A Fitting Finale

Just how many times have we waited for a great nail-biting finish to a tournament or a series, only to be disappointed by the sheer one-sidedness of the final match? Most of such matches in recent times have witnessed a total anti-climax, including the last 3 ODI World Cup finals, where Australia brutally hammered Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka respectively. It may be a co-incidence that the teams at the receiving end were all sub-continent teams, all of whom fought tooth and nail in those respective tournaments to reach the finals, only to be demolished by Australia. It was only fitting that two teams from the subcontinent not only defeated Australia in a cricket tournament, but also gave the cricketing world a match that is worthy of being called a final. It has been years since I saw something even remotely close to the 20-20 final between India and Pakistan. The only parallel I can draw to this is the 1999 World Cup semi-final, which I still rate as the best One Day ever played, and just like yesterday, even in that match, no one knew till the last ball about the outcome of the match. Such was yesterday’s match, a fitting end to a series where two teams, fought for redemption and lost respect. Two teams who had the most ignominious exit from the World Cup earlier this year, and faced the wrath of their fans back home. Such was the impact of that defeat, that no-one gave a chance to these teams in this world cup. But such is the nature of the sport, that you can expect the unexpected. Two teams, who are in the process of rebuilding, headed by two young guys who redefine the way cricket is approached in these nations, and without any of the big names that have been associated with these teams in the past, showed the world what competitive cricket is. It was nerve-wracking, tense and brilliant. Never in the recent past have we seen such edge of the seat thrillers in the cricket field. And what a fantastic match to finish it all. The twists and turns just tell us why India-Pakistan matches are known to be the best matches in the cricketing arena. For me, there was no loser in this match. It was such an amazing final where both the teams held their heads high, right from the time the anthems were sung. Absolutely top-notch performance!! Way to go…