World Courant
Mumbai, India – The picture of former India captain Sourav Ganguly jubilantly waving his jersey on the balcony of the Lord’s Cricket Stadium is deeply etched within the reminiscence of each Indian cricket fan.
It was July 13, 2002. India had defeated England by two wickets in a intently contested closing of the NatWest sequence, with Ganguly’s aspect chasing a mighty goal of 326 within the closing.
The match, rated probably the greatest in one-day cricket, was a titanic conflict between the golden age of Indian cricket – that includes Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble – and an England crew that includes high gamers similar to Nasser Hussain and Marcus Trescothick. and Andrew Flintoff.
For India, the win was candy revenge after England held them to a 3-3 draw at residence within the ODI sequence earlier that yr.
After Zaheer Khan scored the profitable factors, Ganguly brandished his India jersey, bared his torso as he hurled abuse and delivered a tit-for-tat after Flintoff celebrated topless on the Wankhede Stadium throughout England’s tour of India.
India and England have performed greater than 100 worldwide ODI matches because the Seventies and tempers have flared throughout these clashes. There have been situations of aggression, moments of fine banter and a powerful sense of competitors between the gamers.
However as India and England put together to face off on the Cricket World Cup on Sunday, Indian followers really feel their so-called rivalry has waned in recent times, with gamers from each nations competing collectively in franchise competitions together with the Twenty20 Indian. Premier League.
“The rivalry between India and England has undoubtedly diminished,” Chirag Narasimiah, a industrial and company lawyer from Bengaluru, advised Al Jazeera. “Inter-team aggression has usually calmed down in worldwide cricket due to the IPL and different competitions.”
Ganguly celebrates with the Natwest Trophy in July 2002 (Jason O’Brien/Motion Pictures by way of Reuters)
Digital
English gamers have been enjoying within the IPL since its inception in 2008 and plenty of of them have constructed a stable fan base within the cricket-loving nation.
England Check captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has performed for IPL groups Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Tremendous Kings, is a fan favourite amongst Indians.
Throughout England’s World Cup match towards South Africa at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium final weekend, Indian followers supported him each time he obtained their fingers on the ball whereas fielding and chanted his identify when he got here to bat within the second innings.
Jos Buttler and Joe Root, who each performed for Rajasthan Royals within the 2023 IPL season, additionally acquired an analogous reception from the Mumbai crowd whilst England suffered an enormous defeat.
“IPL has allowed followers to get to know many gamers from totally different nations,” mentioned Ali Taabish Nomani, an insurance coverage advisor from Lucknow.
“Many followers have information of our cricket-loving nation, so as soon as they see a participant doing nicely, they may assist him whatever the nation he comes from. Whether or not it is Ben Stokes from England.’
Narasimiah, who additionally advises on sports activities legislation issues, mentioned the IPL is a superb instrument to bridge the hole between Indian followers and overseas gamers.
“The league has opened up the sport to many informal followers, who do not actually perceive or delve deeply into the rivalry. These followers like to look at the match and luxuriate in whoever performs nicely,” he mentioned.
“I feel this has elevated through the years and led to fewer conversations the place you’d focus on whether or not a participant is from England or Australia.
“English gamers too have toured India and have been a part of the IPL for therefore a few years that nothing is new to them. In addition they do their greatest to assimilate.”
For Dion George, a software program developer from Mumbai, supporting Chennai Tremendous Kings made him “emotionally invested” within the profession of England batsman Sam Curran.
Curran performed for the Chennai-based IPL franchise within the 2020-21 IPL season earlier than becoming a member of Punjab Kings this yr. However that didn’t have an effect on George’s assist for the Englishman.
“Since I adopted him for therefore lengthy due to my loyalty to Chennai, I’m so used to supporting him. I nonetheless get joyful after I see him doing nicely for Punjab and even for England,” mentioned George.
Moreover Curran, George can also be an enormous supporter of Buttler and included the England skipper in his fantasy gaming squad throughout IPL a couple of seasons in the past.
“As you play fantasy video games, you subconsciously align your self with the will for these gamers to do nicely, and it stays that means for a very long time. After having Buttler in my fantasy crew, I’d stay up for him scoring nicely even in worldwide Check cricket and the World Cups,” mentioned 26-year-old George.
“Once I attended England towards South Africa, I used to be most offended after I noticed him go away.”
Colonial historical past
Though India and England have been rivals on the cricket discipline, the nations additionally share an extended historical past, with the British ruling the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947.
Cricket, which originated in England, was launched to the Indian subcontinent by sailors and merchants of the English East India Firm within the seventeenth and 18th centuries and have become a very talked-about sport amongst Indians when India invaded their former colonizers England. defeated his personal floor. 1971 – gained a three-Check sequence 1-0.
In 1983, India gained the World Cup for the primary time, lifting the trophy on the Lord’s Cricket Floor in London, as soon as known as the “cathedral of cricket”.
India then gained their second world title in 2011, whereas England gained the World Cup for the primary time in 2019, ending their agonizing 44-year wait to turn into world champions of the game they invented.
Britain’s colonial historical past will not be forgotten, however Indian followers say they aren’t affected by watching a cricket match between India and England.
“I’m not occupied with British colonialism as a result of what occurred is now prior to now and we’ve to be taught from historical past,” mentioned Nomani, who will face India towards England in Lucknow on Sunday.
“I’ve by no means checked out it that means earlier than. To me it is simply two groups from two nations enjoying a sport of cricket.”
Narasimiah mentioned India’s cricket efficiency has confirmed that they’re higher than that of their former colonizers.
“I do not assume colonial historical past issues that a lot to in the present day’s followers, particularly within the 20-30 age group. It’s as a result of India did that form of factor by profitable the World Cup earlier than England,” he mentioned.
England’s poor kind
England go into Sunday’s match towards high seed India with 4 defeats in 5 video games.
Mathematically, England aren’t but out of the race for the semi-finals, however their hopes cling by a thread with the crew now in second place, above the Netherlands by way of web run price.
The dismal batting has let England down a number of occasions throughout their World Cup title protection, whereas their bowlers have additionally didn’t make any progress.
Nonetheless, India fan Nomani expects Sunday’s match in Lucknow to be entertaining.
“I imagine will probably be a very good match as a result of the sphere has utterly modified because the venue was awarded the World Cup. It could possibly be a impartial enjoying discipline for each groups. Additionally, if England come into the match with 4 defeats, they could possibly be aggressive and India could possibly be eradicated as they’ve gained all 5 matches,” the 30-year-old mentioned.
“I’d say will probably be India’s sport to lose, however will probably be an aggressive and aggressive sport.”
A cricket rivalry emerges: How Indian followers got here to like England gamers | ICC Cricket World Cup Information
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