Another World Cup

The earliest memory I have of cricket is the 1996 world cup. It began a new era in my life as television become part of my normal life and cricket became an obsession, just like it happened for millions of others in their childhood. I remember the defeats to Australia and Srilanka in the group stage, especially the one against Srilanka where Sachin Tendulkar’s century was in vain due to the new equation that was being generated in One Day Internationals by the Srilankan openers Sanath Jayasurya and Kaluwitharana. I even remember the ludicrous conspiracy that their bats were filled with spring which explained the mindboggling scoring rate in the initial part of the innings.

The most exciting game that year was the quarter final against Pakistan where Siddhu’s opening earned him a Man of the match award, Venkatesh Prasad won the argument against Amir Sohail and Javed Miandad was humbled after he started showing off. That was my first experience of the excitement surrounding an India- Pakistan match. This was the era before even landphones, let alone “mauka mauka”, but the excitement and tension feels real even now.

I write about this now, as another World Cup is winding up. India won the match against Pakistan and lost in the Semi-Finals, just like 1996. The 1996 semi final was a heart-breaker at the Eden Gardens with Vinod Kambli crying and walking off with Anil Kumble as the match ended prematurely due to crowd trouble.

It is time to take stock of what has happened in life between these two world cups. Cricket is still a mad obsession in the country but I have come full circle with my interest having waned significantly. From a 2^nd standard student, I have gone on to a lot of things, left them in the middle- either having moved on my own or having been forced to move by circumstances- and then gone to the next. I am thus in the beginning of a new life and a new career, a new era begins.

My entire life, I had gone after science and technology and then learned humanities on the side to prepare for civil service. I had stayed away from commerce and finance academically, despite the environment at home being fully filled by those subjects. This cricket world cup, instead of the victories and the defeat, I would remember talking to customers or checking up information on the bank network while cricket was at the far end of my mind, despite the excitement around me regarding the world cup. I would remember how I tried to learn financial statements, branch operations and deal with annual closing activities.

Another cricket world cup is thus ending, but it is the beginning of a different new era in my life. If it is anything like the previous one, it is going to be one worth looking forward to.