- It is still fresh in the minds of cricket lovers since the Australians defeated the much-fancied and overwhelming favourties Team India in the recently concluded 50-over cricket World Cup. Lots of heartbreak, despondency, despair, and a sense of terrible loss must have pervaded the cricket-crazy fans as well as ordinary Indian citizens alike. Unlike previous times, the backlash against the Indian team for losing out in the final is not pronounced since the way our team performed in the ten matches leading up to the summit clash was spectacular. The way Team India showcased its brilliance was by exhibiting ruthlessly, professionally, and amazingly in the ten matches that cricket fans were stunned by the final loss but duly acknowledged the praiseworthy performances.
PC: India Today
- We know how passionate Indian cricket fans are when it comes to winning and losing matches. They sing hosannas when the team wins and go ballistic in condemning when the team loses. In a welcome change this time around, fans were quite understanding and showed commendable maturity in not denigrating Team India’s loss. They were mature enough to praise the attacking approach adopted by the team in steamrolling the opposition with such an amazing display of fantastic cricket. Yes, one team will win and the other will lose. Team Australia was the better outfit on the day and hence emerged as the deserving winners. However, one incident surrounding the loss caused tremendous outcry courtesy of our political class, which was completely avoidable.
- As is its wont, the Congress leaders loathe to let go of any opportunity to berate and demean the Prime Minister irrespective of the sensitivities and poignancy surrounding the occasion. During the final, the Indian Prime Minister was accompanied by the Australian Deputy Prime Minister who were the dignitaries earmarked to facilitate the winning team. Soon after the felicitation ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an impromptu but heartwarming gesture of visiting the Indian dressing room to show solidarity, motivate, and raise the spirits of the despondent team after the demoralizing defeat. Mind you, superstar cricketers like captain Rohit Sharma and the talismanic Virat Kohli were teary-eyed at the mind-numbing defeat.
PC: TOI
- Rather than appreciate the great gesture of the PM to soothe the agonizing players, the opposition was quick to term the very presence of Narendra Modi as a bad omen leading to the defeat. If omens decide the fortunes of contesting teams in sports, why look for outstanding performers who sweat it out years on to stay truly professional in their chosen field? Some leaders went to the extent of tastelessly denigrating the PM’s presence by mentioning that Team India was performing admirably but changed course for the worse when the high dignitary visited the stadium. Such observations are not only crass but also reveal the pettiness and empty-mindedness of the political class hell-bent on lampooning the PM. This is simply uncalled for. Grow up, leaders!
