The tsunami of joy that has swept the country over the Indian cricket team’s triumph at The Oval points to the nation’s desperate need for good news and genuine victories. Admitted, cricket has always been a source of obsessive interest across India. But, never before has a Test series draw seemed like a win because the team could fuse the right doses of talent, skill, self-belief and leadership. A very legitimate moment for patriotic partisanship. The headline in Divya Bhaskar perhaps comes closest to capturing the mood: “‘Test’ of India.” 

It is necessary to note that the nail-biting victory in the fifth test was notched up against England on English soil; and, it is also necessary to point out that our opponent was not Pakistan, a contest that disproportionately tickles our visceral prejudices. The India-England series was a genuine contest, played according to established rules of the game, supervised by neutral umpires and referees. An authentic and fair win because the winner could make the right mental and physical adjustments as per the requirements of the game. 

In the event, the nation now has two new heroes to indulge and spoil – Shubman Gill and Mohammad Siraj. Gill, who has replaced the flamboyant Virat Kohli and rockstar Rohit Sharma, personifies the qualities of calm and composed leadership. He needs our admiration because he was pitted – for the first four tests – against Ben Stokes, the English captain, a genuine and inspiring leader in his own right. 

Gill’s leadership is being applauded not only for his self-confidence but also because he appeared happy to share the spotlight with his colleagues on the team. His is not a solo act; but there was a quiet authority competently at work, unhurried, un-exhibitionist and un-uncivil. 

In savouring this Gill essay in unflustered leadership, the country is perhaps expressing a sense of disappointment with our two entrenched “leaders” – Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Whereas Gill has newness to his role as the new captain, Modi seems over-familiar, over-exposed, over-confident and over-smart. The country by now is privy to every single trick the leader of ‘Naya Bharat’ has in his bag. His once mesmerising rhetoric now feels stale and grating. He is no longer seen as a rightful winner in a fair contest and is seen as someone who maintains his dominance of leadership by resorting to means more often foul than fair. He gives satisfaction only to his partisans. By contrast, Gill’s leadership is appreciated and lauded across all divides and fault-lines. 

Gill’s leadership venture in his first Test series as India’s captain also invites a contrast with Rahul Gandhi, on the other side of the political divide. The Congress leader has consistently disappointed his followers and potential-followers by his periodic foray into over-cockiness, over-combativeness and over-idiosyncratic plunges. Of course, Gill has arrived at the captain’s post after hard-work, training and performance; and, Gill should know that if he fails – either with bat or as captain – he will surely have to make way for someone else. By contrast, Rahul Gandhi suffers from no such disabilities. That is perhaps why a Gill leadership success seems much more soothing and satisfactory.

The second hero of the series, Mohammed Siraj, is another story because he helps us unbundle a whole set of emotions in the current state of our national journey. It is obvious that he belongs to the Muslim community, a sub-set of our citizens who over the past ten years or so have been reduced to objects of derision and suspicion. Barring a few names, the country’s newspapers, TV channels and other narrative-sites do not mention a Muslim name in a favourable light; we have practiced a kind of politics that seeks to edge a 140-million strong community out of our national consciousness, history and collective imagination.

It is this context that makes Siraj’s new status a matter of sober introspection. Seasoned cricket commentators have already praised his stamina, untiring willingness to bowl one more over, his relentlessness in the face of adversity, and much more. By sheer tenacious performance, a young Muslim man has stepped into our national consciousness. A stunning antidote to the viruses of intolerance and bigotry that have been introduced into our body politic.

A cricket match becomes a national event, and society at large collectively yearns for good news. The other distractions we have devised over the years – polarising politics, language wars, corruption-bashing, the prime minister’s overseas trips, etc. – no longer engage us sufficiently. 

In terms of emotional jubilation, the Oval victory can be compared, even if far-fetchedly, with the recent four-day “war” with Pakistan. Unlike in previous conflicts with Pakistan, Operation Sindoor failed to create lasting excitement because there were no soldiers involved, no heroes who died on the battle-field, no tales of individual valour, courage and ingenuity in the presence of the enemy, no funeral processions to be taken out in villages and kasbas. There was no defeat or victory to be physically seen, except for what the TV channels said (or invented) or our leaders told us. We have claimed “victory” but the “vanquished” Pakistan has also claimed victory for itself, cheating us out of our collective vindictiveness.   

By contrast, in millions and millions of homes the Indians were glued to their television screen, seeing the game for themselves, feeling a sense of exhilaration every time Mohammed Siraj began his run-up to claim one more wicket. We won and the loser acknowledged our victory. There is no dispute over runs scored and wickets downed.

The outbreak of unadulterated joy over our cricket team’s performance is sobering in the larger context: Gill and his team have demonstrated that there are no short-cuts or underhand methods or shabby calculations to national greatness and accomplishment. For this reminder alone, we are entitled to celebrate our victory – and serenade genuine heroes.   

Harish Khare is a former editor-in-chief of The Tribune.

This article went live on August fifth, two thousand twenty five, at nine minutes past four in the afternoon.

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