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Records are made to be broken. Streaks are meant to be ended someday, somewhere! May 23, 1999: Pakistan was the last team to beat Australia in a World Cup match and a dream run of 34 straight victories was not destined to go beyond.
Finally Ricky Ponting had to taste defeat in a World Cup match as a captain. Though the chances of the teams making it to the quarters was not at stake, but the position of the teams for Group A certainly was. And of course, the winning momentum.
This time I won’t go for the statistical facts and figures. The analysis of runs scored, wickets taken, fielding performances of the team, catches, stumpings and so on is something I prefer to leave on the teams and their coaches.
Those do not haunt me any more. It would be all about the emotions of a fan in black and white when a streak ends.
This is not the first time I have witnessed the eruption of such thoughts.
Experience has embraced me in these matters. When you expect great things from someone, get ready for an exciting rollercoaster ride.
Roland Garros 2009: in-form Soderling crushed Roger Federer with his power-packed game to end his streak of 23 consecutive semifinals in Grand Slams. That seemed to be the end of an era. I don’t see such a staggering record to be broken ever by anyone but still when a dream run comes to an end, a golden age gets halted.
This time it was no different. A 34 match winning run may never get matched by any team down the line. But a clear demarcation now exists and I would deem that (May 23, 1999- March 19, 2011) as the golden era of Australian cricket or cricket for that matter, the sheer dominance of a sport by a single team in WC.
I am clueless as to what the loss suggests. Does it signal the end of Australian campaign in this CWC 2011 or would it be a repeat of 1999 WC?
Fans have different views, experts have their own. But I am in a fix.
I have simply no intention to formulate my own opinion on this. Or rather say, I don’t want to analyse it. I don’t wish to see my team lose again.
Nor do I wish to jump into a conclusion that the result was meant to be just a warning for the team to stiffen their resolve ahead of the knockout phase with its opponents most likely going to be the favorites: India. Let time decide what is in store for future.
This broken heart, no doubt, needs time to heal before it gets itself prepared for another “heart-ache”.
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