1996 : Eden Gardens

Yes we all were exited.  It was all set for a gripping semi final of a world cup.  World Cup was at home after almost nine years and we were playing really well against all but the one against whom we were going to play that day. Yes Sri Lanka had beaten us convincingly in the round robin match at Delhi, the only match they played outside Sri Lanka before this and the all important final.  For me it was really exciting times for sure. I was just 9 when we won World Cup and there were very hazy memories (even today) about that win, so this was my first time as a big boy to celebrate the best possible chance to win the ultimate event. 

All I was praying was that India should win the toss. Because if we win the toss we will bat first and anything above 200 should serve us well. The history was also favoring my thinking. In past “Hero Cup” semi final and final were played on the same venue and small scores were easily defended. In the semifinal India could defend even a score just under 200, not easily though but with the help of “Tendulkar’s last magic over”. He left Proteas clueless and they couldn’t score even 4 runs required to win in the last over. (Probably the first incident of their now very famous” chocking”) In the finals India again won the toss and batted first and made decent score and in response, West Indies was just made to surrender. Anil Kumble took one of the best figures of 6 for 10. So what I want to assert here is that in those days Eden pitches was of the nature that it would break in pieces once the first innings is over. So win the toss and win the match was the foregone conclusion. If any one of you still remember, during first IPL pitch was like that way only. Though KKR beat DC while chasing a very paltry score even in the T20 match but not before making a fight. 

But shocking surprise came when we all saw toss and Azhar chose to bowl first. I still remembered I was so shocked as if the Indians have just lost the match. But how could I feel differently when I remember those two incidence mentioned in last para clearly? It should have been a “cakewalk” for a team once they win the toss at Eden. But as if things were there to prove me wrong, we saw two most devastating openers history has even saw got out in the first over itself! Both Jaysuriya and Kaluwithrana got out at scores of 1 and 0 respectively. I thought hey, its not that bad decision. Azhar must have done it with lots of thinking. But then another wicket and enters Aravinda de Silva and since then they never looked like losing the match. It was one of the best counter attacks at least I have seen. But then too, 251 was still chasable in minds. As it was very natural and common then that if Sachin is there, there is always a hope.  Wickets were tumbling at other end and he was keeping on batting. Once spinners started to operate, the faces in well learned drawing room started to feel the heat. Literary ball was turning square. Puffs of dust were seen like minefield. Readers  can correct me that Jayasuriya got Sanjay Manjarekar, bowled around is legs. I have never seen Jayasuriya before and after that match turning the ball that much. In the end Tendulkar too succumbed and the crowed at Eden also followed the same. Few people were seen leaving the ground but few not only stayed there but also started to bother the fielders on the boundary lines by throwing stuffs, primarily water bottles, on them.  Few of them even caught showing their middle fingers to Indian players on camera. I have never seen such an abuse to our team before and thank god after. Referee Clive Lloyd intervened and declared Sri Lanka winner by default. Everything was going through our eyes but this decision made me livid for sure. I even uttered that had this match played in Colombo would Lloyd awarded the match to India even when India were all but gone? 

If this was not enough each one of us saw the not out batsman Vinod Kambli crying when the match was awarded to Sri Lanka. Few machos in my living room under the effect of shock and shame called him “non man”. But few like me, who lives with their emotions, showed some sympathy to him and even pity him. But those tears were probably real and not the one he poured a night before. In this media age everything is sellable. Even your smile, laugh, sneeze and your tears. The things he has said to support his claim can’t stand anywhere, forget court of law.  It seems he is out to target Azhar and probably the other two guys who were banned by the BCCI later on match fixing allegations. If you look at the score card, only Sachin, Manjarekar and Kambli himself along with Mr. Ex has got into the double figure. Just because the tainted trio has gone out for ducks and a single respectively, Kambli and the channel might have thought that they got enough masala to raise the TRP to the roof top. The same channel is known for throwing unethical, unsupportive and selfish allegations in past for which I too also is a sufferer, but that I will talk at an appropriate time. The pair might have thought that they will get support of other media houses for this and can run this on and on for months to come. It’s good to see Azhar came out in public immediately and rubbished the claim. I always feel for Azhar. He was suspended by BCCI based on Chandracur committee report but then that’s all! Azhar has filed a case against BCCI in courts but nothing by BCCI. Till Butt, Asif and Aamer went to jail, all those apart from Cronje played or still playing the game but not Azhar. Be it Shane Warne, be it Mark Waugh, Boje or Gibbs. As he (Azhar) rightly said last night on one news channel that it’s easy to blame Azhar when fixing things are talked about. Because the case in the court is not going at a faster pace, he can still be favorite punching bag for years to come now. 

Even if I have to believe Kambli that, that match was fixed, I would rather say that possible reason could be not to play in Pakistan for the finals. Those days relations between India and Pakistan were tense then even now. Though they are always like this but still it were certainly very tense. You could see how first Aamir Sohail reacted to Venkatesh Prasad when he hit him for a boundary and then Prasad himself reacting to Sohail when he got him out next ball in the match just before this most talked about one. Not only that a night before that match Imran Khan also on one live discussion said Pakistan will win easily because they were “always” the better side then India. Even Salim Malik said that we are better than Indians, hence we will win hands down. So if the match at all was “fixed” then must be by top brass of BCCI taking Indian team in faith and keeping Lankans in dark, obviously. But then the question comes that the venue of the final was decided long back. Probably in 1994 when Imran Khan and Late Madhavrao Scindia made joint effort in ICC to bring the world cup event back in sub continent. So this argument also doesn’t stand. 

All in all this looks like another TRP event. If Kambli was so sure he would have said this even a year or so later. But then youth was with him and he must be expecting to play more for India and doesn’t want to put his place in trouble. But then if he was so selfless and worried about corruption in cricket, he would have became instant hero by exposing then and there only. Azhar has said many things in his defense in last two days are enough to understand what Vinod Kambli is all about, because we have seen him helping another TRP raising event in “Sach Ka Saamna” few years back.

Dessert Storm!!!

 

“I thought I gave the match to Indians in platter, I told him (Azhar) to bat first if he wins the toss”

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      - Eden Gardens’ curator, few days after the semi final.