendulum was shifting ever so slightly in India's favor with Klassen gone. Marco Jansen on the crease. He was clearly under a lot of pressure. Hardik gave away only 4 runs in that over. SA needed 22 from 18 balls. Again, a very crucial over. But no one except Jasprit had to bowl if India had to make of any chance to get Miller out. Jaspreet gave all his heart out. What an over bowled by him. 4 dot balls and an unplayable ball to Marco Jansen who could not see the ball before it hit the top of his leg stumps. Amazing over Bumrah, you beauty. 20 needed from last two. India’s chances were getting more and more higher in comparison to SA. Last over for Arshdeep Singh. Keshav Maharaj the new man on strike. He took three balls to lay bat on ball and took a single. All Miller was thinking was couple of boundaries and the game is ours. But Arshdeep bowled too well. He did not give any loose ball in the over. Only 4 runs in 19th over. So final over and 16 needed. India had only option of Hardik Pandya. First ball to Miller. Wide full toss. Miller threw the kitchen sink at it, and it had six written all over it. The camera panned and suddenly from nowhere, it was Surya Kumar Yadav who jumped with the ball caught it and was losing the balance to go out of the boundary, so he threw the ball into the ground, came back from outside the boundary and caught it. Relief to 1.4 billion Indians. Tears of joy all around the ground and everywhere where people were watching the game. It was an unbelievable catch. Not just it saved, six runs, but it got the wicket of dangerous Miller, and it was a dot ball. That catch literally made Surya Kumar the Hero for all the Indians. Absolutely Marvelous catch. If it was Kapil Dev who caught Viv Richards to win 1983 world cup, if it was Shreesanth who caught Misbah to win 2007 world cup, it was definitely Surya's catch which was one of main reasons behind India's World Cup victory on June 29th 2024. Never in my dreams I could believe what I saw yesterday. After the wicket of Miller, it was only formality left as they did not have any player who could hit boundaries now. One boundary was hit as it was a thick edge by Kagiso Rabada, but after that he got out and India won in the end by 7 runs. Amazing match. When everything was lost, hope was lost, Cricket like destiny again proved that if we have grit and determination and we are brave enough to face the situation and fight hard, we can achieve anything. Way to go Indian team and players. You all made us so proud yesterday, that we all forgot the agony of the 2023 one world cup final loss against Australia. Whole of India was crying tears of Joy, I was also among them. I kept crying for a long time after seeing each of my heroes crying on television.

 There were lot of noteworthy performances in the match, Virat Kohli's 76 on a sluggish pitch. Our Bapu (Axar Patel's) batting of quick fire 47. Shivam Dubey played out of his skin. Henry Klassen is such a classic batsman and he proved once again, why he is rated so highly as a spin bowl player. He made mockery of our spin bowling. It was only due to prayers of 1.4 billion Indians that he made a mistake on first ball of 16th over. What else can explain him trying to hit a slow leg cutter ball just with hands and outside his reach. Bumrah bowled so well as he always does. India is so lucky to have such a fantastic bowler. He can single handedly turn any match. What an amazing talent he is for India. Feel so honored to be able to watch a bowler who can make the ball talk. Almost literally. Arshdeep bowled beautifully when needed the most. Hardik kept his nerves in the final overs, and he became the key bowler to dismiss two of the most dangerous batsmen. Klassen and Miller.

 What a wonderful world cup overall. Rohit batted brilliantly and led from the front as an opener. Surya played so well in the middle overs. Axar Patel had a wonderful, wonderful world cup with both bat and ball (except for final when Klassen took him apart). Rishabh Pant played couple of good knocks and kept well in all matches. Hardik Pandya batted so well and also bowled well whenever it was required of him, barring a few overs where he went for plenty. All and all a wonderful team effort and it was a clean sweep for the entire tournament as India did not lose a single match in the tournament. What an achievement? Marvelous, Fantastic, Stupendous. I am at loss of words and a very emotional Indian cricket fan. The sweet tears of joy that this team has given to the entire country is really something to be very grateful for. Thank you, team India. We are so so very proud of you.