Cricket or football: The losers we love

History is not always made by victors. From its brittle, browning pages also spring out in golden the stories of unforgettable defeats, fallen heroes, vanquished dreams.

The history of sports is full of such stories. Great teams have come to the edge of success’ runway and crashed, but have left behind extraordinary tales and enduring memories. These stories become modern-day ballads, and generations recount the promise, heartbreak and lessons drawn from the fall of great teams. The losers are remembered with fondness and respect.

A news channel failed to understand this after India’s semifinal loss at the World Cup. It went with the idea that defeat must necessarily have its villain, and bashing villains makes for engaging news television. Its hashtag sought to shame Team India for its defeat in Sydney.

The backlash was unexpected and enormous. Social media near-unanimously marauded the channel for belittling the national team, and a hashtag shaming it continues to trend at the top more than 48 hours after thousands of Indians had left SCG in painstruck silence, the tricolour smudged on their cheeks.

Dhoni’s team of 2015 had entered a different realm. It played with a cold efficiency and clockwork teamwork rarely seen in its predecessors. It raised hopes to the altitude of certainly before crashing. And it had joined the enthralling league of losing legends — the likes of Cryuff’s Netherlands of 1974, Platini’s France of 1982, and South Africa of 1992 and 1999.

There are numerous instances — shall keep this restricted to cricket and football — in sporting history to remind us that winners don’t always take it all. Sometimes they lift a cold, metal cup, but it is the defeated which win public sympathy and get a clubhouse seat in our collective memory.

Take for instance Ferenc Puskas’ Hungary in the 1954 World Cup going down to Germany in the Miracle of Bern. Puskas’ equaliser in the dying minutes is controversially disallowed and the mighty Hungarians fall. Twelve years later, the haunting image of a sobbing Eusebio being escorted away from the field after Portugal’s 2-1 semifinal defeat to hosts England, like Hungary’s defeat, gets etched in fans’ memory.

Or the grief and disbelief on the faces of Johan Cryuff and the boys after their 1974 defeat to Germany in the finals. For many of us, Netherlands will be the real champions of that year and era.

Same with the fall of the mighty Brazil of Zico and Socrates — arguably the best football team ever. And the wrenching defeat of Platini’s France the same year after an epic, nearly three-hour battle. The winners will be ironically remembered as the villains, playing rough — recall the chilling image of German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher’s flying kick perfectly aimed at Patrick Battiston’s groin? Schumacher got away without a red card, but France went home as one of the most heroic losing teams ever.

Many still hold the tragic 136 against Pakistan in Chennai, 1999, as Sachin Tendulkar’s finest innings. He almost pulled off a impossible victory with a growing backache before mishitting Saqlain’s doosra. Sourav Ganguly’s 2003 team fell at the last hurdle against Australia, but would be held as one of the India’s best teams ever.

But few can match the heartbreak of 1992 when South Africa, emerging out of apartheid as a formidable cricket force, were denied entry into finals by 12 minutes of rain and an unfortunate rain rule. It happened to the Proteas again in 1999. Steve Waugh’s missed catch by Gibbs and a disastrous run-out involving Allan Donald and Lance Klusener scripted one of cricket’s most profoundly tragic ousters.

In each case, there was tremendous regret, but not shame. These teams and individuals will be remembered for falling in meteoric brilliance. To try and shame them at the circus maximus of TV studios is acting like a real loser.

Social media surprisingly got its outrage right.