Though England lifted the World Cup, Kane Williamson held aloft the spirit of cricket as a gentlemen’s game, writes Devashish Chakraborty
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is now history, and as witness to this spectacle, we are in a position to analyse what ought to have been but could not be because perhaps it was destined otherwise. As they say, ‘cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties’, and this is precisely what the World Cup 2019 held out for us to behold. While England were the favourites to win this year, Australia and India were not far behind. It just needed a stroke of luck for both these teams to overhaul their opponents, which, however, did not happen.
Then, the Final at Lords had all the ingredients of a much-awaited romantic comedy, full of roller-coaster ride, drama and comedy of errors. In the end, the Kiwis did not lose, though on record England won the World Cup. It was an evenly fought contest and the game of cricket emerged triumphant. However, the question arises, could India have made it to the Final?
The World Cup Final did not quite lit up in the absence of a team from the subcontinent. That India would lose tamely to New Zealand was least expected. After a sterling bowling performance, India had managed to restrict the Kiwis to a score that should not have bothered the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. May be it is too much to expect of the top order of India to do the bulk of scoring and win matches for them throughout a big tournament like the World Cup.
This time around, luck also played spoilsport in the form of a rain-interspersed semi-final between India and New Zealand, which went on for two days. If the match had ended on the first day, who knows what might have happened, especially when Indians were on a high. The next day is always another day, and apparently the Indians seemed to have taken it for granted that their place in the Final was guaranteed. However, Kane Williamson and his side had other ideas and caused an unlikely upset that left many Indian fans heart-broken.
While India’s absence from the Final may have dented the spirits of many Indian fans, the spectacle at Lords between England and New Zealand has left many spellbound and feeling money and time have been well spent. The match was a cliff-hanger, with all the ingredients for a nail-biting finish. However, the talking point even now is, had the Sri Lankan umpire Dharamasena not awarded six runs when the ball crossed the boundary after a deflection off Ben Stokes bat, what might have been the outcome. As TV replays showed later, Stokes and his partner at the other end had not completed the second run when the ball had hit his bat and went to the boundary. It was an error that went unnoticed till the end of the match.
But all this has now gone into the history books. What is remarkable is New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson’s poise and composure throughout the match and post its outcome. A true gentleman that he is, he is the embodiment of the spirit of game of cricket, which used to be hailed once as a gentlemen’s game.
Just pause for a moment’s reflection on what might have happened if Kohli’s team had been at the receiving end in place of New Zealand. It is a reminder that cricket is not just another game, but a lofty ideal of human endeavour that teaches poise, calmness and gentleness even in the face of defeat.