The Common Mumbaite Speaks Out..: September 2007

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!

As though seeing the Ind V/s Pak final on 24th Sept 2007 - the most thrilling match of the century where India defeats Pakistan by 5 runs to hold the Twenty20 World Cup 2007 in SA, wasn't enough to get on a high... Bombay got a lion's share to soak up the victory!!

Knowing that the new age icons who have made cricket a religion again were arriving with the T20 World Cup in Mumbai was enough to make one and all excited. We all knew it would be a hug welcome, but as the feeling started to sink in and as we saw visuals of the parade every Mumbaite was simply ecstatic about the victory.

25th Sept was the 10th day of Ganesh festival when all the Ganesh idols are immersed; especially the big ones, with loads n loads of crowds pouring on the streets to bid adieu to Mumbai's favourite deity, stayed awake till late night in all the revelry that is a part n parcel of the processions. Though one God left, next morning was the arrival of 15 Gods of Cricket!! It felt like Lord Ganesh gave the country the T20 World Cup and a dream team as "prasaad" for all the devotion and love showered for past 10 days.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) had planned a 30-km ride for the winning team from Inter'ntl Airport to Wankhede stadium, where the players were to receive their prize money. An open-top-double-decker blue bus adorned with posters of the winning team named "Vijay Rath" with the captain's picture in the front was arranged for the team,

which had truck with DJ Aqeel performing live and a media bus to capture the ride live. The buses of course were to be driven by BEST drivers as they are the best ones who can handle Mumbai traffic and people.

The most awaited plane was to land at 8:15am at Sahar International Airport, but crowds had gathered there since 6am!! All the bands with their dhols and other paraphernalia outside the arrival terminal looked as if they had got some renewed energy after the immersion and have directly come over to welcome our new age icons. Tirelessly beating the drums, hundreds of people were waiting patiently for the heroes in the incessant rains. Looked like even the rain Gods were waiting to have a glimpse of the victorious Team INDIA!!! All media channels glued their cameras on the door through which Dhoni was goin to make the historic walk to bask in glory of his fans. And as they emerged, Dhoni first with a big red tilak on his forehead (traditional welcome had already been done by navaari clad maidens)

who looked like the prince who had just won a war and come back. That moment onwards Mumbai erupted with joy, pushing each other to get just a glimpse of their heroes... The other team players emerged in ones and twos but admist tight security.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil, top brass of the cricket board, including president Sharad Pawar, vice-presidents Lalit Modi and Rajeev Shukla, secretary Niranjan Shah and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar were present at the airport to receive the players. Only the zoomed cameras of the news channels could actually make it possible to barely see the faces of the team members. The whole crowd went berserk to get that one glimpse, that one click of their heroes. Somehow the security officials managed to take the whole team India unit to the bus through a crowd which would almost lead to a stampede.
Though after they got into the bus, the team seemed overjoyed by all the fans cheering them, Yuvraj and Bhajji did a bit dance, Pathan was taking pics of the huge crowds, Dhoni and Co. flaunted the T20 cup to all. Shouts of joy, ecstatic about seeing the T20 champs.... it was wonderful the kind of welcome they got. The media bus got its own slice of pics, while the players were clicking pictures of the whole revelry... little did they knew that it was only the tip of the ice-berg!!

Early morning there was no traffic, no huge crowds and it being a weekday the authorities didn't expect large number of people to come on streets. Not a soul waiting anywhere has the rains were lashing the city. Busloads of raucous NCP workers at the terminal only confirmed the fears that the parade would be a damp squib.

But as the news of the arrival of Dhoni boys spread people began to appear on the roads, in tens to hundreds.. Ethusiasts were following the parade on bikes, cars to get a best shot of the parade. The sight of Dhoni's boys dancing to music atop the bus sent fans into raptures. The skipper himself remained seated, leaving Yuvi, Bhajji, and Sreesanth to do the twist. What seemed like only a parade, turned out to become a Mumbai festival! Western Express highway was jammed packed with revellers who had come to pour their hearts out in appreciation of the young team's performance.

Fire crackers on the streets, flowers showered on the team, office-goers took some time off to view the historic winners of India.. College kids bunked, school children with their school band joined in the party, shop keepers had not yet opened their shops, nothing before getting a glimpse of Dhoni & Co., nothing before witnessing this event. At every junction the team got a loving warm welcome from thousands of people, the young screaming "Chak De India", "Anhoni ho gayi Honi, World Cup laya Dhoni" the atmosphere just cannot be put down in words.

Gigantic tri-color draped over a building facade at Haji Ali. Peddar Road housewives beating steel thalis with spoons from their balconies. A Jain in a dhoti and a Muslim in a skull cap dancing side by side and blowing bugles on Cadell Road

Surgeons at Hinduja Hospital, still in their green gowns, showering flowers on the cricketers. At Shivaji Park, the illuminations of both the sides of the road for Ganpati festival had not been taken down. People on the roads, on the dividers, on the temporary bamboo balconies made for viewing the immersion procession of the previous day, the police could hardly manage the crowds with their overflowing bliss. At Wilson college, hundreds of girls chant "Dhoni, Dhoni" and waved out to the dynamic skipper and his boys.

The rains did not dampen the spirits of neither thousands of frenzied fans who were like a thick carpet on the streets, nor for the players who were almost drenched in the open-roof-bus. Euphoric atmosphere!!
Everyone was simply elated by seeing the India's young winning boys....
Dhoni's words, "Mumbai stops for no one but we have brought it to a halt for a day"

The jubilant team basked in all the glory in the victory parade. Near Marine Drive both the sides of the road were jammed with people, taxi drivers had stopped their taxis, all traffic to a stand still, only fans thronging near the bus to see their heroes. Shouts of joy could be heard miles away, upto 10th floor in Worli offices as the parade made its way through Dr. Anne Besant Road.

The winning champs of T20 World Cup 2007, the new fearless breed of young talent got a welcome fit for the God's and why not!! 24 long years... A whole generation grew up in a World Cup thirsty nation, it was a distant dream, just when people were sick of the politics in the game and miserable performance and had lost faith in the team... the young boys did it what we call as history.
Dhoni: "We were blowed over by the welcoming of Mumbai"

More than 50 motorcycle outriders dressed in white shirts and khadi trousers with white gloves led the slow-moving cavalcade that took well over four hours to reach the stadium for the public felicitation programme.

Lakhs of people had gathered at Wankhede stadium to watch their heroes, it was a historic reception that everyone wanted to tell a tale to their children and grandchildren. Stadium was packed to the seams as it was free entry for the public. Dressed in traditional festive wear, musicians and singers welcomed the spectators with patriotic songs such as "Jahan daal daal par", "Yeh desh hai veer jawanon ka", "Chak De India", "Shoor Amhi sardar" etc. Chants of "Indiaa.. Indiaaa" clearly showed that the fans were impatiently waiting for the team to arrive, though the bus could only crawl to the stadium as the love and joy showered on the way by Mumbaikars slowed their pace.

The excitement reached feverish pitch when Dhoni and his young squad occupied the stage after a five-hour victory parade. The stadium began reverberating to chants of "Dhoni, Dhoni...", followed by "Yuvraj, Yuvraj..." and "RP Singh, RP Singh..." It was shameful for the haughty politics that played, first row of seats was occupied by BCCI officials, office-bearers and politicians. Only Dhoni got to sit in the first row along with the hosts, rest of the team shooed back in the background in the second row... Politicians knew that this is the perfect place to get into media, also BCCI wanted to flaunt their power to snub at ICL. Speeches in Marathi, which rest of India wouldn't be able to comprehend were made. Harsha Bogle was the anchor announcing the names of players as they received awards with an impressive introduction of the players. If Uthappa was the "dude of the team", "Sreesanth and his God" stood out.

Sharad Pawar, BCCI cheif and NCP leader offers a cheque of Rs. 8 million to Yuvraj Singh and appreciated the sixiest man of India and T20 for his splinting superb 6 sixes in an over.

A discordant note was struck by NCP's attempts to hijack the show at the stadium. "Let's speak in the rashtrabhasha now," were Dhoni's first words when he took the mike after endless commentaries in English and political harangues in Marathi.

DHONI's WIT for the DAY!!
Dhoni showed his maturity and held his peace about the seating though spoke to the nation with wit and eloquence. (well, in the pic.. that instrument is calle "tutari" blown to signify "victory at war" or "announcing the arrival of the victorious")

Amazing reception: When we won the T20 World Cup, we knew it was a big thing for us. But the moment when we stepped out of the Mumbai airport, we realised it was much more. The people were happier than us. Many had braved the rain to come out and cheer us throughout our five-hour journey. It was amazing and overwhelming too. These are just not my feelings but every member of the squad, who was on the bus today. Thank you for the support.I promise that we will try to win every series and give our 100 per cent in every match.

We stopped Mumbai! It is said that Mumbai is a city which never stops. But see, me and my boys have brought the entire city to a standstill today!

I was nervous: When we entered the tournament, I was nervous. A little nervousness at this level is justified but the way all 15 players responded, I hardly had a reason to worry. The bowlers got me the wickets and the batsmen scored the runs. The pressure was considerably less on me. Importantly, the entire team had full faith in each other's abilities.

Being the underdog helped: We were quite relaxed when we landed in South Africa. In the very first team meeting, I told the team to enjoy the event. Nobody expected us to reach the Super Eights or knock-out stage. And whenever the expectation is less, the determination is high. We did not do well in the World Cup (in West Indies) and so it was the perfect stage for the team. We took one match at a time and in the final, treated it as just another match.

I was watching Sreesanth's hands: Recalling the final moments of the summit clash against Pakistan, Dhoni said, "when Misbah (ul-Haq) hit that shot (a scoop off Joginder Sharma), I thought it might land behind Sreesanth. But when he started getting under the ball, my eyes were not on him but his hands. I was waiting when the ball will land in his hands. Nothing else mattered."

Teams should have characters like Sree: "Sreesanth does make me quite tense. But every team should have characters like him."

Urge to do well, overrides everything: Small town cricketers are mentally tougher than those coming from the metros. They have to work harder because of the lack of facilities and infrastructure. But the new breed of cricketers, whether they come from metros or small towns, all are equally keen to do well in international cricket. "

The 20,000-odd then got what they had been waiting for, braving the rains. A victory lap and a closer look at their heroes. But then, the frenzy got out of hand. Lax security played a huge part as spectators broke through the fencing and soon spilled on to the ground. Suddenly, the players were being mobbed. A couple of them even hugged Yuvraj.

Soon, they were all over the ground, some slipped, others simply sided on the wet surface and the rest danced in gay abandon. All along, the cops were mute spectators.

It was left to the Rapid Action Force to swing into action. A mild lathi-charge followed. But it was too late in the day. Too many people had entered the ground. Thankfully, no player was injured in the bedlam. Though the sports event was given the flavour of a political rally, Dhoni and his boys were happy with the historic reception from people belonging to the City that never stops; which stopped for a day for this new, dynamic, fearless, shrewd team.

When I was younger, there was an editorial mentioning 'The price of a rupee could become 40 dollars, but India will not win the cup..." sighting the various reasons and the comparing that the impossible may happen but no Indian Cricket will stay as it is. I am proud that this has been proved wrong. All thanks to Dhoni and a bunch of courageous boys shining to glory with best of their effots in Twenty20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa! :)

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my scribbling when India defeats Aus in semis to enter the finals:
The dynamism, the aggression, the 'can-win-will-win' , blazing desire to win minus a coach has turned into a "omg, is that india playing!?" Long gone are the days when batsmen would hesitate for that extra run, the lull after a wicket, the tension that crept over the joy of the game... only pure dedication to win!! And yes they have got what it takes to make people, who had stopped watching the game now follow cricket as a religion again! Kudos to Dhoni n the young pack.. Yuvi 6ulz! thanks to T20, now that's what i call cricket!! :)

Move over Aussies, move over whichever strong teams that cricket pundits speak of...
Young INDIA Is here to Rule!!!

moi scribbled after the historical T20 win:
24th sept 07 - IND Vs PAK final
n what a game of cricket!! the best teams battling it out at every moment... a breath-taking five-run victory over arch-rivals in a summit showdown which saw fortunes fluctuating from one team to the other till the dying moments.
The BLUE TEAM sliced a piece of history for themselves showcasing great self-belief, confidence, passion and a never-say-die attitude... made their own destiny by their sheer performance and will to win.

~DHONI's THE CapTain!!!~

Aggressive n calm
responsible n dynamic
who believes that the new kids on the block can DO IT our 'down to earth 'king!!
what's more... no individual top batsmen or top wicket takers in the team, no coach, no star players,... sirf ek mulk ka naam sunaai deta hai.. INDIA!!!

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