Kolkata: City cricket fans had their fingers crossed as they prayed for a turnaround in the all-important Super 8 match against Zimbabwe on Thursday, which now turned into a ‘do-or-die' game for the Men in Blue in the T20 World Cup. With India's fortunes finely balanced on other teams' performance, fans swayed between hope and despair even as several neighbourhood clubs organised ‘pujas' and ‘yajnas' on Wednesday for a change of luck.
"It's sad that we are playing for survival with such a strong side. India's strength is batting, which hasn't clicked, and Suryakumar's men are now on the brink of elimination. The first three wins, barring the Pakistan match, were not at all convincing, and measures should have been taken. Instead, it seemed that Gambhir & Co were overconfident and expected India to walk into the semi-final," said cricket fan and techie Souvik Basu.
Ever-optimistic fans were still pinning hopes on Abhishek Sharma and Co to fire at this crucial juncture, even though they know that one slip now would cost India a semi-final spot. "The business end of the tournament is getting heated. India are in a spot now, so every game from hereon is a do-or-die. And not only do they have to win everything, they even have to hope that the other results in this group favour them. So be it Zimbabwe or West Indies, we must play each game like a knockout. While doing this, they have to hope that West Indies lose to South Africa and India also get the better of them, because should it come down to run rates, West Indies already dealt the sucker punch with a colossal win against Zimbabwe," said cricket fan and entrepreneur Mahesh Punjabi.
Scores of die-hard fans were busy making plans to watch the game together at restaurants, clubs and homes. "I still believe that India have the firepower to deliver two good performances and make it to the semis. Tomorrow's match could be the beginning of a dramatic turnaround. If we win it by a big margin, the Windies match at Eden on Sunday will be the biggest cricketing blockbuster of recent times. I will be there at the ground to cheer for our boys," said Meghmollar Das, a telecom executive, who will watch the game at a south Kolkata restaurant.
Restaurants expected a good crowd on Thursday evening. "While India-Zimbabwe is not a big match, it became important since it's a question of survival for India. We already have a few bookings and expect a full house during the match," said Sudesh Poddar, owner of Songhai Manthan and MS Bar & Lounge in central Kolkata.
Fans hoped India can draw a balance between the carefree style of strokeplay that worked for them in the last few years and playing with some amount of caution when required. "I have a feeling we will find the right mix and bag the next two games to qualify for the semis. In fact, I'll jump the gun and predict the semi-final line-up: South Africa, India, England and NZ," said Punjabi.
Others, like schoolteacher Aparna Saha, were more circumspect. "Let us take one game at a time and hope for the best," she said.