A Final of Champions
It was to be historic no matter which
team won the final—for both New
Zealand and England it would have been
a maiden World Cup win. The match was
historic all right. For the first time in its
44-year history, a World Cup final was
tied. For the first time, we had a Super
Over to decide which team was more
deserving of the cricketing world’s most
coveted trophy. Except, that too led to
a tie. In the end, for the first time ever,
the World Cup went to the finalist who
had scored more boundaries. Be still, my
thumping heart. But rules are rules, and they are the
same for both teams.In England, Versus England
For Kane Williamson and the Kiwi team, the final was
always going to be special: they were playing England,
the world’s best-ranked ODI team, at Lord’s, the home
of the game. They were the proverbial David, as fans bet
on England but supported New Zealand. Both sides put
up a stellar show, played out with nerves of steel. At the
end of the eight-hour contest, it was England’s win
to celebrate, and I congratulate Eoin Morgan and
the team for the hard-fought victory.Black Caps and Men in Blue
To reach our second consecutive World Cup final, we
knocked out hot favourites India. Despite the initial and
unexpected turn of bat and ball in the Black Caps’ favour,
M.S. Dhoni steadied the innings, and Ravindra Jadeja
played with freedom and finesse, leading the team through
a match that went down to the wire. It did seem for a while
that the weather gods would rain on our parade, but we
managed to march on. As more than one person has sug-
gested to me, India remains the master of the one-day
format, but New Zealand are the new experts
in the two-day format of the game!
Indians and Kiwis have been
sporting—in the true sense of the
word—rivals on the cricket pitch
since the mid-1950s. Whether it
is Tests, One-Day Internationals,
or T20 matches, our passion for
cricket has brought us closer
right through the evolution of
the game. The Indian Premier
League currently has 11 Kiwi
players. India, in fact, has a loyal
legion of Black Caps fans. The
Black Caps Facebook page has over
800,000 Indian likes, while their
Instagram handle has over 220,000
Indian followers. It’s no wonder thatduring the final on Sunday, we felt like
we had on our side the good wishes
of 1.3 billion Indians!
Playing the Indian side in New Zealand
earlier this year undoubtedly helped
the Black Caps’ World Cup preparations.
Kohli and his boys made a great success
of their tour, and in classic Kiwi style,
New Zealand Police put out a hilarious
‘warning ’: “Police would like to issue
a warning to members of the public
about the exploits of a group touring
the country at the moment. Witnesses
report seeing this group badly assault an
innocent looking bunch of New Zealanders in both Napier
and Mt Maunganui in the last week. Extra care should be
taken if you are carrying anything that looks like a cricket
bat or ball.” India will tour NZ again in the first half of
2020, and in 2021 the Kiwis will meet the Men in Blue on
their India tour, and we are sure to be served some quality
cricket again.Trans-Tasman Rivalry
With an Australia-England semi-final lined up, there
was every chance that Lord’s would witness the much
talked about Trans-Tasman Aussie-Kiwi rivalry in the
grand finale. As co-hosts of the World Cup in 2015,
we had faced each other in the final and Australia emerged
as the better team, lifting the trophy. Yes, our loss was
heartbreaking, but looking at the other side of the
coin—so crucial in cricket!—it was one of our best moments.
We made it to the final for the first time, playing in front
of a 90,000-strong crowd. It was the closest we had ever
come to the World Cup.Every Underdog Has His Day
Sports strengthen people-to-people links and draws coun-
tries closer together. That’s the reason sports have
been an important tool in international dip-
lomacy. The Black Caps are ambassadors
extraordinaire for New Zealand, whether
playing as a national side or as individ-
uals in the IPL, and we are proud of
the sportsmanship and values they
display both on the field and off it.
You win some, you lose some, and
that’s the way the ball bounces.
What’s important to remember is
that every underdog has his day.
And in a way, Sunday was that day
for the Black Caps. Their valiant
fight has won them the hearts of
countless cricket fans worldwide
and ensured there will be a lot more
cricket sets under Christmas trees
in New Zealand this year.WORLD CUP diary
JOANNA
KEMPKERS
(The author is high commissioner,
New Zealand, in Delhi)SAAHIL
98 OUTLOOK 29 July 2019