India arrive home

By Will last year, at the end of September Leave a comment on this post

A quiet and dignified welcome by Mumbai to India’s World Twenty20 winning team. An understated reaction as ever.

More people

Even more people…

Cars and more, more, more people

Tags: cricket-photos, india, photo, twenty20 photos, world twenty20 |

Comments to “India arrive home” Ashwin Bhat wrote:
September 27th, 2007 at 5.26 pm

So what about when England won the Ashes? Admittedly there were more people celebrating India’s triumph in the twenty20 world cup, but that’s due to:

1) Mumbai has a population that’s more than 10 million that of London

2) Cricket is just a much bigger sport in India

Fiona wrote:
September 27th, 2007 at 11.30 pm

Great photos, Will

Scott wrote:
September 27th, 2007 at 11.50 pm

Compare and contrast- the Ashes, vs a Twenty20 tournament.

If Australia had won it, the public reaction would have been to shrug their shoulders.

Avinash wrote:
September 28th, 2007 at 12.39 am

“So what about when England won the Ashes? Admittedly there were more people[...]”

The British reaction to the Ashes series victory was not that different from this. Of course, we don’t know how they would react to England winning the World Cup, because they’ve never won one!

Rusty wrote:
September 28th, 2007 at 12.51 am

That’s because we’re so used to winning, Scott.

In Australia the public only come out in force , in the media anyway, when we lose, with cries of the team being “too smug, too complacent, not taking it seriously enough!”

Otherwise, it’s “well whaddya expect?”

Rusty wrote:
September 28th, 2007 at 4.01 am

Apparently it’s different for the players - did you see Andrew Symond’s response to the Indian crowds? About his ‘animal instincts’ being triggered? I love it!

Nothing politically correct about Roy!

JII wrote:
September 28th, 2007 at 5.53 am

Frankly speaking, as an Indian, I feel we went way over the board with the celebrations. I hope this small success & the disproportionate celebrations don’t get to the players’ heads. I’m concerned about ppl like Yuvraj who tend to think they are God’s gift to mankind.

One point though. We’ve beaten Australia at home in tests quite regularly. But, that never prompted the kind of celebrations we saw after the 2005 Ashes. We’re not obsessed with the Aussies as the English are.

Ashwin Bhat wrote:
September 28th, 2007 at 12.13 pm

Well my point is that since cricket is as big (if not bigger) as football is in England, wouldn’t the English crowd make such a huge fuss of the England football team if they won (any sort of) world cup?

Which is why I find Will’s captions a little derogatory. Any sports-mad country would do it. India just has a LOT of people.

raj dutta wrote:
September 28th, 2007 at 1.50 pm

The point here, mr. bhatt, is that it’s just the bloody 2020 championship - why didnt we see these scenes when we won the Test series in england? why didnt zaheer khan get a crore for bowling us to our first series win in 20 years?
because we’re a country of 1 billion idiots, cheered on by a few hundred delusionals amongst that lot.
i’d understand had we beat oz in oz in a test series, or perhaps even the odi world up would’ve drawn a cheer, but for a mickey mouse tourney intended for premature ejaculators hardly warrants more than a pat on the back.
i fear that cricket’s dying the swiftest death in india, when fans have been replaced by tribes.

Fiona wrote:
September 29th, 2007 at 4.48 am

Scott,

Have you seen the celebrations for the AFL final? They were having a huge parade through the streets of Melbourne and the match hasn’t even been played yet! Australians may not hype it up for cricket but it’s a different story for the footie (Australian football, that is. Not the round ball stuff foreigners play)

Fiona wrote:
September 29th, 2007 at 4.48 am

Scott,

Alex wrote:
September 29th, 2007 at 7.52 am

why do we bother what the aussies or the english think about the way we celebrate? if they cant handle it they should sit at home and watch television. whoever decided that the way the english celebrated after their ashes win or the aussies celebrate is the benchmark of all celebrations? who is andrew symonds to decide if celebrations are overboard or underboard, did anybody ask him or do we care, the pathetic whining loser…

Fiona wrote:
September 29th, 2007 at 9.24 am

We are simply commenting, Alex, just the way you (Indians) comment on us. Symonds is simply stating his opinion, which he was no doubt asked for by the media, just as you are stating yours. It’s just that the media are more interested in his.

Jude wrote:
September 29th, 2007 at 6.06 pm

India’s a pretty big country huh? And that’s a LOT of people. All (apparently) cricket-lovers. But werent there a couple of unexploded bombs found somewhere amidst that crazed swirling mass of humanity? Weird…

Alex wrote:
September 30th, 2007 at 6.48 am

Fiona, when do Indians comment on the ways the English or Aussies celebrate. Australia won the world cup and I am sure they celebrated. Nobody says they celebrated more or less. Did Tendulkar say that Australia is celebrating too much? If he is asked the question there are better ways of answering it rather than saying it is too much. And last year I recall the Aussies team forcibly shoved off the Sharad Pawar who is also a minister by the way, off the podium, that too was in the name of celebration.

Rusty wrote:
September 30th, 2007 at 7.49 am

Alex, you’re an Indian and you’re commenting now.

And Aussie are always being commented on. And criticized, just as you are doing on this blog. You only have to look at the Cricinfo blogs to see that Indians and pakistanis comment in far greater numbers and length than anyone else, and they are comment on Australian cricket, too. Do a Find on “Australia” and the word will invariably come up, more than once twice, even though the topic is about India or Pakistan.

and if Australians and English didn’t comment on Indian cricket, you’d be complaining we ignore you, and and just focus on ourselves.

and why should Symonds answer the way and act the way Tendulkar does? Why can’t you accept that different cultures respond differently? As for shoving Pawar off the podium, that was bad. But Michael Clarke got an outstanding score in yesterday’s game and when he came off the Indian crowds didn’t clap him. Australians might think that was bad of Indians - the TV commentators said that if he’d been indian he would have got an standing ovation. Personally i couldn’t give a stuff if the Indians didn’t clap Clarke. It didn’t take away from his achievement.

that’s my rant and I’m sick of the subject. !!!

pod wrote:
September 30th, 2007 at 9.47 am

to each his own man.. my opinion, the aussies were really hurting at having lost to india.. australia is a great team, and they are by far the best team in the world.. look at it in another light.. the whole thing has just spiced things a little bit.. in what would have otherwise been just another 7 game series..

Alex wrote:
September 30th, 2007 at 9.55 am

Hi Rusty,
This is a cricket blog and if India wins the Twenty20 world cup, all that this blog could come up was how Indians go overboard in celebrating. Then its a spot of bother, isnt it?

And dont bring in Indian viewers in a cricket ground, they dont have a clue what the game is all about.

I am a big fan of aussie cricket, when people abuse the aussies, its grudging admiration, win or lose, for the last five to ten years Australia has always been like 30% ahead of any other team.

If I remember in 1984 Kim Hughes wept after losing to the Windies. thats when Allan Border took over and how he transformed a side.

I dont mind Aussies sledging, I think people KP and Shoaib Akhtar adds dimension and character to the game, they can write their own scripts.

My only pet peeve is the moment an Indian bowls a beamer or appeals or is late for a toss or takes his shirt off, it is wrong. Why do Indians have 2 be well behaved, Why cant we give as good as we get? Why should be we always be apologetic even when we win???

pseudoKu wrote:
October 1st, 2007 at 9.11 am

When you have had to wait this long for a win it is reason to celebrate These scenes are akin to Paris after France won the football world cup. Will, why the almost derogatory tone to the captions? When you have a billion people and 900 million cricket fans, this is bound to happen! It is unfortunate that people in the other cricket playing nations are not as passionate about the sport. It would have made the world of cricket a far more colorful place if we had more like the Barmy Army.

Folks who are not from the sub-continent will never experience what it feels like when India win a crunch game against Pakistan.

Again, this might be a flash in the pan. India is by no means a cricket superpower or anything close to it. But it is a big win for us given the lack of silverware in recent times and winning calls for celebration-Indian style

John wrote:
October 1st, 2007 at 1.30 pm

The T20 World Cup was as much an exhibiton of skills as the Test series in England. Maybe a different set of skills, but skills nevertheless. Patience and grit are good qualities in a cricketer - just like the ability to whack a good bowler for six sixes in an over, or the ability to bowl six different balls in an over. Call me a premature ejaculator, but I watched every single India match, with excitement. Just as I watched most sessions of the England tour. And though most of India may not have watched much of the Test series, they certainly thought that T20 was quite close to the genuine article, and the ultrasonic whine of pseudo-intellectuals is not going to change that too much, Raj Dutta - the product will always respond to the market.

And about the celebrations. Of course India went over the top! is anyone actually surprised. And to categorize it as right or wrong is just plain stupid. Like the administrators who vulgarly award prizes, or the fans who attack the sportsmen and their families and property.

Sixandout wrote:
October 1st, 2007 at 5.35 pm

Agree with John.

You can’t write off TT as “not-real-cricket” just because it’s 20 overs. Of course, there is minimal use of technique, and more use of tactic and power, but it’s no child play either. Just like the other versions require a certain set of traits, this one does too. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it, don’t play it — but for god’s sake– don’t dish out dirt at it. And at those who are winning. Roy, are you listening?

And no big deal about the celebrations. This is the biggest ever victory after the 1983 WC triumph, and an unexpected one at that. So no surprise there. And hello, a WC, TT or ODI, will definitely inspire more fervor than any darn Oz-India series, no matter what. That’s plain psychology. But I don’t blame anyone. Psychology is a tough nut.

Steve wrote:
October 1st, 2007 at 11.32 pm

You’re right about not much interest in an Oz-India series. There’s so little interest here that they’re not even broadcasting it, tv. or radio. You have to have pay tv. to see it. And it seems it’s a washout again anyway. they should stick to water polo instead.

anyway we’ve got far more important things to think about than Indian cricket here. there’s just been the AFL, the NRL, and now there’s the Wobblies about to take on the old enemy in the WC.

And I thought Will’s captions mild compared to the standard anti-Oz stance on this blog. Just tongue-in-cheek really.

Will wrote:
October 1st, 2007 at 11.45 pm

pseudoKu: I’m offended. The comments were meant to be much more provocative than simply “slightly derogatory”.

I’m surprised how much this post has courted debate. My captions were, well, honest. India has a tendency to over-react if their team does anything good or bad. If they lose, then it’s time to sack Ganguly - even if he’s not playing. If they win, the captain is usually honoured (or - wait for it - felicitated. Don’t try saying that with a wet moustache). This isn’t my opinion, this is what happens. Perspective is all we want.

The same goes for England in 2005. A massive over-reaction - MBEs and so on, with little planning for the future.

Steve - not sure about your comment re the anti Aussie stance on this blog. We have a resident Australian, Scott, who writes all the time for us and is as partisan as it gets! Perhaps you meant from the commenters.

Anyway. The principle reason for posting these photos was largely because I love photography. Secondly I’m in constant awe at the size and population of India and thirdly at the level of near fanaticism of support by their fans.

I only wish I could have seen a one-dayer or a Test when I was there a few weeks back.

Ashwin Bhat wrote:
October 1st, 2007 at 11.56 pm

Yeah India is home to a lot of people. Btw my original comment of saying that Will’s caption was “slightly derogatory” was maybe uncalled for. After all, Will is right. India overreacts like no one can imagine.

Still, the whole issue of whether such a response from the Indian public is uncalled for is useless. India won, and if we win, it’s up to us to celebrate in whatever fashion we please.

And I guarantee you, this Ind v Aus test series over X’mas is going to bring the crowds in. Sure, there may not be any interest right now (that is to be imagined, right now in India, 95% of the cricket-watching public is probably not aware of our tour to Oz in 2 months), but come the 1st test, I’ll bet y’all many dollaz that the series is a cracka.

pseudoKu wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 12.05 am

Will:

I think the real reason for the reaction is the gap between India’s major triumphs. I don’t even remember the last major tourney that we won bar the Natwest some years ago and that wasn’t even a “major” tourney until we won it

And by ‘perspective’ if you mean a stiff upper lip and a “Well done lads” then you will never get that, because its boring! Dance when you are happy and cry when you are sad I say!

I had the (mis)fortune of sitting in the VIP section of the Mumbai stadium for an India-England test and I was bored as hell.

In the North stand on the other hand there is an energy that is to be seen to be believed. Unfortunate that you missed attending a game in India. The energy is infectious

About our selection policies, the less said the better… I am not a major fan of them!

Steve wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 12.23 am

I meant the commentators, Will, which is why i said “on this blog”, rather than “from Will”! I ve been reading this blog for about 8 months, on and off, and Aussies are always on the agenda here, and the comments are far more anti-Oz than pro-, as they are on all cricket blogs. It goes with the territory, if you’re the world no. 1. i suppose.

And I notice you’ve picked specifically on me, not on all the indians commenting, Not biased are you?

Yes, Scott is remarkably partisan. Isn’t he Australian ?

Steve wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 12.27 am

apart from pseudoKu

pseudoKu wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 1.38 am

Oye Steve, this articles about India… Oz hogs the limelight everywhere else…. Is there a sport that you guys play and don’t do well in (other than Rugby perhaps ) !!

Let this debate be between Will and the rest of us over-reacting Indians

My responses are so many, perhaps I should start writing a blog and post a link to it instead

PS:Will, Your posts usually make for fun reading… Keep up the good work and keep down the India-bashing…. Why not pick on some aging county cricketers for a change

Steve wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 2.15 am

PseudoKu,

We don’t hog it on the blogs so much as everyone else drags us into every discussion. I t’s like Rusty said about Cricinfo, their blogs are mainly by Indians and Pakistanis about Indians and Pakistanis, but Australians are always dragged into the discussions. And it’s Indians and Pakistani commentators and fans who do it, because noon else gets into their long convoluted discussions. ( and don’t say they aren’t convoluted, some of them practically write a thesis)

it’s an open blog and you should welcome interest about India. If teams/nations are ignored then its because they’re boring

anyway, I’ve only made about 5 comments on this blog this year - think I’ll go somewhere else

by the way Indians don’t have the prerogative on over-reacting, either.

pseudoKu wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 2.25 am

Touche, peace, next post please Will!

raj wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 7.17 am

Whoa, this was spicy! TRPs going up, will!
And John - the point was not to run down T20. It was to laugh at it. A game that turns a FTB like yuvraj singh, and a non-bowler like Afridi into heroes deserves only ridicule.

More specifically, my rant was against the BCCI for making such a brouhaha and handing out cash like it’s election time. If the administrators don’t keep perspective and stop placing the test game over its shorter versions, then the fans naturally are going to go that way too.

Your logic about “product s is the same one used by karan johar, mf hussain and everyone else who’s lost all integrity and honesty about the work they do. so i won’t restart that ancient debate. This kind of “convenient” marketingspeak is what’s ruining the game.

The bowlers are gone, the quicks are dead, the tracks are getting flatter, biffers have become batters, and you call this an ‘exciting game’?

Michael wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 3.08 pm

pseudoKu wrote: When you have had to wait this long for a win it is reason to celebrate…

That’s probably the best argument for mass celebration right there. I’m sure Italy had their ticker tape parade as did the 2005 Ashes Winners and the Geelong Cats, etc etc.

pseudoKu wrote: Will, why the almost derogatory tone to the captions

After a good suggestion you turned moron on us. They’re not derogatory or even close. Stop reading into things.

Alex writes: Why cant we give as good as we get?

Sreesanth seems to be capable of misbehaving on-field.

raj dutta wrote: Why didnt we see these scenes when we won the Test series in england?

Good question. I fear it’s because the perception is probably accurate that sub-continent countries care more for the short format than the grittier, longer format.

Josh wrote: The T20 World Cup was as much an exhibition of skills as the Test series in England.

Hardly. It was swing and miss cricket with only moments of actual brilliance. Michael Clarke faced four balls in the whole tournament. T20 is the most predictable of cricket which is highly ironic.

Theena wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 3.14 pm

My my..’tis a case of pots calling the kettles black, eh, Will?

Prior to the India-England test series, I commented on one of the Cricinfo blogs (I can’t recall if it was in Rob Steen’s blog or Mukul Kesavan’s) thus:

“I am actually looking forward to the England-India matches. Two vastly over-rated teams, watched and dissected by their respective media organizations who are unforgiving one minute and adoring the next, one whose cricket board longs for the cricket of yore while the other aims to suck cricket of itâ€™s very soul. Whatâ€™s not to like?

Let the circus begin. ”

I now realize that I should have added one more line to describe this circus: “both with a fan base so starved of success that any series/tournament win deemed remotely significant warrants celebrations bordering on the ridiculous.”

pseudoKu wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 7.18 pm

“After a good suggestion you turn moron on us”

Now thats downright derogatory…. Hehe, just kidding….

But what would the blog be without conflicting opinions and differing perspectives?!

Kathy wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 7.41 pm

Great comment, Theena â€” beautifully put.

Ashwin Bhat wrote:
October 2nd, 2007 at 8.30 pm

I disagree with Theena. While India hasn’t set the world alight, I think we’re a far cry from being “starved of success”. India won a test series in England which is a huge deal, we thumped Sri Lanka and Windies in ODI series at home prior to the world cup, won a test in SA (something no Asian team ever even comes close to doing nowadays)…etc etc. Basically, we had a crap world cup.

India’s doing all right, thanks.

John wrote:
October 3rd, 2007 at 10.48 am

Dutta sir, I could be indulging in convenient marketspeak, but you have to come down from your ivory tower and face reality at some point. Hrishikesh Mukherjee is dead and people like T20.

Most games in the World Cup were keenly contested until the final three overs. You may say Afridi and Yuvraj are only good enough for T20. The same may be said of Justin Langer and VVS Laxman. They are only good enough for Test cricket, and could not adapt to the requirements of the one-day game.

Like I said, a different set of skills, but skills nevertheless.

A Vemuri wrote:
October 3rd, 2007 at 3.23 pm

Losers whine. If not about the toss, or number of overs, it is the celebrations of the winning team. The act of whining and judging the winners helps keep their mind off the fact and rationale behind WHY they dint win themselves. T20 or ODI, no team or fan thinks its ok to lose when they sit down before the match…if they did… they wouldn’t take the time out to post & read comments on a blog such as this.

We won the T20. We celebrated. No one ever released a statement saying “Now we’ll conquer Middle Earth!”. Its our team, our money… if we feel entertained enough, we felicitate them. If not, we dont. Either ways, we dont open our traps OUT OF TURN. If Symonds & Gilchrist thought T20 was a yawner, why the pathetic whine every time they lost and the comments about how the celebrations hurt them?

And the English? Atleast the aussies follow up the talk with the walk.. trust me, if the Indian team plays like the English team does… we probably wouldn’t even be following cricket anymore.

We dont try to tell you how to run your game. Dont pretend you can tell us how to run ours. I’m outta here.

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India arrive home