The Indian fans witnessed the same old collapse and the same old woes, and experienced the same heartbreaking pain, as the Indian women's team lost the CWG 2022 final to Australia on Sunday.
As a result, India not only had to make themselves content with just the silver medal but they also lost the rarest of rare opportunities to claim a gold medal in this historic event.
Despite the loss, their future bodes well as they eventually returned home with their own reserve of gold in Renuka Singh Thakur.
The 26-year-old pacer had a tournament to remember. She ran through batting line-ups as if it was a mere walk in the park for her, and she eventually finished as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament as well.
Renuka claimed 11 wickets in just five matches, that too at a sensational average of 9.45 and a mean economy rate of 5.47.
She lit up the Commonwealth Games with her spell of 4/18 against Australia in the opening encounter. All four of her wickets in that game were the top-order wickets of Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, and Tahlia McGrath.
None of them had any clue about how to play her nor did they have any idea about what was coming. They were completely at Renuka's mercy in those swinging conditions, and she didn't show any!
It was a ruthless spell, and one of sheer quality, showing what she was capable of. What she looked like at her best.
This was also an important spell for Renuka, and rather a much needed one, considering that she had claimed only three wickets in the previous six T20Is she had played. And it arrived just at the right time, just when she needed it. Just when India needed it!
India still lost the match after her superb spell but Renuka bowled like a dream and she kept bowling like that throughout the tournament, right until the final match.
With Jhulan Goswami retired, the Indian pace attack didn't look as strong as it did in her presence. Goswami used to give India the early breakthroughs, and some much-needed control at any stage of the innings. Her shoes were not easy to fill in.
But Renuka fit seamlessly into it and just raised the bar of the entire Indian bowling unit with her performances.
Maybe she thought that her performance against Australia wasn't good enough, so she went on and decided to better it further as she claimed figures of 4/10 in India's group stage encounter against Barbados.
It was yet another terrific spell where all four of her wickets belonged to Barbados' top five. Even against Pakistan, Renuka bowled a controlled and measured spell of 4-1-20-1.
It was only in the semi-final against England that Renuka faltered. She proved pretty costly, giving away 31 runs in just three overs, and didn't pick up any wicket either. But just like a champion, she picked herself up and bounced back once again.
Renuka delivered yet another bowling masterclass in the final against Australia. This time, she registered figures of 2/26 in her four overs.
She not only set the tone for India with the wicket of the dangerous Alyssa Healy early in the innings but also gave them control later on – everything that Goswami successfully did for India all these years.
India still lost the match but that doesn't take anything away from Renuka or the kind of tournament she enjoyed. The way she bowled made it clear that she has the potential of leading India's bowling attack in the future.
Her rise didn't let India feel the void of Goswami in this all-important competition and that's a big achievement for anyone new at the international stage. She is a thinking bowler, with exceptional new-ball value.
Renuka also has the ability to put a leash on batters in the middle and death overs. All these things make her a complete package and an asset as valuable as gold, pure 24 carats!
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