“Oh, God! What a fool I was to guess that I would win the semi-final!” Virat Kohli may have thought so after the result of the match. Coming so close in direct encounter on the batting pitch, Virat & Co. remained far from the entry into the final clash. Here what Sachin Tendulkar said is apt. His reaction was, “Thinking any target is easier is never correct. It is to be chased with playing skill.”
While Virendra Sehwag in his analysis did not make Dhoni responsible for the unforgettable defeat in this edition of the Cricket World Cup, he did regard the lapse in the management. However, rave reviews did not end here. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the players for fighting well on the field.
Whatever be the cause of the disastrous loss by a handful of 18 runs, Tendulkar also added that there was a persisting nervousness from the very start. Undeniably, cricket fans were dejected after the collapse of three initial wickets. But they did find solace in believing MS Dhoni would help the team win at last.
Then, the impossible happened and the hopes of reaching into the final was over for all time to come. India’s loss closed the chance of an Asian country winning the coveted cup in England.
However, the amount of ₹28 crore will be awarded to the winning team and the runner-up will receive half the amount (₹14 crore). India had to satisfy itself by taking a sum of ₹5.5 crore as one of the semi-finalists. The Pakistan cricket team will get ₹2.24 crore.
Just the way India was not expecting to lose the match against New Zealand, the Pakistan team was optimistic of raising a compelling score against Bangladesh. But it failed to make even 500 runs. Five teams from Asia participated but none reached the final stage. This is kind of cricket the countries were playing. All of them drifted away into the boundless sea of losing ground.
One understands that the players have extended their apology, but there is no use of repentance. The best fighter remains to be the one who turns up in the arena fully prepared and nothing else.