Gayatri Shankar
The exhibition of world’s biggest ever sporting encounter that is about to take place on Wednesday in Mohali is beyond description. The fervor, the fanaticism and the insane yet incredibly provoking cricket fever is just priceless and preposterously electrifying. So much so, that the Prime Ministers of both the countries have been drawn towards each other to cheer for their respective nations in Mohali that can easily be called the mini battlefield of Kurukshtera.
As they say, India is a nation where cricket is a religion and Sachin is God and such manifestation of the faith comes once in a life time. And to witness the encounter is nothing less than a boon!
Considering the zest and the passion for the sport, the political representatives of the Indian sub-continent have decided to use the softer weapon (cricket), termed as “cricket diplomacy”, to resolve the ever growing bi-lateral tension. And what better than the game of cricket to act as a medium to bridge the gap between the nations that have been at loggerheads since their formation?
Moreover, the Wagah-Attari international border has been opened for the so-called ‘pedestrians’ from across the zero line to witness the clash of titans…something which is priceless. Cricket fanatics have been queuing up to get their hands on the tickets which are hugely overpriced. And the madness wins over the humongous price tags; fans are ready to dig a hole in their pockets to see India take on Pakistan in the semi-final match of the 2011 World Cup rightly termed as the “Mother of all Battles”.
Reportedly, there are many die hard followers of the “English game” in India who are on their toes to beg, borrow and steal to make it to the stadium that will host the biggest game. And there is someone who is all set to barter his kidney for bucks to experience the enigmatic game.
Millions of hearts are already beating fast; throats have formed lumps while eyes are desperate to get drenched in tears of joy. Millions will cherish the moments of ecstasy and the other set of millions shall get soaked in the pool of agony.If Mohali is ‘Kurukshetra’ then we may say the men in blue are the mighty Pandavas. And the coveted trophy as big as the kingdom of ‘Hastinapur’! Well Oh well….this Indo-Pak match replicates Mahabharata. Is it just a co-incidence or a literal duplication of the greatest war between brothers in the history of mankind?
With many multinational companies and other commercial establishments declaring it a half working day, the last week of the month of March has seen an extended weekend starting from Friday with fans preparing for the big day. Huge screens are being installed at many places for joint viewing. Conference rooms are getting converted into mini theatre of sorts and the corporate executives as the cheerleaders. The entire nation is already bleeding blue and fans, irrespective of their financial standing, are collectively cheering for the Pandavas who are now 11 in number!
Life will eventually come to a standstill today. Those who shall follow the match on their television sets will have their eyes fixed on the idiot box. The 300 million deities who otherwise remain uncalled shall be offered special prayers.
Nothing can get bigger than this. Just hoping the 11 righteous men in blue fight it out to beat those in green to reach the Finals…
First Published: Wednesday, March 30, 2011, 16:59