The perfect match at a not so perfect stage

Cricket has given us some wonderful moments, moments that any ardent cricket fan would love to take to their grave, moments that fans will die to relive. Time and again, this extra-ordinary sport sparks moments that enthralls their followers and makes them believe.  Two skillful teams giving their all on the field is what is expected every time a game is played. The hair-raiser first semi-final clash at the CWC 2015 has done no injustice to the legacy of this great sport.  

Two deserving teams, be it in terms of skill, fan following, likeability, historical performances met at the penultimate station of the destination. Only one could go forward in their quest of cherished dream, the other would have to pick them up and start all over again. Fans all over the world would have faced a dilemma like never before- which team to support?

These are moments which show that this sport can be cruel too.  It was a case of mostly everyone wanting these two to go forward, and yet the game would provide a chance to only one. There will be talks and analysis of the missed run-outs or catches by South Africans, their temperaments under pressure will be questioned again, but there would have been no way that the Proteas would have slacked an inch. Nobody should question their belief and temperament.

The sight of Steyn charging in, de Villiers, du plessis and roussow throwing themselves at everything, morkel bowling his heart out and Tahir with his control showed how much they wanted to win this and what it meant to all of them. But such were the levels of skill at display at the park that their performance became second-fiddle from another set of brilliant sportsmen.  It required the collective brilliance from all the Kiwis marshaled by a great captain to overpower the Proteas. On this day they got beaten by a better team, but South Africans deservedly should take pride in their performance.

The match has ended and yet I don't know whether to be happy over New Zealand win or sad at South Africa’s exit. It doesn't help knowing that emotions would have been the same even if the result would have been the opposite.

However, there is a solace in the fact that this result broke the jinx in some ways. South Africa, having won their first knockout match (quarter-finals) against Sri Lanka broke the hoodoo around their performances in knock-outs. On the other hand, the perennial dark horse of world events broke their semi-final jinx to advance into the finals and gained an opportunity to be part of the act where they have mostly faltered at the penultimate stage. People will definitely be very sad for South Africa, but that would not take anything from the New Zealand’s win. They have played better cricket throughout this campaign and deserved to be on the winning side.

Many will agree when I say that if there would have been a choice given to choose a team to end the World Cup campaign for South Africa, for a neutral, it would have to be New Zealand. Maybe, the final would have been a perfect stage to decide among these two equally lovable and deserving sides. May be the course of match would have been different without the rain which will again haunt the South African fans for years to come, may be that Anderson run out would have tilt the scale in favours of the proteas. May be. Like before, it will be bloody hard to come to peace with not having to achieve their full potential one more time. Some will talk about the fortunes, but nevertheless, nothing will stop South Africa from being one of the most loved sides in International cricket and their tag of being favourites whenever they play and more importantly wherever they play. May be, this is the beauty of South African Cricket which makes the world root for it in every tournament.

But, taking nothing away from the kiwis, wish them all luck in their final attempt to create history.
And better luck next time South Africa. You deserve it and one day you will make it.