So, look at this now unimaginable scenario ; SKY oversteps the boundary, the World Cup is lost on the next 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 balls. India's heroes, weep like children. The captain is sacked. The MVP is publicly shamed. The miracle man who rose from the disaster of a car crash is publicly ridiculed. The selectors are forced to quit. The government takes its share of the blame over BCCI's mess. Thankfully, it did not end that way. The team came back as true heroes. The BCCI opened it's purse strings. Every one, like a typical Indian family blockbuster, wiped their tears of joy and pledged to follow the game for eternity. The government of the day made the photo-ops its own. Indian cricket is the toast of the town. Why think of the SA team that finished second, playing valiant cricket? So, as we are asking, is it the fickle inch which separates the winner from the loser? The one dropped catch, the mishit which carried to the fence. The one lapse of the runner who never expected the wicket keepers thrown to beat him to the crease. The one umpiring oversight (thankfully there were none!) Is it all there is to celebrate even when describing the outcome a matter of chance? Something is not right ! Or collectively we have let a win or loss decide even the fate of the GDP, the politics of the day and the right to a peaceful life for our public performers. We may even justify this by quoting the astronomical sums they sand to reap when declared a success. But spare a thought for the ignominy of the faceless existence of names forgotten even by the same generation. When Krishna tells Arjuna to concentrate on the action, not aspire to the fruit of the action, what he is saying, in effect, is to concentrate on the process. Krishna is saying that success is too fickle a phenomenon. In other words living your life to the dictates of the bystanders (or the crowd), is too undignified a prospect for true heroes. Probably, he is prescient and commenting on the World Cup too!
What needs to be celebrated is excellence. Which is there in abundance whether in a cricket or a football field or in any sphere of human activity. But as they would say, enjoying the game is inevitable. Taking partisan sides with the entire cake going to the victors is a choice we make our peace with. Let's enjoy the game but don't lets condone the narrow minded celebration of success alone.
Foot note 1 : There were the usual doubters who cast aspersion on the legality of the 'catch'. Even days after, the debate continued. But if you see the so-called proof of SKY overstepping the boundary, we find that even the proof is just a fake. Because the foot is shown to overstep at the junction (in the fake photo) of the blue-green boundary markers. But the photo alongside shows it was all blue. Foot Note 2 : By the way, I'm probably the first to comment on the incongruity of the 'proof' with the two photos shown above side-by side. Was it because people have really moved on ? Hard to say, but in the end let's celebrate what was a remarkable physical feat by a cricketer who is seen to be poised for such great moments ahead in his own career. Enjoy the beautiful game, again !
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