Published: Jan 27, 2011, 09:00 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 25, 2014, 09:53 PM (IST)
By Vidula S Menge
With less than two months to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, cricketing nations around the world seem to be gearing up in full swing for the big event.
Cricket, when played in India, assumes the form of a religious festival and it comes to me as no surprise if a similar situation arises this time. The fact that India will be one of the countries to host the World Cup, itself provides with an altogether different level of excitement and enthusiasm.
The home team will definitely gain a huge momentum from the Indian fans which will boost their morale, ultimately reflecting on their performance in a major way.
The Men in Blue, in the recent past, have exhibited their truest potential which leaves no doubt in anybody’s mind that the 2011 World Cup might just be theirs. Yes, they face stiff competition from a team that has won the prestigious cup thrice in a row and at present, is the number one ODI team in the world – Australia. Then there’s England, South Africa, Sri Lanka…and so on.
But looking at the current scenario, India has a slightly better chance over the others. The team has an overload of promising youngsters, who have made an impact in their own ways, whenever blessed with an opportunity. Each one has tried to prove his potential fitness for the World Cup squad, leaving a confused thought in the spectators’ mind.
Virat Kohli scored back-to-back tons in 2010, giving the team huge victories when most needed – in the absence of senior players. Suresh Raina has evolved over a period of time and has become one of India’s most treasured jewels. Yuvraj Singh is most aggressive player in the team. Murali Vijay’s performance in the IPL earned him a place in the national team. Yusuf Pathan is known for his big hits. Rohit Sharma has the perfect temperament with a balance of class and talent. And the list goes on.
Interestingly, all are in their mid-20s and possess huge potential.They are under the guidance of a man who is the most calm-headed captains that has ever played the game – Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has proved just why he deserves to be the best captain to have captained the team. His strategies have worked well, his planning and execution perfect.
The presence of senior players like Sachin Tendulkar is a great inspiration in itself. He is a “mentor” to almost everyone in the dressing room. Virender Sehwag’s aggression inspires aspiring batsmen. Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh make their bowling do all the talking. All this makes a tremendous impact on the team as a whole.
Having said that, cricket is known for its unpredictability and the best of teams sometimes fail to make it big.
All we fans can do is sit in front of the television sets and enjoy the experience of this magnificent game. As a die-hard fan of the Indian team, it would be a dream come true for me, as it would for millions of Indians, if Dhoni lifts the 2011 World with Sachin Tendulkar providing the icing on the victory cake by emerging as the “Player of the Series”!
(Bitten by cricket bug at a young age, Vidula‘s passion for the game has seen her evolve into a cricket writer. She considers herself fortunate to have grown up in the Sachin Tendulkar Era and comment on the game and players through the magic of writing. She blogs at http://wickettowicket-vidula.blogspot.in/)
