Lekin sach kahoon, shuru mein toh laga tha ki yeh South Africa wale phir se apna dil todne wale hain, jaise pehle kayi baar hua hai. Unka track record dekho toh dil baith jata hai – 1998 mein Champions Trophy ka semi-final haar gaye, 2003 World Cup mein apne hi ghar mein dho diye gaye, aur 2015 World Cup semi-final mein New Zealand ke haathon phir ek baar rona pada. Har baar lagta tha, “Bas, yeh toh South Africa ka naseeb hai!”
Lekin is baar kahani alag thi. Lord’s ke maidaan par, jahan cricket ka itihas likha jata hai, South Africa ne Australia ko hara kar WTC 2025 ka mace apne naam kiya. Aiden Markram ne ek shandaar century lagayi, aur Temba Bavuma ne bhi unka saath diya, team ko jeet ke kareeb le jate hue. Yeh jeet sirf ek trophy nahi, balki South Africa ke cricket ke liye ek nayi shuruaat hai. Yeh wahi team hai jise kabhi log “chokers” kehte the, lekin is baar unhone sab critics ke muh par taala laga diya. Markram ki batting mein woh junoon tha jo shayad Sachin Tendulkar ke 2003 World Cup ke 98 runs wale performance mein dikha tha, jab unhone South Africa ke hi khilaaf apna jalwa dikhaya tha. Lekin is baar, South Africa ne uss purani kahani ko badal diya.
Is jeet ka maza tab aur badh gaya jab yaad aaya ki South Africa ne yeh sab kuch tab kiya jab log unhe underdog maan rahe the. Australia, jo hamesha se Test cricket ka powerhouse raha hai, uske saamne South Africa ki team chhoti si lagti thi. Lekin yaad karo 2008, jab South Africa ne Australia ko unke hi ghar mein Test series mein hara diya tha – woh bhi pehli baar! Us waqt bhi kisi ne nahi socha tha ki yeh team itna bada kaam kar sakti hai. Is baar bhi, Kagiso Rabada aur Anrich Nortje ke teekhe pace attack ne Australia ke batsmen ko hila kar rakh diya, jaise 2018 mein Rabada ne Steve Smith aur David Warner ke saath woh controversial ball-tampering wale match mein dho daala tha.
Yeh jeet South Africa ke cricket fans ke liye ek bada tohfa hai. Ek aisa desh jahan cricket ke saath-saath rugby aur football ka bhi josh hai, wahan Test cricket ka yeh jeet dil se dil tak jati hai. Keshav Maharaj ke aansu is baat ka saboot hain ki yeh jeet sirf ek match nahi, balki ek purane dard ka ilaaj hai. Jab Maharaj ne kaha, “Blood pressure is really high right now,” toh woh shayad har South African fan ka dil bol rahe the. Yeh wahi josh tha jo 1992 mein jab South Africa World Cup mein wapas aaya tha, tab dikha tha, jab unhone apartheid ke baad cricket ki duniya mein apna naam banaya.
Lekin thodi si baat dil mein khatak rahi hai. Yeh jeet kitni der tak yaad rahegi jab agle saal Australia wapas aayega apna badla lene? Ya phir South Africa phir se apne purane dino mein wapas chala jayega, jahan har bade mauke par woh ek kadam peeche reh jate hain? Cricket ka yeh khel bada ajeeb hai – aaj aap hero hain, kal zero. Ab dekhte hain ki South Africa is jeet ko apne cricket ke itihas ka turning point banati hai, ya phir yeh ek aur kahani ban kar reh jayegi jo thodi der ke liye dil behlati hai aur phir dil tod deti hai.
