The day after, it’s like the end of term at school (and not just because of Parthiv Patel). The huddle has broken up, the huddlers going off in ones and twos to do their shopping and/or catch up on some quality R&R.This was by no means a disillusioned lot, merely a team which, after two months of living in a pressure cooker, was waiting to exhale. What helped was a one-line whip from the coach and captain that cricket — and especially the final — would not be discussed. No post mortems, no discussions, no team meeting and, at last, no nets.As the team reached the hotel after the final the players moved to their rooms and, later in the night, moved out with family and friends. They were greeted warmly, even Dinesh Mongia, who’d had an unspectacular tournament.Dressed in a dandy shirt, he entered the Sahib Restaurant — a favourite watering-hole among Indians — in the company of friends. As he did so, a man stood up at one of the tables and announced: ‘‘Welcome India’s star Dinesh Mongia, three cheers for the Men in Blue who have done so proud.’’ That was followed a huge cheer and diners making a beeline for Mongia’s autograph and pictures.One elderly Punjabi woman walked up to Mongia and said: ‘‘So what if you lost the final, you people defeated Pakistan’’. All in broad Punjabi, prompting the Chandigarh lad to stand up and shake her hand.Later, Mongia said that he was pleasantly surprised by the support they had received but said some of his teammates had experienced some nastiness from Indian ‘fans’. ‘‘There are a few bad apples in the stands. You know, these guys abused us after the match. I know they were drunk but then we didn’t expect this after performing so well.’’Today, most of the team members spent the day shopping at the Sandton Mall near the team hotel before their flight out of here later this evening. Anil Kumble, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid and Parthiv Patel were moving around carrying huge polythene bags. It was a bit of a rush because they were originally supposed to leave tomorrow.But there was no such luck for the Sachin Tendulkar, who lives in perennial fear of being mobbed in any cricket-playing country. So the player of the world cup opted to stay indoors, away from the public eye.Also spotted shopping was national selector Kiran More, who appeared quite pleased with the team he’d been partly responsible for selecting. ‘‘One of the best teams I have seen,’’ he said. That would certainly mean that the present bunch will be there in the national colours for some time now.But before the contest there were some doubts about the coach John Wright. The Kiwi coach’s tenure gets over after the World Cup and there have been indications that he might go back to New Zealand to coach the national team (he is going for a break anyway). After the fine performance by his boys it seems John is the right answer of the Indians.
