The blue sea of fans in the stands of the gigantic bowl that bears the name of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi swayed back and forth. 120,000 people, plus millions in the metropolises of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, celebrated their cricket heroes. The 192-191 seven-wicket defeat of arch-rivals Pakistan in the normal round of the home World Cup fuels hopes of India’s third title after 1983 and 2011 – but its significance extends far beyond the home tournament.
When India and Pakistan play cricket, it’s always about more than just sport. The relationship between the two countries is strained after the colony of British India was divided into two countries in 1947 with a simple line on the map. After the attacks in Mumbai in 2008, relations between the governments in New Delhi (India) and Islamabad (Pakistan) came to a standstill, with consequences for the national sport of cricket.
Getting a visa was next to impossible for Pakistani fans, and instead of an atmospheric duel between two neighbors with great tradition and passion, the game became an all-Indian party, which disgusted Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur. Was this one-sided backdrop worthy of a World Cup? “I can’t comment on that,” Mickey replied, adding meaningfully: “I don’t want to be punished.”
120,000 Indians celebrate the home victory, Pakistanis were not allowed to enter: Image: EPA
However, he did not want to use the political dimension of the duel as an excuse for the defeat. The hosts presented themselves too strongly in Ahmedabad, with the Indian bowlers in particular making life difficult for the Pakistani batsmen. “It felt good, it was just one of those days,” said Man of the Match Jasprit Bumrah. Teammate Kuldeep Yadav enthused: “The crowd was incredible. The atmosphere was amazing.”
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The game had attracted Indian fans in droves. In view of the rapidly rising hotel prices, some had registered for health checks with overnight stays in hospitals. Regular accommodation suddenly cost 70,000 rupees (800 euros) instead of the usual 6,000 rupees (69 euros). After the victory, the euphoria knew no bounds, who is going to stop India now?
The hosts, who had previously won against record world champions Australia and Afghanistan, continue on Thursday against Bangladesh. There are a total of nine group games for each team, and the best four of the ten World Cup teams advance to the semi-finals of the tournament in ODI (One Day International) format. Pakistan is also hoping for this despite the bitter defeat, after all, the former world champion started the tournament with two wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
In India, cricket fans are now preparing for the next holiday. On Monday, the sport, which is extremely popular especially in Great Britain and the former British colonies, will be included in the program of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles by the IOC session in Mumbai. Cricket makes the leap onto the world stage – a giant awakens.
2023-10-16 03:29:29
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