A Hard Pill To Swallow

This travelogue captures the 2023 Cricket World Cup that took place around India, including the Final that devastated us all

The misery for 92,453 people, most of whom have now left the premises, and millions around their televisions in this country, ends in the 43rd over. Head torches a short ball by Siraj over mid-off's head to reduce the target to single digits for the first time. When just 2 runs are needed, with his teammates waiting to storm the field by the dugout, Head impatiently swivels into yet another pull, but the short ball stays a touch lower than expected, and the flat shot is caught by Gill at deep midwicket. As he walks off, he is shown plenty of respect by the Indian stalwarts with handshakes and pats on the helmet. He exits the field and waits by the rope as Maxwell takes strike, spanks the first ball he faces, which is yet another bouncer from Siraj, towards deep square leg, and a fumble by a sliding Kuldeep allows Maxwell to return for the winning run.

Maxwell is then mobbed and floored by the invading Australians somewhere between point and gully.

Like that, the cricket at this tournament is finished. But the World Cup itself will live on for several more minutes on the field for the presentations, for a few more hours in the dressing rooms and for a couple more days in the desperate hearts of Indian cricket fans all around the world. For one last time, the true greatness of this Indian team comes to life and flickers in my mind like the epileptic limbs of a zebra who kicks to live even though her jugular is wrapped with powerful canines. Then, darkness descends swiftly, mercifully.