Smell of the good ol’ days

Australians go in to the 4^th one-day match of the series at Chandigarh with a 2-0 lead and all eyes on an unassailable one. The start of the match is a good 12 hours away yet it has evoked emotions galore within me. The match is taking place at the sector-16 stadium, Chandigarh and not at the one in Mohali (PCA).

The last match staged on this ground was back in 1993, India against England, that was when as an 11 year old I saw my first cricket match at the ground. I still remember the great ease with which we entered the ground considering we (me, mom and a friend) had no tickets. Mom dressed up to match the occasion and perhaps get us inside the stadium under the ruse of students (well, she from college and us from school) who had lost their tickets

That’s precisely what happened. At the security gate, one old gentleman stood checking tickets. Time was ticking, all our attempts at getting in, finding tickets at a premium were in vain. Just then, two guys approached the security gate and called out to the old gentleman. “Bhasin uncle, saanu Baawe ne pejeya hai (Baawa has sent us)”, one look and they were in. We stood there with envy. My mom being the smart woman that she is, urged us to call out to Bhasin uncle, but the shy chickens that we were, we refused.

Scene 2, “Bhasin uncle, saanu Baawe ne pejeya hai”. What followed was a long suspecting look, through and outside the spectacles. Soft gatecrash. We were seated with care in the VIP lounge. Ma, hats off.

It was quite an interesting match, for several reasons. One of them, it was perhaps the first and the only match I saw where an announcement was made to stop the Mexican wave because it was disturbing Sachin Tendulkar who eventually succumbed to the wave for a paltry score (1, if I remember correctly). And then I remember Sidhu planting two huge sixes off the English spin bowling.

Unfortunately, that was the last match that the sector-16 stadium staged for a very long time. Reason, a world class stadium was ready in the neighborhood, Mohali, PCA as we all know it. A truly beautiful stadium with carpet like grass. In the last 14 years people from Chandigarh have only known PCA and the poor sector-16 stadium got lost in the ranks of BCCI’s redundant zonal policies.

But the sector-16 stadium will always hold a special in my heart. It was the place where I played for three years while in school, I still cherish those magical years of my life.

21 January, 1993, was the start of my affair with the sector-16 stadium and cricket.

Going with history India won the last match at this stadium, I am going to protrude my neck and say history will repeat itself tomorrow.

Indian Cricket’s enfant terrible

A week away from cricket is a sure one-off but sometimes a welcome change, for it helps you grow in the eyes of your family. For most fans and erstwhile aspirants it is unthinkable to let go an opportunity to see an international match in the thrilling environs of a stadium. Mine was a gargantuan sacrifice. So, while I journeyed the south of the Indian peninsula, testifying my sacrifice in the larger interest of my travel-hungry siblings, India played Australia at Bangalore.

It poured heavy in Bangalore. Match abandoned. The guilt was now off me and I was able to enjoy the remaining part of our trip. While I trundled along the east coast, the Indian team headed towards the west of Bangalore to the coastal town of Kochi. And rains decided to chase them there too.

The rains stayed away on the day of the match this time. But everything else was the same, the intensity, Indian batting, Australian fielding, and last but not the least the verbal duels. Aussies need no introduction when it comes to sledging and neither does a certain Mr. Sreesanth.

Sreesanth and his theatrics were apparent yet again, this time in front of his home crowd. Not a good enough reason for his rather embarrassing and foolish display of aggression. Obviously the Kerala lad has made enough money, reason why he cares little about fee cuts and perhaps none about impending match bans.

His on-field behavior is no more seen in the same vein as it was when he danced Kathakali alongside an ever so garrulous and annoying Andre Nel, after hitting him for a six, which ironically was a slap for the excessive gutter dished out by Nel. Ever since, this enfant terrible of Indian cricket has been uncontrollable for almost everyone.

Surprisingly, there haven’t been too many people from the Indian cricketing fraternity who’ve chided the erratic fast bowler. Some one needs to knock some sense in to his head, a thin line between bravery and foolishness, between aggression and infantile behavior. Sreesanth knows none.

His supporters (not a surprise all current players) put up a weak defense for him, citing his exceptional talent (yet to be seen) and ability to swing the ball (now, was that really on display in England?).

Considering the fact that his performances at best have been average, the Indian team could well do without this on-field embarrassment. As for Sreesanth he can look forward to displaying his theatrics in his first Malyalam movie!