I am writing this especially after the twin downs in my real love affair – the Asia Cup loss and the unbelievable folding up of the famed Indian batting against the Lankans at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground. This is like being let down BIG TIME by the one you have pledged your life to!
I would have been 3 or 4 when one of my elder cousins asked me to hold a cricket bat in my hands as he bowled some balls at me and asked to hit them. I held it naturally in the way a left hander would. After all, I had been watching some cricket on the legendary black-and-white ECTV. I used to imitate the TV images in front of the mirror on my family’s Godrej steel wardrobe. And to be perfectly imitate them (the right-handers were in vogue then) I had to bat left handed so that I see perfectly the same image in the mirror as in the TV! That day of holding a real bat was my first date with my life-time obsession and love affair with a new religion in this land of myriad religions and castes – the Indian CRICKET.
The obsession has since grown to epic proportions. As any love affair, we have had our ups and downs. But like a faithful couple, we have endured on for more than two decades and counting …..
There have been many a sad days as when India could not qualify for the finals of the 1996 world cup. I cried on bed for a whole night (to accompany Vinod Kambli) in spite of having my standard ninth’s Geography exam the next morning! There were great moments like when India’s new generation (my generation) with likes of Yuvaraj and Kaif took centre-stage in England and wiped the hosts away in a tremendous final of the Natwest trophy.
As in every love story, there is also the GOD – Sachin Tendulkar – and His exploits against one and all. With every decimated bowler, He became a bigger GOD for us Indian cricket fanatics. His determination, His strength of character, His humility inspired an entire nation – a feat no one could do as yet (and probably no one will ever be able to achieve to these heights!). The best exhibition of this was when he decided that it was time for a mortal like Shane Warne to be warned forever and gave him a prasad – nightmares of Sachin hitting him out of the ground in Sharjah.
Then there was a Dada to the story and also a Wall who gave the necessary arrogance and steely resolve to the Indian team. Next up in the Indian team’s history came in the form of 2003 World Cup. A completely new team under a foreign coach and a completely fresh outlook – fresh faces and quick feet! None of the Indian teams till then had been so good in the field and … so dashing. Indians had achieved what the scientists couldn’t as yet – cloning an entire master. We had produced a Virender Sehwag and as if Sachin alone wasn’t enough, now the opposition had to contend with almost 2 Sachins! This was such a mouth watering proposition for an Indian cricket fan.
From this up, there was another down with the new foreign coach in the form of Greg Chappel and I felt like there was a new down – almost like there was a third person in the relationship of Indian cricket and its fans. There was now a love triangle (shits, did I really say that?). That culminated in us getting out of the world cup in the first round! I lost my interest in the cricket from then on. But then, what’s a love affair if you don’t feel like reconciling with the differences with your loved one!
I would have been 3 or 4 when one of my elder cousins asked me to hold a cricket bat in my hands as he bowled some balls at me and asked to hit them. I held it naturally in the way a left hander would. After all, I had been watching some cricket on the legendary black-and-white ECTV. I used to imitate the TV images in front of the mirror on my family’s Godrej steel wardrobe. And to be perfectly imitate them (the right-handers were in vogue then) I had to bat left handed so that I see perfectly the same image in the mirror as in the TV! That day of holding a real bat was my first date with my life-time obsession and love affair with a new religion in this land of myriad religions and castes – the Indian CRICKET.
The obsession has since grown to epic proportions. As any love affair, we have had our ups and downs. But like a faithful couple, we have endured on for more than two decades and counting …..
There have been many a sad days as when India could not qualify for the finals of the 1996 world cup. I cried on bed for a whole night (to accompany Vinod Kambli) in spite of having my standard ninth’s Geography exam the next morning! There were great moments like when India’s new generation (my generation) with likes of Yuvaraj and Kaif took centre-stage in England and wiped the hosts away in a tremendous final of the Natwest trophy.
As in every love story, there is also the GOD – Sachin Tendulkar – and His exploits against one and all. With every decimated bowler, He became a bigger GOD for us Indian cricket fanatics. His determination, His strength of character, His humility inspired an entire nation – a feat no one could do as yet (and probably no one will ever be able to achieve to these heights!). The best exhibition of this was when he decided that it was time for a mortal like Shane Warne to be warned forever and gave him a prasad – nightmares of Sachin hitting him out of the ground in Sharjah.
Then there was a Dada to the story and also a Wall who gave the necessary arrogance and steely resolve to the Indian team. Next up in the Indian team’s history came in the form of 2003 World Cup. A completely new team under a foreign coach and a completely fresh outlook – fresh faces and quick feet! None of the Indian teams till then had been so good in the field and … so dashing. Indians had achieved what the scientists couldn’t as yet – cloning an entire master. We had produced a Virender Sehwag and as if Sachin alone wasn’t enough, now the opposition had to contend with almost 2 Sachins! This was such a mouth watering proposition for an Indian cricket fan.
From this up, there was another down with the new foreign coach in the form of Greg Chappel and I felt like there was a new down – almost like there was a third person in the relationship of Indian cricket and its fans. There was now a love triangle (shits, did I really say that?). That culminated in us getting out of the world cup in the first round! I lost my interest in the cricket from then on. But then, what’s a love affair if you don’t feel like reconciling with the differences with your loved one!
So you get back to the love – your life! There comes the IPL and Twenty20 world cup – you see how young, new talent has taken the weight of this delicate loved one on its able shoulders. You feel good and interested again – just like a revitalised love. India defeat Pakistan easily and stuff happens – the magic is rekindled. Only to be dashed in the finals – not once but twice. Another down? Maybe. But, I feel like sticking to this Indian cricket no matter how down it gets for now. It needs the support of die-hards like me to be with it at such a juncture. No matter what happens – hearts of me and others like me will always beat for our true love…. Cricket … Indian Cricket.
