Thursday, December 19, 2013

Insanity and a 3 day trip to India for a test match.

You must be insane was the first reaction. But boy am I glad I did it !


Planning to go see "the" test match of my career and that too only for 3 days. Yes that sounds really insane but something I really wished that I did at some point. It was really simple, got a friend to arrange for a ticket, packed a small backpack, booked tickets and got the holidays that were due. I did take a punt that India wouldn't bat first but it was sad that West Indies couldn't even last a day when batting first. It meant that I would miss the first day and some bit of the second but the hope was that one would get to see him bat. However I digress, there was still the small matter of getting to the flight on time, but luckily the the trains were all on time and one could get on the flight just before the final call. Traveling with just hand baggage is highly underrated.

All this was on a wing and a prayer though, the hope I could see him bat one last time. Despite clearing customs and immigration in record time at Mumbai, I entered the stadium slightly disappointed, tired but exhilarated . I had done it, I was there. I'd done the NRI thing that one kept reading in books, travel to watch a game at the drop of a hat. This though wasn't just any other game, it was the last time one could see a certain SRT play in a test match representing India.

The crowd cheered, kept cheering another local boy Rohit, on but also cheered when he got out. There was a chance that SRT might bat again. Then there was the anticlimax, getting caught off a no ball. A low key plea started by a few folks, pleas to Dhoni to declare. Further furious demands followed. Rohit got his century in the end, a really good innings with the tail, but the crowd was interested in the presence of another man. The pleas continued, requests went out to the West Indies to clear the tail, but it was in the end Shami's dismissal that brought the loudest cheer. This was a day for insanity - an Indian captain boo'd for not declaring, the fall of an Indian wicket getting the biggest cheers.


The next day wasn't great - the heart wished for a strong West Indies performance. Boundaries would be cheered today for a West Indian batting performance. There were cheers when the runs were flowing slightly, couple of partnerships but overall everyone was there to just have fun. Nothing more, nothing less.

There could not have been more ways of saying his name

Sachiin sachiin ... the refrain
Saachin saachin ... the refrain...

Wow, what an experience. After a point people started pleading with Dhoni to let Tendulkar bowl. Pleas went out . 

Tendulkar bowl kar. 
Dhoni hai hai and whatever not. 

It was absolutely crazy. Then Tendulkar got the ball, and the whole stadium was standing and making so much noise. I don't know what the batsmen thought of it all - the atmosphere was electric and it was certainly goosebumps time. The match proceeded at a break-neck pace, wickets kept tumbling and in the end we were done. However something that should be realised is never again shall there be a number 4 with the initials SRT for a long time for India in tests.

Woh!




Saturday, February 23, 2013

Saturday mornings , Chepauk and Australia.

Wake up at 8 a.m. , potter down remembering there's Australia playing India in Madras. The last few weeks have been odd talking to folks about cricket seems to put me off. The familiar players have either turned to the commentary box or become administrators and then there's the small matter of India losing a lot of test matches home and away. Living outside India in a country that still follows cricket it's hard to have a conversation which doesn't meander cricket wards. The usual things come up , IPL, Dhoni (and him being super cool or not caring), India not caring enough about test cricket and folks only caring about money, losing to England in England, Australia in Australia, England in India, BCCI and DRS. Amid all this you then hear in the papers Tendulkar's quit ODIs , a format he defined, he's going back to play Ranji Trophy and the Irani trophy. You search youtube and then find him flaying Sreesanth all over in the Irani trophy final and all that . So, there's hope at the back of your mind, you want him and will him to do well against the Aussies.

Then turning on the TV at 8 a.m. and then figuring out over a cup of tea (note, not coffee), that India are batting the familiar feeling starts up again. The memory of the '98 series with Australia being in India came up. One still had the odd memory of sixer Sidhu hitting a six and Krishna a good friend next to me claims to have touched the ball as it went past. There was that slight bout of jealousy then, six inches this way and one might have caught it. You then realise the H stand might have gone and replaced by pointy turrets which makes Chepauk look nicer and all that but one thing hasn't changed, who comes out at #4 in the Indian cricket team. You watch Vijay play on and then notice that the glasses don't help Sehwag protect his leg stump. Ofcourse then there's the usual crescendo of noise that's been increasing ever since '89 usually means a certain SRT is walking out into the middle. Right, here we go again - 12/2 again SRT in the middle - nothing really changes does it ?

Pattinson is bowling quick, the commentator says he's spent 20 minutes warming up. You scoff, It's Madras, how much more warming up do you need there ! after all this is the hot season . Then you think hmmm Tendulkar, middle stump full and straight he's got bowled too many times. And then you keenly move forward , the tea is forgotten and watch the first ball - what's happening here. The usual crisp footwork, precise motion of the bat meeting ball and then you hear the sound of the ball hitting the bat and you know it's 4. The next 2 balls disappear to the boundary with similar precision, the mind goes back to the dismantling of McGrath and a few others with India being in a similar position.

You just know, he's going to play well again. Sanity is restored, the world is back to normal and there's nothing more you want. You switch off the TV, potter about for a while doing other things after those 4 balls, and then come back and watch him calmly get to a 70 in what can only be described as a knock of someone showing who's boss.

So, in conclusion - Chepauk might change, the world might still be clamouring for Tendulkar to retire and he probably might at some point, but amid all this Saturday morning was still worth it. 


So here's to a Sunday morning of discovering a rare Tendulkar century. Surely these are collectors items now :)