The situation looked grim at around 10:30 pm in Ahmedabad. A 100,000 hearts were broken again as India succumbed to yet another World Cup defeat at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The Indian cricket fan's ‘khada hu aaj bhi yahi’ moment had arrived once again — twice in a little over two years, at the very same venue.
Most walked out for about half a kilometre, out to the main road, and took an auto home. The others — the travelling fans — checked themselves into a restaurant and hoped for a warm meal at the end of a disappointing night. Once the food came to the table, the dinner was quiet. Hands moved slower than usual, weighed down by the defeat.
The walk out of the stadium felt longer than usual. Conversations were short. Some did not speak at all.
But why does it hurt so much in Ahmedabad? It is, after all, just a cricket match.
Locals often say that Ahmedabad does not have much entertainment for the younger generation beyond cricket. There are no night clubs, no alcohol, and not much else going on in the city once the sun goes down. Cricket is what binds the evenings here. And when a defeat like that happens — especially on a stage like this — it lingers.
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