Sunday, March 25, 2007

Some pages from the darkest nights of Indian Cricket

Being an ardent fan of Indian Cricket it is extremely difficult for me to live in the agony of strange exit from the Cricket's Most extravagant confluence. This is not the first time and this wont be the last, Indian cricket has given us so many moments to cheer and as well as to weep. Since this is the time of dense clouds let me remember some of the blackest days of Indian Cricket according to me.

1. Sri Lanka defeated India in 1996 World cup at Eden Gardens. I was mere 13 that time but still i was not able to eat food in that d/n match. I still remember the tears of Vinod Kambli and torn bottles scattered in the ground with scoreboard reading IND 120/8 in 34.1 overs, 132 runs needed in 15.5 overs and 2 wickets in hand. In this match SRI Lankans score once read 1 run for 2 wickets (Jayasurya and Kaluvitharna both gone) and Indian score once read 97 for 1 and Sachin and Sanjay Manjrekar were batting comfortably.

2. Bangladesh defeated India in World cup 2007. I am still not able to believe that this can happen.

3. Sri Lanka defeated India once again and that happened in a do or die match for India in 2007 World cup. I am still suffering from some unkown shivering.

4. The defeat of India against West Indies in 1997 Test match in West Indies. In the last inning India required 120 runs to win the match and series but India was all out for 85 runs. This defeat still pinches Sachin and many others including me.

5. Indian defeat in World cup final 2003. Ponting single handedly demolished the Indian sedan at wanderes, RSA.

6. Indian defeat against Pakistan in the first test match of 1999 test series. Sachin played best inning of his life but the last 4 indian batsmen were not able to make 17 runs. (Courtsey Shobhit).

For me these are the worst days of my life and i hope many will share agony with me. India where sport is religion and all players are equivalent to GODs, a defeat is equivalent to a curse and we all have to live with curse. This is an appeal to all of my friends to please condone the players as the same players had given us so many victories to cherish.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

For me....2nd Feb'99,Chennai would figure in that list very highly when a battered Sachin Tendulkar was about to get us into the history books with one of the best innings I've ever seen him play....India couldnt make 17 runs with 4 wickets remaining against Pakis...and it hurt real bad...