It feels like yesterday when I was standing in the Narendra Modi Stadium. Indian fans anticipated India pulling off a nearly impossible victory at the World Cup in 2023. Australia was down 47/3, and we were all cheering for the Indian attack to bring back the cup home. Need not be reminded of what happened after that. This post, though, does not talk about the regret but about some of the best memories of the World Cup.
Back story of World Cup 2011
The 2011 World Cup was one of the triumphant victories of modern-day Indian cricket. Hosted in India, I was keen to watch the game live at the stadium. Watching a World Cup game at the stadium would be an easy top Wishlist item for diehard sports fans. Ticket booking around 2011 was not as streamlined as it is today. To avoid waiting at the ticket windows, we tried getting the tickets for the final of 2011 to be hosted at Wankhede Stadium through an institute with a ticket quota. We got ticket confirmation way before the tournament started.
This confirmation was rock solid till the first inning of the India vs. Pakistan semi-final. The higher the chances of India playing the final went up, our chances of getting the tickets to the final went down. 30th April 2011, the day India won the semi-final, was a bittersweet memory; we won the game, but I lost the chance to watch the final at the stadium.
Since then, it has remained a regret to miss the World Cup final live at the stadium. In those years, I did see many of my colleagues and friends travelling from one country to another to watch either cricket or football games. The 2023 World Cup seemed the right opportunity, especially since travel was within the country.
World Cup 2023: Ticket Booking
The ODI World Cup was again hosted in India. With tickets being sold online and timed to be sold just before the beginning of the tournament, chances were very slim to get access to tickets. To avoid missing out completely this time around, I decided to try out the tickets for multiple games, including the coveted India vs. Pakistan game. Set reminders, cleared off calendars, and ensured I was ready for the day when ticket booking was lined up. Booking for the India vs. Pakistan game had been waiting for over 3 hours. One almost would give up after 30 minutes, but I kept trying from multiple devices simultaneously. Eventually, after a long wait of over 3+ hours, I got lucky and could get 2 tickets to the game.
Tickets for finals
After a couple of days, tickets for the final went on sale. The Final game ticket did not have much rush for some reason. Getting tickets for the final required less patience. With tickets booked under 90 minutes wait time, watching the finals was a certainty. I was happy to have tickets for the India vs. Pakistan game, for the obvious reason that we did not know if India would make it to the finals. Both games were to be played in Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. I made the travel arrangements from Hyderabad to avoid last-minute hiccups.
Game 1: India vs. Pakistan
Though I had been to various bilateral games and IPL matches before this game, this was different. Watching an intense rivalry game of India vs. Pakistan with over 1 lakh fans in a World Cup is a different level of excitement. The build-up for the game resonated right from the metro train we took to the stadium. The stadium, as expected, was a sea of blue. Support for India was strong.
The game started evenly. Once the wickets started falling, there was no coming back into the game for Pakistan. Every moment for cherished by fans with chants of ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Jai Shree Ram’, and many creative one-liners. In what was a one-sided game, India struggled a bit. But thanks to Captain Rohit Sharma, India sailed through.
Team India’s Performance as CWC 2023
India did have an incredible run throughout the tournament, just like the India-Pakistan game. Despite being challenged in some games against Australia and England, India maintained complete dominance over almost all opposing teams. The Indian team had a similar dominating performance in the 2019 World Cup as well. Our campaign was halted by the New Zealand (NZ) team in the 2019 semi-final. In the 2023 World Cup, yet again we were back against New Zealand in the semi-final. India survived the scare of New Zealand this time around to tame the ghosts of 2019. Indian victory this time was a double delight. India reached the finals, and I would watch it live at the stadium. With the kind of performance India had, every Indian fan hoped for Rohit Sharma to lift the trophy on the 19th of November.
India vs. Australia Finals
Odds were stacked in favour of the Indian team, backed by their power-packed performance in the tournament. Australia, on the other hand, is a different level of beast when it comes to World Cup knockout games. Glenn Maxwell played an Incredible Knock, which revived their campaign in the World Cup. Australian cricketers tend to perform supernaturally when in the Finals and up against India. We saw this in 2003 and certainly did not want to see a repeat.
Unfortunately, the high-flying Indian team never showed up on the day it mattered. India set a mediocre target of 240, and every Indian fan at the stadium was disappointed by the batting performance. During the innings break, the performance of ‘Lehra Do’ did lift the spirits of the stadium crowd. Once, when India started bowling, three quick wickets did strengthen the hope of an Indian victory. But in the end, Travis Head held the fort for Aussies and steered them through. More than Australia winning, what hurt India’s chances was the lack of intent. But one can only wish to go back and change what already happened.
Irrespective of the outcome, 2023 remains one of the most memorable performances by the Indian cricket team. I still cherish all the moments of their performance even a year later today. The dominance and ability to bounce back from the situation were very evident in the Indian team. Winning the trophy would have stamped a champion team to World Cup winners.
Parting Thoughts
In this one year, a lot has changed for the team. India did win the T20 2024 World Cup. Again, very deserving performance and dominance throughout the tournament. On a personal note though, the T20 World Cup does not weigh up as much as 50 over one. I am keenly looking forward to the 2027 World Cup and hoping for India to reach all the way. And yes, again, I wish to be watching some of those games live from the stadium.
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