Australia’s dominant victory over India in 2023 Cricket World Cup final took me back 20 years. Beginning of 2003 saw me move to Madison, Wisconsin for work after a few months in India with parent Indian company in the 2nd half of 2002. I wouldn’t advise January as the best time to visit Madison, especially if traveling from warmer climes. Wife and son joined me in Madison after 3-4 months. The interregnum was mostly like bachelor life as most of my project team were young guys (in their 20s) and single which meant project work till late in the evening during the workdays and activities as a team during weekend that also included playing cricket. For a very short period initially, during a very short stint, I was the vice-captain of a cricket team we had formed (Over the past 2 decades that team is now one of many teams that are part of a Midwest cricket league). 😊
In 2003 the Cricket World Cup was hosted jointly in Africa, in February-March, by South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe. 14 nations featured in that World Cup and they were split into 2 groups of 7 each with the top 3 from each group advancing to Super 6 stage, to determine the semi-finalists and on to the final which was played on March 23, a Sunday. India and Pakistan were in the same group of 7 and their group match was on March 1, a Saturday. India-Pakistan matches generally have a lot of edge to them and attract huge crowds. With time on our hands and cricket fully in our hearts and minds we (co-workers and me) decided to go to a downtown place in Madison where the match was being aired live. We trooped into the place on Friday night and it was jampacked with India and Pakistan supporters. The atmosphere was electric, the excitement palpable and the result very satisfying to Indian supporters as the team easily cantered to victory. 3 weeks later India stormed into the final with Australia as their opponent on March 23. 👍
Arrived the day of the final and duly arrived we at the same downtown place with high expectations due to very strong performance by India earlier in the tournament. The match in itself turned out to be a big disappointment as Australia scored a very dominant victory on the back of sensational batting by their captain and another player who rose to the occasion. The wind was knocked out of Indian team’s sails by the time it was India’s turn to bat. On big occasions, like the finals of an international tournament, the Aussie team do not play just to win. They play to make a statement and so it turned out then. And 20 years later…..thus it turned out today! Some differences in the script though. Australia batted first then, India batted first today. Australia were the undefeated team prior to the final then, India were the undefeated team during this World Cup, prior to the final. Back then I watched live, this morning I just followed the score occasionally. Back then I was a more passionate supporter, now I am more of a dispassionate observer (supporting my team, of course, in a quiet manner). No matter, same result. Another day, same feeling. If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. Life is about acceptance. Sport is fun and feels more invested and fun to identify with and support a team while the competition lasts. There are more important things in life though. I now look at sporting feats as more of an opportunity to see and appreciate the possibilities expand when individuals and teams pushed themselves to achieve higher and better! 👍🙏
Made all the more memorable by the fact Indian team was playing away, with Australian team having the advantage of home conditions and crowd support, and by the time the last match started the Indian cricket team had lost more than half their starting eleven to injuries sustained in games played during the tour or in training! With injuries mounting Team India was akin to an undersized Joe Frazier taking on much bigger and much more fancied Ali in “Thrilla in Manila” and fighting the last few rounds virtually blind due to his eyes closing from Ali punches in earlier rounds. Under the circumstances it would have been expected that the Indian management might throw in the towel to prevent more serious injuries like the Foreman team did then. Instead the Indian cricket team rose up after each knockdown and took the fight to the Australians till the end, emerging bruised and battered but not broken and eventually victorious 
(Trivia: If Frazier corner had let him fight as he wanted to he would have won Thrilla in Manila as Ali was so drained out he could barely stand up and fell down in the ring after the 14th round when he was announced as the victor 
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