Bengaluru: It could all be summed up in one eloquent moment. The Indian physio and her team sprinting towards Muhammad Jamil who was on the deck. The fall had looked innocuous enough at first sight but when the Pakistan captain failed to get up, the rivalry was forgotten as the true spirit of of the game took over.
Across sport, India-Pakistan matches have proved to be feisty affairs. There is a unique atmosphere that surrounds these ties.
While there was plenty of evidence of that competitive spirit in the Blind T20 final as well, there were many that proved that even with stakes as high as it was, there is always room for compassion and sporting gestures.
With half the stands of M. Chinnaswamy Stadium filled with fans privy to a different brand of cricket, India defended their T20 title with relative ease. As relatively as a nine-wicket win sounds.
The usual overpowering and relentless noise from the crowd, which no doubt adds to the occasion, was restricted to sudden crescendos as these athletes showed that being differently abled is no excuse for not following one’s dreams.
A show of resilience and grit that invoked a feeling of motivation at a visceral level.
Everyone who walked out of that stadium on Sunday, walked out with a little more self belief. Therein lies the power of sport... and the motivation to be the best version of yourself on the field, which both sets of teams showed in abundance.
And as for the final itself, Pakistan, who came into the match with confidence following their victory over the hosts in the group stage, put up 197/9 in their allotted 20 over while batting first.
But driven on by Prakash Jayaramaiah’s unbeaten 99, the Indian team never looked troubled as they wrapped up the proceedings in 18 overs.
With the tournament reaching its conclusion, Pakistan’s Badar Munir was named man of the series for his 570-run effort.
