The Indian fans may have become cynical for now, but things would change if the team starts winning again, writes Varun Zaiwalla.
MUMBAI: There was a very familiar atmosphere around Mumbai on Sunday. The day before, as the city geared itself up for India’s bow on the World Cup stage, conversations about cricket were rife throughout the city.
Mumbai trains witnessed conversations about the opening pair being taken up by neighbours, who very naturally bring the entire carriage into the debate over the relative merits of Sehwag and Uthappa, and the inclusion of Pathan. Young and old, everyone had not only their opinion but also facts and statistics to back up their divergent arguments. In fact, the only idea agreed upon was that Bangladesh should not be given much consideration, and that the game was a suitable format for experimentation and testing. With the result in no doubt, cold, intelligent analysis, not passion and excitement, ruled.
Waking from Saturday’s nightmare seems to have been a difficult task.
Even the most negative of India fans envisaged that India’s defeats would come against respected top-eight nations. Now every India fan has learnt that the worry is not progressing without the extra points a win against Sri Lanka would provide, but rather progressing at all.
The reactions seen so far have been based around self-preservation; the fans have had a warning of how painful it is to give your heart to a team that loses, and cynicism now abounds. This is familiar because it echoes so strongly the emotions of supporting the England football team in a World Cup. They too have a team full of talent, looking to emulate a one-off victory, in 1966.
They represent a nation in love with the sport, desperate for global domination. And, as has been the case every four years since 1966, they have had to deal with the backlash of frustrated dreams.
This summer, every football fan in England unashamedly dreamt of glory, just as Indian fans have done here, and as every below par performance arrived, the knives were drawn. Most telling, however, is that those knives were always put away again in time for the next match, when the passion returned. Everyone who had publicly given up on England’s chances now watched even closer. Once the dream finally died, it did not take the fans long to return, believing in victory ‘next time’.
The angry voices writing off India’s chances are natural reactions, and are grounded in fact. But just as the angry lover, once let down, can be brought back round by a show of penitence, Mumbai’s love of the sport, and this country, can allow its love of the team to be rekindled. Team India has to show itself worthy, of course, and trust to a little luck, but an India in the Super Eights would be loved even more strongly because of the test of that love it is providing today.
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