South Africa ne World Test Championship (WTC) jeet liya aur coach Shukri Conrad bol rahe hain, “Hum world champions hain, hum apni reality khud banate hain.” Badi baat kar di, na? Jaise ke Australia ya India ke paas koi haq nahi hai apni reality banane ka! Yeh sunke thodi si hasi toh aati hai, kyunki cricket ki duniya mein aksar yahi sunne ko milta hai jab koi underdog team badi jeet haasil karti hai. Par thodi der ke liye inke jashn ko thodi si nazar laga ke dekhein, kyunki yeh baat toh sach hai ki South Africa ne kamaal kar diya.
Yeh jeet sirf ek trophy nahi hai; yeh ek chhoti si team ka bada sa sapna poora hone ki kahani hai. Australia jaise team ke saamne, jinhone cricket ke itihas mein sabse zyada trophies uthayi hain, South Africa ka yeh jeet ek chhota sa desh aur uske chhote se cricket system ke liye ek bada statement hai. Shukri Conrad ka yeh kehna ki “humne apni reality banayi” ek tarah se unke players ke jazbe ko dikhata hai. Yeh wahi team hai jo kabhi apartheid ke kaale dino mein cricket ke maidaan se door rakhi gayi thi. Unke coach ke pita, Sedick Conrad, khud ek aise daur mein khele jab rang ke aadhar par players ko mauka nahi milta tha. Aaj, Shukri ke leadership mein, South Africa ne na sirf Australia ko haraya, balki ek nayi pehchaan banayi.
Ab zara is jeet ke peeche ki kahani dekhein. South Africa ne is WTC cycle mein India ke saath draw khela, lekin unhe yeh taana suna gaya ki unhone bade teams ke khilaaf kam matches khele. Par final mein, jab mauka aaya, toh unhone Australia ke “hall of fame” attack ko dhool chata di. Aiden Markram ki shandaar batting aur ek young black fast bowler ki tezi ne sabko hairaan kar diya. Yeh wahi maidaan tha jahan neutral turf par South Africa ne apne dum par jeet haasil ki. Ek X post mein likha gaya, “Yeh sirf jeet nahi, ek statement hai. South Africa ne resilience aur passion se apna itihas badal diya.”
Test cricket ki baat karein toh yeh jeet ek nayi ummeed jaga sakti hai. Shukri ka kehna hai ki is jeet se log phir se Test aur first-class cricket se pyar karenge. Aur kyun na karein? Jab Brian Lara ne 1999 mein Australia ke khilaaf 153* ki shandaar innings kheli thi ya jab VVS Laxman aur Rahul Dravid ne 2001 mein Kolkata mein Australia ke khilaaf 376 runs ki partnership ki thi, tab bhi Test cricket ne duniya ka dil jeeta tha. South Africa ki yeh jeet bhi usi tarah ki kahani hai—ek chhoti si team ka bada sapna, jo puri duniya ke cricket fans ke dil ko chhoo sakta hai. Jab Mark Boucher ne kaha tha ki WTC jeet Test cricket ke liye turning point ho sakta hai, toh shayad woh sahi the.
Lekin yeh sab itna asaan nahi hai. T20 ke daur mein, jahan IPL aur franchise leagues ka bolbala hai, Test cricket ko bachana ek sapne jaisa lagta hai. South Africa khud apne domestic T20 league ke liye second-string team ko tours par bhej chuka hai. Ab yeh sochne wali baat hai ki kya yeh jeet sach mein naye fans ko Test cricket ki taraf laayegi? Ya phir yeh ek aisi jeet hogi jo thodi der ke jashn ke baad bhool jayegi? Shukri ka yeh khwab ki log Test cricket se pyar karenge shayad thoda optimistic hai, kyunki aaj ke daur mein cricket fans ka dil T20 ke chhakkon aur chhota format mein hai.
Phir bhi, South Africa ki is jeet ne ek baat toh saabit kar di—chhoti teams bhi bade sapne dekh sakti hain. Temba Bavuma ke leadership mein, jinhone ek black captain ke roop mein itihas racha, aur unke young players ke dum par, South Africa ne duniya ko dikhaya ki unka cricket ka future chamkila hai. Par yeh yaad rakhna zaroori hai ki cricket ek aisa khel hai jahan aaj ka champion kal ka underdog ban sakta hai. Aaj South Africa ne apni reality banayi hai, lekin kal ka cricket kaun si reality banayega, yeh toh waqt hi batayega.
