It can’t get better than this – An India- Pakistan final in a world cup! That too in the same year when both the teams failed to make it to the second round of the world cup. And the way these two teams have come to the final hurdle! In the initial round itself both the teams created history by tying a Twenty-20 match, India winning 3-0 in a bowl-out for the first time ever. India, which was under pressure to win 2 consecutive matches, (mainly because they managed to lose a close match with New Zealand by just 10 runs) -one against the vastly-improved and the well experienced (at least in Twenty 20) England, and the next one against the host South Africa, who have not lost a match so far in the tournament. Will India make it?

Well, they did it, that too, on consecutive days, both batting first. Of these two matches, the golden moment has to be Yuvraj Singh’s 6 sixers in an over against a hapless Stuart Broad! Though in the second game against the South Africans India were helped by the eternal chokers a bit, still you can’t take away anything from the way our MIB (Men in Blue) played. And a semifinal against the mighty Aussies. Who would have given these inexperienced blokes a chance! Somehow India managed to score close to 190 and restrict the Aussies and squeeze to the finals.

Then, the mother of all matches – a dream come true for many! India and Pakistan in a world cup final, for the first time! Boy, it can’t get better than this, and the whole nation is cheering for the MIBs. You have a TV channel (Headlines today) showing three lovely ladies (who generally dress sensibly!) dressed in the Indian cricket T-shirt and all other channels forgetting any other news and dissecting and analyzing the grand finale.

The D- day arrives. Even Monday blues are fought by thoughts about how the Men in Blue will fare today. The heart says India and the brain analyzes Pakistan’s new outfit, which has lightning agility in the field and a much better varied bowling attack and a lot of danger men in the batting line up. The whole day goes in heated discussions about probable tactics, Sehwag’s fitness and Dhoni’s captaincy. Not much work gets done, though the usual motions are on the roll. It is 4-30, and suddenly half the office seems empty, and by 5, the number of sudden headaches, terrible stomach pains increase exponentially, and the office is completely empty!

5-20 PM : The first blow to the heart – Sehwag is unfit. But wow, Dhoni wins the toss and decides to bat first. Three matches India has won the toss, batted first and won, so hey – good one, MS! Way to go man! 5-30 PM: The first over is bowled. The lucky seat is taken (I sat on the same side of the couch for the last three days, with my father sitting on the other side, and hence we had a small contribution in India’s win in the last three matches, so we do the same!) Pretty decent start. Solid!

The next blow – the on-song Yuvraj comes and goes, Dhoni gets out cheaply too. Well, law of averages, you see. But thankfully Gambhir keeps his cool. In the end of the Indian innings, one can’t help but feel bad that India is somehow fallen short by 30-40 runs. 157 seems poor, with no demons on the pitch. And, Pakistan has some hitters like Afridi (why does he come so low on the line up? Baffling!) and this Misbah Ul Haq guy.

Indians are seen in a huddle, and RP Singh bowls an excellent first over. The heart leaps with joy. The very next over Sreesanth gives away 20 runs, and the heart bleeds. Millions of butterflies make my stomach their home. Not even a hair moves away from my ‘lucky zone’ and the eyes don’t see anything much except the TV screen. Indians take wickets regularly and Dhoni inspires with some bold moves – not a bad one bringing Yusuf pathan to bowl one over, he gives away just 5 runs. Irfan Pathan bowls his heart out with impressive figures. The heart leaps, and the brain too now says India has a good chance.

In comes Misbah Ul Haq. Sreesanth and Harbhajan help him largely, especially Bhajji giving away 3 sixers in one over, totally changing the game’s equation! The butterflies in the stomach start doing a hard rock energetic dance and the couch almost topples with so much weight on the seat edge! Of course there is a lot of swearing (whatever you can do in front of dad) directed at Bhajji and Sreesanth. Penultimate over. RP Singh shows what a cool customer he is, by taking a wicket in his last over. But still, the total is gettable, for Pakistan, and Misbah is on stike in the last over. Who will Dhoni bring, Harbhajan (Oh God, please no, not him!) or J. Sharma (can he handle the pressure?)

Jogindar Sharma it is, and only 13 runs needed from the last over. Gettable, still. Misbah still there. Now the butterflies are completely out of control, and they are dancing even more vigorously, and I can hear my own heart beat! Even the ladies of the house are not interested in watching weepy serials now, everyone is watching the match! He starts off with a wide, and I have to suppress a very common swear word with all the ladies around! The third ball Misbah hits a six, and the heart sinks. All this, for nothing! Six needed from four balls. He goes for a delicate chip, the heart almost comes to the throat, the butterflies almost reach my head with all the dancing, I almost fall off the couch and…Sreesanth catches the ball, and the whole stadium erupts, the whole town erupts, I hear fireworks soon after, and everyone seems happy. India has won a world cup (never mind the format) after 24 years! An inexperienced team led by an inexperienced captain, has done it! That too against Pakistan!

Butterflies fly out of my system, heart is now euphoric, celebrations are in order. The painful ordeal has come to a sweet end! I cannot help but reflect on the moral of the story

-          No coach

-          No senior players

-          No bowler or batsmen in the top 5 in this tournament.

And yet, India wins – Is this team effort or what! Chak de India! Thank you Shahrukh!