A big year for India on the world stage ends in cricketing heartbreak

The stage was amply set: an acrobatic air show by Indian military aircraft, performances by Bollywood star singers, a light show, lots of fireworks and – as a highlight – a performance by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the enormous stadium that bears his name.

All India’s national cricket team, undefeated and heavily favored, had to do was win.

Ultimately, the Indians came up short, losing to Australia in the Men’s World Cup on Sunday night, silencing the home crowd of about 100,000 and causing grief to more than a billion Indians who have grown accustomed to the endless validation of the global position of their country. to get up.

The result was a bitter pill for a country that expected a coronation as the most dominant force, measured in passion and money, in a sport that is, by some estimates, the second most popular in the world. It seemed to symbolize how far India has come, both on and off the field, and how far it still has to go.

The Indian team had advanced to the final in Ahmedabad, in the western state of Gujarat, after comfortably winning all ten matches of the tournament. The image-conscious Mr Modi was hoping to enjoy a moment of glory at the Narendra Modi Stadium in his home state ahead of elections early next year when he will seek a third term.

The choreography – of a strong leader handing over the trophy to a commanding team that cruised to victory – would further merge his image with the story of India’s rise.

But by the time Mr. Modi reached the stadium towards the end of the match, India’s chances were on the downside. He presented the trophy to the Australians after the crowd had largely left.

“Dear Team India,” the Prime Minister said in one comfort message on X after the match. “Your talent and determination during the World Cup were remarkable. You played with great spirit and gave the nation immense pride.”

And there was a lot that India, now the world’s most populous country, can be proud of this year. The country’s economy, the fifth largest in the world, is the fastest growing of the major countries (although that growth is very uneven). It emerged as a strong voice for developing countries when it hosted this year’s Group of 20 summit. And it became the first country to successfully land a rover on the moon’s south pole.

In the field of cricket, India is the undisputed economic power in the world. At least 80 percent of global cricket revenues come from India, global cricket officials estimate. The Indian broadcast rights for international matches for a period of four years generated approximately $3 billion.

There is also the country’s lucrative national league, the Indian Premier League. The 10 teams are valued on average at about $1 billion, and the league, which attracts the best players from India and around the world, sold its five-year media rights for about $6 billion.

The riches of the sport are also starting to trickle down to the women’s game. Last year, India launched the $500 million Women’s Premier League, offering hope to young female cricketers in a country where women’s participation in the formal economy remains abysmal.

But India’s dominance in the game has not translated into similar success on the biggest international stages. India has won the World Cup, which is played every four years, twice in the tournament’s 48-year history, the last time in 2011. Australia has won six times.

That felt like ancient history, however, as the Indians charged into the tournament final on Sunday with high expectations. It seemed as if the entire country had descended on Ahmedabad: airlines added flights and celebrities continued to land in chartered planes. Hotel rooms shot up five to ten times normal.

Throughout the morning, the city’s metro shuttled people to the Narendra Modi Stadium. At each stop, families dressed in blue squeezed their way into the packed cars, which turned into moving sound boxes full of loud cheers in Hindi:

“Mother India? Long live!”

“Win, win? India will win!”

By the time they stepped off the train, many had gotten to know each other warmly, the way sporting events bring together complete strangers.

Some, like 16-year-old Kartik, had traveled long distances even without a ticket and clung to hope until the last moment. He had taken several trains from the south of the country and stood outside the stadium gate with a large handwritten sign.

“I WANT TWO TICKETS,” the sign said. “I COME FROM 3000 KMS.”

Just in case anyone wondered if he was asking for a donation, he had written in one corner in smaller letters: “I’m going to buy.”

During the few stretches where India showed hope of a recovery, the huge crowd cheered the team in unison.

But for most of the evening, it was the silence of the audience that told the story. Towards the end, when India’s defeat seemed certain, it was so quiet that the single clap of an Australian fan could be heard across an entire section. When the fireworks announced Australia’s victory, it was so quiet it felt like salt on gaping wounds.

After his team lifted the trophy, Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, said he had started his day nervously as he saw the blue sea all around him.

“Great day,” he added. “The good thing was that for the most part they didn’t make too much noise.”

After the loss, India coach Rahul Dravid said his team was dismayed as such a dominant campaign ended in a whimper.

Also during his playing career, World Cup glory had eluded Dravid several times, including when he captained the team in 2007. Now, as a coach, he said it was “difficult to see” a team that had “represented India fantastically” leave. out at a loss.

“But yes, that is sport. It happens. It can happen,” he said. ‘And I’m sure the sun will rise tomorrow morning. We will learn from it. We will reflect. And we move on, just like everyone else.”