SUJAY GUPTA
MELBOURNE: ‘Mauka’, the buzzword which has become the management mantra of the Indian cricket team in Australia, is a way of life ritual that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s boys have bought into. Which is why, while the world finds India in the semi-finals of the World Cup, this team’s belief infusion, has made it belong.
For the world, this is a positive purple rash. 147 runs scored in the final 15 overs versus Bangladesh, Rohit Sharma’s 137 in 126 balls, the highest in a quarter final stage of the World Cup or equivalent and the bowling which continues to get 10 wickets every time India bowls. But within Team India – and this comes from chats with commentators who are travelling with them – the feeling is that of a host who knows that this is his party. The band, baaja and baarat, the troika of each successful big fat Indian wedding, is symbolically on offer with an ever-increasing contingent of travelling fans, who are taking over every town where India plays. The team has got itself fenced in by the noise and yet basking in the attention and using it as a cover. Thus, the travelling media had a lot to grumble, about no access to players and information. For spectators, nothing matters as long as the team wins.
The middle aged, Grace, who works as a game day security watch and ward staff at the MCG, chatted with Herald, at the end of a very tiring day, when she mostly stood, in the MCC members area, thrown open for public seating during the tournament. “Yes, I’m tired but so so happy. We are privileged to be a part of the MCC staff for an event which has become all about Indian fans. I have never seen such passionate, knowledgeable yet respectful fans in any sport in any country and that is saying a lot. And believe me, they have made this team so good.”
Cricketing logic will defy all this, but the spirit of what Grace said will not. However, as India moves into within two games of bringing the cup home (or in other words ‘not giving it back’), its cricketing success lies in at least one stand out performance with some mini moments of brilliance, in every game.
Rohit Sharma has finally cast his name in stone as a permanent find, who borders on becoming one of India’s all time greats. His 137 on Thursday, probably, was even more significant than his world record score of 264 against Sri Lanka, because Bangladesh, on Thursday, could have got India out for under 250 if Rohit had perished.
Today’s mini moments were these. Shikhar Dhawan took a juggled catch on the fine leg boundary rope to send Mahmudullah, who had scored two consecutive hundreds in the pool stage, on his way for 21. Then Mahendra Singh Dhoni took a diving catch to remove Soumya Sarkar for 29 to cut short any Bangladeshi revival and of course the bowlers chipped in with regular wickets.
What does all this boil down to? The MCG, which is the gladiator of all cricketing venues, is not for the faint hearted. This is where India has won two matches that have turned the cup in their favour – against the much-fancied South Africa and expectedly against Bangladesh. Our boys have turned into big stage men, while we were watching. But this isn’t the Cup yet. The old nemesis Australia, is their likely semi-final opponent, and then who knows. If Pakistan do the impossible by beating Australia in the quarter finals, it will be a 2007 repeat, India versus Pakistan semi-final. For India and all Indians, Sydney could well be as much of a host city as Mohali was.
Will it be yesterday once more? Is mauka, just an Indian name for deja vu?
