To Team India, the Men in Blue

India's impressive World Cup victory is the result of a thoroughly professional approach from a team, which is blessed with a wonderful captain and an amazingly committed coach. M.S.Dhoni and Gary Kirsten started plotting 'Operation World Cup' about 18 months ago, making sure that the right players for different roles were identified, carefully groomed and exposed them to some good cricket so that they are ready for the big stage. Everything went as per the plan, India started as favorites to win the cup, played very good cricket and won it in style. Strictly from a sport point of view, there is nothing more to say.

But in India, cricket is not just a sport. Indian cricket team is an alter ego of every Indian fan. We all wish we were the captain, the coach, the selector and every Indian player playing there in the middle. When we see Sachin play a creamy cover drive or Sehwag nonchalantly stroke the ball around, we feel the same sense of achievement the batsman experiences.

Due to this empathy, we tend to have deeply emotional feelings towards the team. From 5 year old kids to 80 year old grandmas, everybody is ready to do whatever it takes in their power to make sure that India wins. (I gave up watching the India-Pakistan match because I felt that each time I started watching, India started performing badly!) These superstitions and beliefs are desperate attempts to somehow associate with the team and make yourself feel good that you did your part for the team.

One very positive thing cricket offers is that, it makes us immensely patriotic. It brings us all together, makes us forget about all other differences and allows us to be truly Indians. While there are people who frown upon this type of patriotism, I truly feel that this is a good platform on which greater things can be built.

Also, all this attention and exaggerated importance given to the game, puts an immense pressure on the players. Their achievement in this World Cup, in spite of all the pressure and media hype is something to be really lauded, hats off. The passion and commitment with which they played and made the dream of a billion people come true is truly wonderful.

Let us learn from our heroes, the champions. Let us take pride in whatever we do, strive to give our best, make sure to be good representatives of our country and stamp excellence in whatever we do. To Team India, the Men in Blue.

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