World Cups bring about a lot of nostalgia. Every time that anthem plays, with the Jersey, faces of players, and the national flag in slow motion and the crowd at the ground echoes with "Jai Jai Jai Jai Hey", the heart is overwhelmed. You feel goosebumps. I remember our school days when the canteen kaka had a radio set in his pocket. And after every class got over, someone from our class used to ask, "Score koto?" Times changed from "Sachin hai kya?" To "Yuvi Mahi hai kya?" And from counting Sachin's 100s to Kohli's. Back then, when most houses didn't have colour TVs and cables, there used to be this huge crowd outside every TV shop, cheering and shouting no less than the crowd at the ground itself. Some passersby would go around and ask, "Who is playing?" If the match was a nailbiter, this poor soul was often unanswered or rebuked. But changes are inevitable. Changes are good. From having strong batting line-ups to stronger bowling line-ups, we have changed for good. Today I watch my nephew ask me the same questions about the game that I once asked as a kid. Only now I have the answers. From "India hai last ball tak kuch bhi ho sakta hai," we have happily moved to "Mahi hai kuch bhi ho sakta hai." The game has taught us to hope. To cheer team efforts. And sportsman spirit. And every four years, it gives me a gentle reminder that some things don't change. Every time I see that crowd outside a TV showroom, fewer in number, yes, but still equally enthusiastic; or someone in a school dress asks someone the score a little worried, or every time my heart races when Mahi hits the ball up in the air or Virat swings it to the keeper, I know some things don't change. They just take you down memory lane and make you relive your carefree days again.
~ SURANYA