ICC World Cup 2023: The party in Motera after India thrash Pakistan by 7 wickets in epic battle

Indian cricketers celebrating after claiming victory against Pakistan on October 14 at the ICC World Cup 2023 in Motera, Ahmedabad. (Photo: X/@JayShah)

It’s hard to fill up an arena as monumentally gargantuan as the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. No one is entirely sure what its capacity is — even the stadium quotes different numbers at two different places — but it can comfortably hold 100,000 people, at a conservative estimate, making it easily the most populous cricket ground when even 90 per cent full.

On an electric Saturday in a clash that seldom lives up to the hype and hoopla but which triggers passion and emotion like no other, the Motera venue was near full to capacity. A throbbing, heaving, buzzing cauldron of joy and delight, it came well prepared for a party and that’s exactly what it got as India’s World Cup campaign received a further fillip.

India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad seemed to contain more than just cricketing overtones, but this day was mainly about the sport. There was entertainment long before the first ball was bowled through an in-stadia musical fest whose intention was not to whip up sentiment but welcome the huge gathering and express the organisers’ thanksgiving to the thousands that had flown in from different parts of the world to appreciate and encourage Rohit Sharma’s band of warriors.

Foot-tapping numbers reverberated around the stadium as the fans grooved to the music and sang along. Even the weather gods smiled benevolently on them for their patience and perseverance; the days leading up to the contest were hot but Saturday was pleasant, high clouds offering insurance against the sun without adding to the humidity.

In the stands, out on the streets, in television studios and on the internet and in print, the talking point was 7-0, the scoreline India boasted going into the eighth World Cup meeting between the sides. It’s one of those sporting streaks that’s impossible to explain. Pakistan have had the better of the exchanges against India in One-Day International cricket, but when it comes to World Cups, there’s only one boss. Eight ka wait had become the catchphrase ahead of the Saturday showdown. Eight it was by the time the dust had settled, Pakistan schooled by a bunch that was more skilled, that remained calmer, that played smarter and that was roared on by the kind of support which must be the envy of the world.

Understandably, there was an overwhelming one-sidedness to the proceedings, and not just on the field. Thousands of Pakistanis desirous of making the trip across the border for the one match millions await eagerly every four years didn’t enjoy that privilege. Previous India-Pakistan clashes at World Cups in neutral territory have seen a mixture of blue and green in the stands with blue the predominant colour, but in Ahmedabad, it was only blue as men and women, boys and girls, the young and the old all came draped in the India jersey, proudly wearing No. 18 (Virat Kohli) or No. 45 (Rohit) on their backs.

India record their 4th biggest win by balls remaining after hammering Pakistan on Saturday in Ahmedabad at the ICC World Cup 2023. (Photo courtesy AP)

The mindset of the Indian fan has changed dramatically — in some ways for the better, in other ways not so much — since the mid-2000s when players’ homes were stoned and effigies burnt in the aftermath of defeats. India’s first-round elimination from the 2007 World Cup brought the worst out of the so-called supporters of Indian cricket and the national team; their disappointment rapidly turned to anger and disgust as they boorishly targeted various players.

Today, the Indian cricket fan is a lot more phlegmatic, taking defeat in the stride while celebrating victory stridently and unabashedly. Perhaps that’s got something to do with the direct connect between the players and their supporters through social media, non-existent a decade back. Yes, they all turn up hoping to see their heroes sparkle and shine, but they have the wisdom now to understand the sport for what it is and accept the reality that their team can’t win all the time. It helps, of course, that while India haven’t lifted a global title for more than a decade, they are excellent in bilateral contests – which is why they are the No. 1-ranked side in all three formats.

India secured its 8th World Cup win against Pakistan on Saturday. (Photo: Twitter)

While this changed attitude towards victory, and especially defeat, is most welcome, what is not is the singular indifference to good displays from the opposition. Not too long back, Indian audiences clapped for fine strokes or excellent deliveries from the rival team, even when their favourite players were at the receiving end. One of the most heartwarming scenes at a cricket ground came at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in 1999, when Wasim Akram’s team was given a standing ovation on its victory lap after pipping India by 12 runs in the first Test in India between the nations since 1987. On Saturday, you could have heard a pin drop when Babar Azam brought up his half-century, when Shaheen Shah Afridi accounted for Shubman Gill.

The average cricket lover in India today isn’t a lover of the sport per se, he is only a fan of Indian cricketers. To the exclusion of all else. In times gone by, the world acknowledged that cricket was a religion in our country; now, it’s less about the sport and more about certain superstar players. Whether it is a disturbing trend is another matter altogether, but primarily empty stands at many marquee clashes not involving India at this World Cup is another pointer to the altered mental landscape of the cricket follower in India.

Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (Photo: Reuters)" width="600" height="337" /> Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq shakes hands with India's KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer after the match between India and Pakistan at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (Photo: Reuters)

Viewed against that backdrop, the failure to appreciate very isolated pockets of excellence from Pakistan in Ahmedabad should come as no surprise. Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan team director, carped that this game felt like a bilateral contest, a BCCI event and not an ICC event. The South African was quick to add that he wasn’t using that as an excuse for the hammering Pakistan received, by seven wickets with nearly 20 overs to spare, and he perhaps meant it. Maybe his remarks were more for domestic consumption. But it dispelled repeated proclamations that once the players are out on the park, their focus is solely on cricket. Clearly, Pakistan were looking elsewhere to explain away a dramatic implosion that cost them eight for 36 in 80 deliveries.

India have now won three on the bounce, their campaign on track, their Saturday heroics spreading feel-good across the country. After all, few things are sweeter than putting it past Pakistan, right?