LETTER FROM NEW DELHI
He had everything planned. He arrived just before the end of the match, in a stadium he had named after himself. The Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, billed as the world's largest with 130,000 spectators, is located in his heartland of Gujarat. The Indian prime minister wore a blue tunic and scarf, the colors of the champions. But then, the script that had been months in the making went haywire during the epilogue. India, the host country of the Cricket World Cup, lost the final of the competition to Australia on Sunday, November 19, depriving the Indian prime minister of a moment of hubris.
Like so many politicians here and elsewhere, Narendra Modi had been hoping for a home victory to boost his popularity a few months ahead of general elections, when he will be seeking a third term in office. The Indian team's run to the final was perfect. Not one defeat. Ten victories. The daily Hindustan Times described the Indian team as "imperial, demolishing all their opponents with the allure of a gladiator." Pro-Modi fans were already celebrating a resplendent India, unstoppable in its conquest of the world, forgetting an intangible rule. Nothing is ever scripted on the pitch, and even less so in politics.
On paper, the Australians had a historic advantage. In 48 years, India has won the World Cup, which is held every four years, twice, in 1983 and 2011. Australia has won six times. But India has risen to the highest level and become the epicenter of cricket. It is the only sport in which the country really shines, unlike soccer.
Knowledgeable observers point to the "enormous subliminal pressure" Indian players have been subjected to, against their will. They criticize the fans' chauvinism and the organizers' lack of fair play. The moment when the Australian captain, Pat Cummins, received the cup was extremely embarrassing. Modi hurriedly handed over the trophy, with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles struggling to smile, then promptly turned on his heel, leaving the hero of the stadium alone on stage, bewildered and stunned, as if he were a party spoiler. Many Indian fans had already left the stands.
"When thousands marched into the Ahmedabad stadium on Sunday, November 19, they were convinced that cricket and their political leadership had aligned the stars so perfectly that defeat was an unthinkable possibility," wrote Pradeep Magazine in The Wire. For this journalist and cricket specialist, "the crowd was not there to watch a cricket match. They were there to celebrate India’s win, not to applaud the wonderful cricket the Australians were playing."
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