Oh my men in blue, let’s rise to the occasion

It was the 1992 World Cup that awakened me to the world of cricket…I still remember how we would wake up early in the morning to watch the matches… India had lost a league match against Australia by just 1 run despite a brilliant 92 by the then captain Azhar… That was my first cricketing disappointment…Since then I have lived through many more cricket matches in my life…There have been some moments of immense pride and glory, though I have been badly hurt many times by the dismal performances of our sporting heroes… If I remember correctly, it was the Hero Cup semi-final that made me an ardent fan of our little master, the God of Cricket, Sachin, who snatched a sure victory from Proteus to ensure our berth in the final… Memories of two successive centuries by Sachin, against Australia, are still fresh in my mind… A destructive 182 and a defensive 152 by Azhar against England in two consecutive test matches, in the 1993 test series, on home turf, still fill me with pride… I still feel overjoyed about our victory in the Independence Cup… Yuvraj was the saviour with a stunning innings in that clash… I can never forget the tears of ecstasy in Saurav Da’s eyes after the NatWest trophy win at Lords… There are countless memories and moments to relate…

We have never had a dearth of talent… Magical and wristy Azhar, elegant and stylish Dravid, aggressive and committed Saurav, perfect and destructive Sachin, hard working Shrinath, iconic Kapil Dev, combative Kumble and recently Sehwag, Yuvraj and Zaheer; we have always had match winners… Though a victory in the final and semi finals at the World Cup has always eluded us, so far… We deserved the cup in 2003, when our belligerent and undoubtedly India’s best-ever captain, Saurav Dada ensured that we reached final… However, God had written a different script, we were brutally thrashed in the title clash. Wounds of that defeat are healed though it has scarred my mind forever…

This year, in our world cup campaign, we have had a bumpy ride, so far… It’s a great feeling that we thrashed the incumbent champion, the mighty Aussies, convincingly in the quarter finals, though the road ahead is not that easy… There is no place for complacence, I hope and pray that our players show the same commitment and discipline against our arch rivals in the semi-final…

We have lived our moments of sorrow and disappointments… We have had enough of heart-breaking and exasperating moments… We don’t want to see our heroes falter anymore in crucial contests… We are no longer content with a berth in the semi finals… We wouldn’t want to see our heroes fall… Oh my men in blue, let’s rise to the occasion… We want you to win the cup for us… We want you to clinch the title… Yuvraj, Sachin and Sehwag, let’s annihilate our opponents bowling… Zack, bring in the fire power in your attack… Please don’t let our beloved country down… We want you to trigger off your rampaging spree against our opponents and ensure a convincing victory in both the matches…

Let’s open the door for a glorious reign of the Indian Cricket and bring an end to the barbaric dominance of the Kangaroos over the game… Long live my cricketing heroes, long live India!!!

Looking for the glory that is not too far away

Some moments come but come rarely.Years ago, in 1983, we witnessed one such moment when a young and audacious but defiant Kapil’s squad broke the myth that Indians can’t be the world champions in cricket. I was too young (infant) to witness that glorious moment but I can still imagine the pride that we Indians would have felt, when the great Kapil Dev lifted the cup at the historical Lords ground. I have heard many times about that moment from my uncle, Equebal, who had to travel 23 kilometres from his hostel to watch the final at a friend’s place.

We were very close to repeating history in 2003, under the belligerent leadership of one of Indian cricket's greatest captains, Saurav dada. Though, destiny had some other plans, our dreams were swept away by the wrath of Hurricane Ponting...

We have waited enough; our quiescent dream has graduated into an intense yearning, an unquenchable thirst that can only be quenched with the victory.

Oh my men in blue, please let us experience the same thrill and joy that we all felt in 1983. That one moment changed the course of our sporting history and brought about a renaissance in the Indian sporting arena.

Let’s make an excursion to the past to bring back our lost glory. I extend my best wishes to the God of Cricket, Sachin, who actually doesn’t need my blessings. I have firm faith in my sagacious and calculating captain cool, Dhoni.

Oh my team India, I am rooting for you, and praying for you, day and night. I am sure you will win, because you deserve it more than any one else. Give us that moment of victory when I can proudly sing my national anthem while you clinch the trophy.

All the Best My Team!

Egyptian revolution: A misconstrued mutiny

It seems the Egyptian revolution is a civilian uprising against a corrupt, tyrannical, and insensitive rule. Initially, I had my share of apprehensions that Egypt might fall into wrong hands and this unrest might end up in perpetual chaos and anarchy which is prevalent in Afghanistan and Iraq. But I noticed one picture that showed Christians forming a human-chain at Tahrir Square to protect their Muslim brethren, and it cleared all my doubts about the uprising. What a great example of brotherhood amidst followers of two different religions! It reminded me of our own freedom struggle when Hindus and Muslims walked hand in hand, and fought against the colonial rule, to provide generations an unfettered air of freedom and sovereignty.

I am pleasantly surprised to see the Indian media expressing their solidarity with the common masses of Egypt in their moments of peril, whereas the West shunned it as Islamist conspiracy. I firmly believe that this revolution is devoid of any fanatical inspiration/aspiration. (I am a Muslim and I confirm it to all my friends of other religions that there is no place for fundamentalism, extremism, or fanaticism in
Islam. Muhammad (PBUH) was a messenger of peace, tolerance, brotherhood, justice, and love to mankind. )

People, I noticed common Egyptian men and women across ranks and classes on the streets of Cairo, reiterating the same grievance: food, employment, justice, equity, and dignity. Where’s the alleged Islamist agenda in the grievance? That’s sheer hogwash coming from the West media organizations, playing in the hands of people who have vested interest in keeping Mubarak at the helm of affairs.

Hats off to Barkha Dutt! Her incredible story on Egyptian journo, who walked out of her channel to protest against the repressive regime, is an eloquent example of a journalist’s commitment to truth. I wish India witnesses many more Barkhas in the news arena. Also, I am in awe of the lady who instilled the spirit of courage and resilience among Egyptians through You-Tube. To me, she is Rosa Parks of Egyptian revolution. I am sure great Martin Luther King Junior would have seconded her call, had he been alive.

The revolution is also an alarm-bell to all unjust and despotic rulers across the globe. The uprising has strengthened my commitment to democracy. Only true democracy can provide just and equitable government. In India, democracy has been a great success story. Let’s make a solemn pledge to take this forward and ensure that our democracy is further strengthened.

I wish people’s voices are heard and their legitimate grievances are fulfilled in some of our troubled states. I am proud of the fact that I am living in a free country, India, where I enjoy equal rights and freedom. I am a firm believer in our shared dream of a strong and just Indian democracy.