1983 to 2011

What final it was? There was a great knock from Mahila Jaywardena. Every boundary hit during last 5 overs was adding immense pressure. At the break someone asked me to predict. I said India will win, because
1. it was easy pitch to bat on as batsmen like Perrera and kulasekhara were hitting out bowlers like zaheer.
2. we had played lankan bowlers atleast 30-40 times in past two years and had chased much bigger targets.
Its that experience and belief that counted. Imagine india of 90s with sachin gone. we would have been all out 170s with some one holding one fort till end while a little cameo of 30 odd fast runs by some bowler. Not this team. Opposition fears Yuvraj, dhoni and gambhir as well. Then there is X factor of Pathan, Raina or bhajji. Not add that they are shit scared of sehwag and SRT. Bowling comes under severe pressure when someone bowls team india. This was evident even against Australia. That was tougher chase than final. we were 5 down and one wicket away from tail with 80 odd runs to get. Role played by sachin, gambhir etc was again crucial then which allowed us to survive middle order collapse. That match gave team belief and that made difference. I was very sure that we would beat pak and srilanka . In fact my close friends can vouch for that. Innings from Ponting was also great at ahmedabad. This world cup i had a chance to witness in person two great innings: one at Nagpur the 99th hundred for losing cause, and one by ponting for another losing cause. This makes cricket a team game and individual brilliance may or may not guarantee success.
That was the thing of past. Only sachin playing for lost cause.
Last 7 world cups we had be dissappointed as per above script though in 03 we had a team effort led by dada. its dada who laid foundation to rise of India in cricketing sense. coming back to world cups;
in 87, i was in IX . and those were diwali vacations. I had enjoyed cup in mumbai and pune. Sweeps of grahan gooch and vengasrkar's stomach upset costed us more that loose shot by kapil when we were crusing. remember jubiliation day before when pak was destroyed by Mc dermott
in 92 when i was preparing for JEE, the campaign never took off in australia. First world cup for sachin. we beat pakis, but lost to austraia due to rain rule. Lost to england, NZ, WI listlessly.
in 96 , i was in hostel and final year. Had seen every match as its most relaxed time after getting campus etc. Had a great victory procession all around kharagpur after we beat pakis. Dhoni was in kharagpur for 3 yrs as ticket collector. Its water of Kharagpur you know what makes everyone cool and tough.... But srilanka match was disaster even after getting dangerous kalu and jaysurya in first two overs. Till sachin was batting in 2nd innings there everything was fine....
in 99, we played two bad games : one gainst zimbabwe where we lost from winning position (sachin was absent for this match due to his fathers death), and one against Australia where Mcgrath outswinged us. These matches got us at bottom of table due to supersix rules. Only consolation was victory against pak as those were Kargil days. I was engaged during that world cup. another memories from mumbai.
in 03, riyas first world cup. she was 1.5 yrs old. she used to see matches with me. my grandma passed away a day after world cup final. India vs pak was highlight though team played well under ganguly to come out of humiliation against austraila in group stages, to beat all other teams till get humiliated by aussies again in final. yet near yet so far.
07 was disaster. newly joined to round table, I had arranged great parties for both matches but lost them both.
2011 was the cup. which brought back memories in 83 i had just started my 5th standard and highschool. we were staying in temporrary home as main house was under construction. we had old crown b/w TV. I remember shrikants shots, during half time we were dissappointed except one uncle who had predicted india win since start of world cup. Then that sandhu ball. We had news on TV for an hr , when we were back , WI were 5 down. we danced that evening...all over pune
in 2011, We partied a lot at table this world cup. had a chance to see live matches.
Now the god of cricket has everything in life. soon he will reach 100 hundreds. Many people have anologies for growth and liberalization of India to rise and career of Sachin. I agree to an extent. Really the growth of sachin can be paralleled with growth in wealth and purchasing power of Indian middle class enabled by new economy esp by IT. Today people like me can spend sizable money just to be at stadium. My earlier generation in 83 would not have atleast in my community. (white collored, middle class mentality with small town upbringing)
riya is 9.5 yrs old. she now understands cricket. i have passed on my crkcet craze this world cup. She is now what i was in 83.. she will join 4th next year. Entire circle has turned round.