World Cup Final- The Experience of a Lifetime

Some experiences stay with a person for a lifetime, I definitely think the cricket World Cup final 2023 will be one of those for me. The atmosphere around and inside the ground was absolutely electrifying. India fans were all crowding to enter the stadium to witness possibly the greatest final in cricket history. India versus Australia! With both giants of the game playing at an extraordinarily high level, it was bound to be a clash of the titans.

This game would be a momentous occasion in my life because as a person who has only lived for the good part of 12 years, I have never got the opportunity to experience a full one day cricket match and remember it in full detail. Alongside that, this game was a World Cup final which is the most prestigious match in all of cricket.

During the break from school my family and I were staying at my grandparents house when, completely out of the blue, a friend of my grandmother suddenly offered us tickets. However, there were still many things which we needed to sort out like plane tickets and a place to stay. However, now that we had tickets, we would do whatever it took to end up in Ahmedabad where the match was being held.

To get to Ahmedabad, my family had to cut our trip to grandparents short and go back home to Mumbai a few days earlier than scheduled. From Mumbai we took a flight which left in the small hours of the morning. I was so tired that when I tried to carry my backpack I nearly collapsed under its weight. On the plane, I struggled for sleep and eventually landed in Ahmedabad but in significantly lower spirits than before the journey started. Once we reached the place we were staying, sleep suddenly found me and I began to feel the effects of the mornings travel. I collapsed in the closest bed and didn’t wake until the afternoon.

I awoke to the aroma of a delicious lunch which I devoured in quick time. As afternoon passed into evening I began to become more and more excited at the prospect of the game the next day. After a scrumptious dinner, I crawled into my bed again. I was determined to get a good night's sleep as I knew that I would be extremely tired the next day.

As the sun began to rise in the sky, I tumbled out of bed in excitement. I ran to get ready for the day ahead which was sure to be one which I would remember long into the future. As I made quick work of the piling plate of food in front of me, I was ready to leave for the match. As we were sure there was going to be huge crowds near the stadium we wanted to be there well before the scheduled time for the game.

We had to exit the car and walk for a little while because of the crowd near the stadium. While entering the stadium I could hear people singing and chanting, I was excited to be a part of a crowd as enthusiastic as this one. There were people selling all sorts of things! On the road leading to the gate we were supposed to enter through there was a behemoth of a crowd. Under the baking hot sun, I could feel hundreds of other bodies pushing and jostling for their place in line. Finally, after a long wait in the queue, we managed to make our way into the stadium.

The heat was almost unbearable at the time of the match, and all that I could concentrate on was my sweat trickling down my face. However, even while trudging my way through what seemed like an endless crowd of human bodies, I never once wanted to be anywhere else.

Upon finding our seats, I could see the Indian players warming up for the game. I watched the air show from my seat open-mouthed at the skill with which the pilots maneuvered their aircrafts. When the announcement came that the game was about to start I cheered along with the rest of the 130,000 others all packed into the colosseum where one of the biggest ties in sporting history was about to take place.

The game began in quite a disappointing manner if you were an India fan with quick Indian wickets falling for Australia. My family and I were feeling a little bit underwhelmed so we decided to take a break from the action. At this stage I already felt like I was dying from thirst so I was extremely grateful for the free water they were giving next to the stadium. After re-

entering the stadium, we witnessed the next bit of action. India’s innings was a major let-down for the crowd, the innings break was spent in low spirits as hunger was starting to kick in. The stands outside the stadium had already been raided by other fans who were feeling the effects of hunger as much as we were. In the end we found a McDonalds burger which filled our stomachs partially. The second innings was much like the first for India who ended up losing the match.

Even though India lost the game, I still enjoyed watching it live inside the stadium. Exiting was not as bad as entering as the crowd was more evenly spread out. When we finally reached the place we were staying my eyes could barely manage to stay open. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillows.

Early the next morning, I ate a quick breakfast before getting ready for a long drive back to Mumbai. I felt like the drive home lasted an eternity, even with breaks after every 2 hours. I was completely ready to relax after a day which was extremely taxing.

Despite India’s loss I still felt like everything was well worth it, including the crowds before entering and everything else which was difficult. Lose or win, the game was more about the experience overall for me, the game will still be close to my heart regardless of its final result. However, the sadness of the result is still very real and I wish wholeheartedly that India could have emerged victorious.

On a different note, our hosts in Ahmedabad were extremely gracious and I think that they played a major role in making this experience so memorable on this trip.

Overall, the World Cup final was an experience which I will never forget. Though Australia came out on top, the game was most certainly one to remember. The trip was certainly worth it, and I loved every minute of the experience of a lifetime.