5 Greatest Events in Indian Cricket : My Take !

"Winning the World Cup in 1983, against heavy odds, was a huge achievement; perhaps the greatest in the history of Indian Cricket"

 Sachin Tendulkar - 17 February 2011.

5:27 Moment in this video changed everything for Indian Cricket and forever so. Still one month short of attaining teenage; I woke up on 26 June 1983 with sweets being distributed and a festive mood all over.

I faintly remember how it all went then. It was good, the sweets too were. All the talk and back slapping of the elders was fun. But today I am quite sure of what it must have been. Nothing before and nothing since-forth can lay claim to the title 'Greatest Moment in Indian Cricket'. Never !

Cricket was just a game in this country till then. When we look back, Cricket as a religion was born on 25 June 1983. It found 'The God' about six years later on 16 November 1989. No other individual has ever fired the imagination of a nation and I don't know if anyone ever can do it again. Not likely in my life time.

As we wait for the the tenth ODI Cricket World Cup to begin tomorrow, here is a look at some of the momentous moments in Indian Cricket. This strictly is my view and is open for dissection. First and second moments, I already have mentioned. So let me start from No. 3.

3] The Benson and Hedges World Championship in 1985: For want of Youtube videos of the Final, I have provided this link of the all important Semi-final, famous for the Kapil Dev - Vengsarkar partnership that lifted India from the grave. This win was special for the way it was achieved.

India were clinically efficient and maintained a clean slate as they bowled out every opponent on the way to final. This was also special because the then Gen-next of Indian Cricket; Shastri, Srikkanth, Azhar, Siva and S. Vishwa gelled well with Gavaskar, Mohindar, Kapil, Madan, Binny and Vengsarkar. It was special also for the way Sunny managed to lift a divided and demoralized team to glory.

4] T-20 World Cup in 2007: Dhoni and his boys were never expected to win. Like Kapil's Devils, they too were underdogs. But the spirit shown by this virtually second string team lead them to a memorable win. It perhaps began 'Here'.

There are so many wins; Some Memorable, Some Special and Some Sensational. But for me, something that happened away from the playing field qualifies for a slot over here. We all know the Internet has taken over the Planet Earth. So many Cricket blogs have spawned the Internet including this one.

We do have some extremely good individual or team blogs. Greyblazer, Shridhar, Som, Vidooshak and Golandaaz Opinionators, Strawberry Fields and many more. I enjoy all these wonderful blogs. But Cricket is a Team Game and when a Team has a collection of the best of the talent, that naturally becomes the finest !

5] For the quality of the stuff exhibited, the clarity of some of those elegant strokes, and for all those illustrations; there is but 'ONE' Cricket Blog that has enthused me the most.

Just look at the Team...

Like IPL, they might play for other teams too, but they are 'Here' and that counts !

1] Straight Points.
2] Naked Cricket.
3] AweSome Doosra.
4] Homer.
5] The Achettup.
6] A Bisht.
7] Cricket minded Poorna.
8] Mahek.
9] Ankit and Ankit !
10] The Half and Half, Mister and Missus Cricket Couch.
11] John
And the OTHER team members !

They have given us 'Che' and KhufiaBaaz.
We also got the first native born Comic Strip Hero, the Jatman !
With all this, you simply can't be bored on the Bored ! 

BCC! is 'One of the finest things' to have happened to Indian Cricket since 25-6-1983 !
I rest my case.

PS:
Hope Team India manage to make it a 'Sixer' the day next to All Fools Day this year !




S-Pun Doctor