My World Cup journey began in 1983, in a none-too-gratifying way. The immigration officer at Heathrow was condescending. “So, you have come to report on the World Cup?” he asked. “India didn’t do too well in 1975 and 1979. I can’t think it will be much better this time.” The officer could barely mask his scoffs.
He was not the only one who thought India were no-hopers. Odds of India winning were a mouthwatering 66-1, but found few takers. Having won only one match in two previous World Cups—that, too, against lowly East Africa—India could hardly claim great expertise at limited-overs cricket.
In fact, David Frith, editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly, wrote in his curtain-raiser that he would eat his words if India won. The contempt was widespread. The Indian press corps, numbering only six, was denied accreditation to matches at Lord’s. Not unless your team is in the final, we were told dismissively.
At the start of the tournament, the thought of India entering the final was insane. Cricket’s magic, however, is in its unpredictability. From the brink of being ousted, India clawed back into contention on the back of a superlative 175 not out by Kapil Dev against Zimbabwe.
After India beat England in the semifinal, we landed at Lord’s again for accreditation. The legitimacy of our demand could not be questioned this time.
The stewards at Grace Gates, not having expected India to reach this far, and perhaps miffed more because England had failed to meet the West Indies in the final, were standoffish. “Oh, we’ve got Gandhi coming to Lord’s,” said one to his colleague. His teeth were clenched, an eyebrow raised in surly disbelief.
Esta historia es de la edición September 17, 2023 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 17, 2023 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
