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'Lessons from the World Cup'

The recent cricket World Cup final was an incredible experience for fans. The first-ever tie at this stage of the marquee event — even after a Super Over — was totally unexpected. The thrilling finish left everyone exhausted. And the two teams that slugged it out, England and New Zealand, would never have predicted such a roller coaster of a game to end in a tie.

Both teams gave it their all. They both ended with the same score. Nothing could separate them. Yet, it was England that was declared the winner, thanks to a debatable boundaries-hit rule.

Of course, the entire nation of England was elated. This is the day they had been waiting for — their first World Cup trophy. New Zealand, meanwhile, had their dream snatched away from them. They have to wait. But was it a fair result? After all, New Zealand didn’t really lose to England. It is just that a winner had to be declared as per the rules and in this case, it was adjudged to be England. Had the rules been different, it could have been New Zealand’s World Cup. Who makes these rules anyway? Why should one team be preferred over another when both have produced the same score? 

Well, the most heartening thing that one witnessed after the game was New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson graciously accepting the result and crediting England for a brilliant World Cup campaign. And in that very moment of humility, sport truly became a metaphor for life. The unpredictability and unfairness of life escapes no one. There are times we get unsatisfactory results despite our best efforts. It is easy to give into frustration in such situations. Why wouldn’t you? You did your best and yet things didn’t turn out the way you wanted. And there is nothing you can do to change things. 

Actually winning and losing are social constructs. A winner one day can be a loser next and vice versa. When we think in win-loss terms, we give into the illusion that we can control everything. But that’s not how life works. Googlies are as much part of cricket as they are of the universe. Comprehending and predicting each and every turn is simply impossible. In such a scenario, the only thing we can do is give our best and grin and bear the results. New Zealand’s Williamson exemplified this when he talked about uncontrollables in the game. One has to just accept them and trudge on. In that sense, sport not just familiarises us with victory and defeat, it also teaches us to accept victory and defeat with equanimity. As in life, it is the process that matters, not the end result. A true sportsman is one who realises that the only thing within his power is to be the best version of himself on the field. The New Zealand team’s conduct in the World Cup can serve as a benchmark in this regard. 

We must all try to be the best versions of ourselves, no matter the end result. However, this is easier said than done given that we are all human. Perhaps it will help to realise that the real match is actually with oneself. 

We all have that little voice within us that says we can do better. Many choose to ignore it and settle. But one should heed this voice and keep pushing oneself to meet its expectations. We should all try to pull a tie with this inner instigator. Then, much like the England-New Zealand match, even a tie will be enough to provide us with a sense of fulfilment. Winning and losing are part of life, but what we should aim for is a tie with our inner voice. ■

Rudroneel Ghosh is an editor with The Times Of India

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