Rahul Dravid was questioned about the drawbacks of
India’s demanding travel schedule during the World Cup. Rahul Dravid’s press
appearances are known for their self-deprecating humour and insight.
No other team will travel farther during this
tournament, endure more airport procedures, or play at more locations. A
2500-kilometer leg from Guwahati to Thiruvananthapuram marked the start of their
World Cup, yet this route is so little travelled that no commercial flights
operate on it. All that trip would be for naught if their two exhibition games
in both places were rained out.
Of course, this is not India’s only annoyance at the
World Cup. The talk will be nonstop, as the class of 2011 might have warned
you; the players won’t be able to avoid their countrymen’s demands that the
trophy be won anywhere, even airport lounges and in-room dining. The flow of
commentary and guidance will be constant, from around-the-clock newsrooms to
the zillions of social media handles. In contrast to 2011, when the team
purposefully avoided newspapers, websites, and news channels, doing so in 2023
will be impossible and necessitate a monk-like abstention from cell phones.
Dravid, however, was able to put things into
perspective in just a few minutes. He replied in Hindi, which I shall
translate. What a hassle, he remarked. Instead, what a thrilling chance to
visit so many various locations and give fans a chance to see their favourite
players, from stadiums to airports. In front of our own people, we are
competing in a World Cup at home. What is bigger than that, you ask? What is
more exciting than that?
He never had the chance despite having a lengthy and
distinguished career. Others from that “golden generation,” including
as Sourav Ganguly, didn’t either. VVS Laxman endured years of pain since he was
never given the opportunity to play in the World Cup. The only members of the
current team who have experience playing a World Cup at home are Virat Kohli
and R Ashwin. Rohit Sharma, who has referred to this World Cup as the biggest
event of his career, knows firsthand how awful it feels to be left out because
he almost missed out in 2011.
Pressure, as Billie Jean King said, is privilege.
Kolhi hasn’t just replicated Tendulkar’s run-scoring
style; he has also absorbed the universality of his broad appeal. Being present
for India’s World Cup debut at the MA Chidambaram Stadium meant being subjected
to the full weight of Kohlimania. Wherever he went on the pitch, there was
immediate and spontaneous cheering and chanting of his name. This stood out for
its sincerity in contrast to the announcer’s persistent, and grating, attempts
to orchestrate crowd responses over the public address system. His mere
presence at the boundary was electrifying.
When it mattered, Kohli paid it back in equal measure,
first by absorbing the blows Australia were delivering – they had reduced India
to 2 for 3, a score from which no team had won chasing in an ODI – and then
slowly and inexorably taking the match away.
That’s what champions do. They embrace pressure and
rise in its presence. They know how to shut out the noise, and when to be
buoyed by it. They know how to ride the wave of emotion and how not to be swept
away by it.
He had the good opportunity to experience that in his
first World Cup, so he knows what it’s like to win a World Cup at home. In what
may be his final World Cup, he now has the opportunity for a comeback. What
wouldn’t Rohit trade to board now that he missed out on one? A home World Cup
only occurs once in a career for many people; the World Cup only occurs every
four years. It’s an opportunity to make lifelong memories.
Pressure? Who has won a World Cup while refusing to
celebrate it?