It’s still sinking in.
It’s been exactly a week since India won the world cup and believe me when I say it is still sinking in. That, and also I’ve been too lazy to post. I watched the match with some friends of mine and as emotions ran high during the post-match celebrations, I had tears in my eyes too. I wiped them and quickly looked around to see if anybody noticed them and I saw my friend, who was constantly reverse jinxing India during the match, weeping in a full fledged manner. We roamed around the streets of Chennai after the win, flying the Indian flag high, shouting at random people, getting patted on the back and high-fived from strangers. I realised April 2,2011 had joined August 15, 1947 and June 25, 1983 as I got a taste of how our country might have been on the other two occasions. We’ve followed this Indian cricket team all our lives and this is the first time we are witnessing them lift this trophy so obviously it was a very special moment, especially for people of my generation who weren’t around in 1983. I needn’t mention how fitting it is and how happy the entire nation is in that Sachin Tendulkar’s resume finally sports a completed look. If there has to be two moments that will be forever etched in my memory from the world cup final, it has to be : MS Dhoni’s winning six and Virat Kohli’s quote on Sachin – “He has carried the nation for 21 years, it is now time for us to carry him on our shoulders”. What spontaneity! 
PS : I like the IPL too. Yesterday I was at the stadium and watched CSK beat KKR by 2 runs. The Chennai crowd were brilliant in their support. I jumped when Tim Southee bowled the last ball. It is amazing to see how a sport can unite and divide a nation at its whim. But surely for millions like me, the feeling is still sinking in. And the IPL just provides the entertainment factor and this year it is not letting us divert away from the game quickly thereby still reminding us of that feeling everyday.
PPS : It is good to see the Indian players proudly say ‘We won it for Sachin’ but the other man who stood out in his contribution is Gary Kirsten. Respect and a million thanks to the man! I think it’s fair that the only team we lost to in the world cup campaign was South Africa. For Gary. 
