How does a hero react after winning an epic battle?
Numb, cool, nonchalant.
It has been depicted in many epics that the great heroes almost ignore the moment, decline to celebrate when rest of the world becomes berserk with ecstasy for their achievements, showers lyrical waxes, scribe eulogies to immortalize the saga where they are the central figures.
It is said the great war hero Saladin showed no reaction when he conquered Jerusalem.
Kafka never wanted to show his writings, which later became epitome of modern literatures, and many great painters actually just seem to lose the interest as soon as they finish painting a masterpiece.
As a matter of fact,legendary Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his magnum opus - flow theory - showed, some people are able to enter into a "zone" where the focus level reaches such a level that they are totally submerged in their mission or creation thus, rest of the world becomes irrelevant to them.
Those people in the "zone" during the journey live in a different world.
As a result, when they finally reach the goal, when they are descended back to "real world", they almost feel numb.
It gives an impression that the heroes take the moment almost as a quotidian, banal one as if they don’t care for it.
My mind is filled with all the abovemention thoughts after watching the winning moments of Bangladesh against Afghanistan in the first ODI at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium Wednesday.
Bangladesh were absolutely down and out on 45/6 chasing 216 but two young men - Mehedi Hasan Miraz, 24, and Afif Hossain, 22 showcased a fairy-tale like rearguard action to navigate their side home through an epochal, chanceless, unbroken partnership where confidence and audacity were written all over the place.
And when the moment came, the camera panned to focus the duo and it was seen Afif looked almost nonchalant, like a stone.
The body language of the young player was brimming with audacity as if he is saying like Saladin:" Jerusalem is nothing", yet one can instantly understand, like the great hero, he is feeling - it was everything.
I understand the comparison of Afif with Saladin is a mega exaggeration, using grand metaphors to depict a mere ODI win is a major profane act and my biasness for the audacity of youth, the thought of juxtaposing Beethoven’s ninth symphony with Afif’s winning shot will be roasted with innumerable mocking, will be put in the altar of social media guillotine with ruthless disdain.
Yet, I am unable to curve my emotion, minimizing a brazen exaltation while depicting that amazing image.
Ok, let me come back to cricketing world, if comparing Saladin is too much let me at least allow to bring on Michael Bevan, the legend who took ODI finishing to a different level.
Let me at least allow to recall the moments Bevan snatched impossible victories from the jaw of defeats. And let me say, with the risk of being ridiculed, I see a Bevan in Afif.
With that said I must owe an apology to Miraz, the man of the match for his not out 81 and economical bowling and to portray the great partnership properly I should perhaps compare it with another great one of yesteryears - Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif.
At Lord's, the Mecca of Cricket, those two Indian men started a new age.
They were able to chase down 325, which used to be considered as next to impossible in that era, in a final from an almost hopeless situation and more importantly showed what difference the audacity of youth can make.
In that era, India used to depend on the "wisdom of experience" and the youth was regarded as a dangerous force, their audacity, the act of transgression was tantamount to heresy in the "conservative" mindset of authorities.
And when the impossible feat was achieved it was proved only the audacity of youth may transgress into the zone of "impossible", like Napoléon Bonaparte only they may say "impossible n’est pas francais ".
People will surely compare the cricketing similarities and dissimilarities of both the partnerships.
They will discuss many aspects of the innings.
The doggedness of not losing - the inherent quality of champions, and many shots like Afif’s swivel for six, delicate glances, flicks, straight drive over a ducking bowler’s head and also some picturesque shots of Miraz like a brilliant Laraesque pull off one leg.
Perhaps many plaudits, deservedly, will be reserved for their aggressive yet calculated running between the wickets that converted many easy twos into threes and singles into doubles, again showing the importance of youth.
But I am sure for years to come the facts which will be more important is the calmness of the duo, their ability of entering the "zone", and sheer belief.
Perhaps this may be the defining moment of transformation, the moment that will change the epoch to keep the faith on audacity of youth.
Perhaps that is the reason why Sourav Ganguly hoisted his shirt as he realized it was not a mere win, not a mere trophy but a moment of changing epoch.
It was the salutation to the arrival of an epoch whose main motto was "audacity of youth."
India’s brand of ODI cricket under the stewardship of Ganguly was changed forever and that image became the most iconic one signifying the watershed, era changing moment.
One can only hope…but again hope is the thing that keeps human alive [and kills].
Afif's nonchalant moment, the moment where he proves with his comrade that human being can accomplish anything when they are in "zone" and when they juxtapose the "audacity of youth", will ignite the public imagination in years to come.
And if Ganguly may hoist his shirt and become bare-bodied while celebrating in the terrace of Lord's, don’t ever ask me how I celebrated the moment alone in the house.
I would suggest don’t even dare imagine.
Rather, indulge into the praise for the audacity of youth with Beethoven in the background, the finest gifts that are endowed to human being.