CRICKET "MATCH"

 CRICKET is a very popular game.  Every one likes to be a part of it  all the time.  I am no exception.

Our cricketing life started when we were in middle School.  Four to five of us join , choose any place , be it a "barsathi" (terrace) on the Road etc. play cricket .  Our bat used to be the laundry bat which  my mother used it for washing clothes. .  Many of our younger generation may not have seen it.  It looks more or less a bat but not long one.  Those days no washing machines.  We stealthily take it and start using it as a bat.  The ball used to be a plastic ball.  The wicket is the wall. Sometimes we don't even get that plastic ball.  We put some stones , cover it with newspaper, tie it up with rubber band ,make it a ball shape and play.  As we grew older, we used Tennis Ball, then Cork Ball and finally graduated to the actual Red cricket ball.  

No T Vs those days.  Only Transister Radios.  Small pocket size Transisters held close to the ear and  keep answering people about the score enquiry on the way about the ongoing cricket match.  Unknown people on the road, without even knowing the game would be anxiously asking for the "Score".  I met one of our relatives on the road.  He started a conversation like this " waste guys, no sense why they are there.  You should kick them out blah blah" I was wondering what was he talking about.  Then understood that he was cursing our Indian Team for poor performance.  Without head or tail people always think they are talking about cricket.. Believe me, people used to enter into argument and come to fists fighting  about the match held the day earlier while travelling in the Bus.  We were so mad that we used to cut our favorite  players action  photos from the Newspaper and paste it in a Note Book.

I never missed even Ranji Trophy matches where you can see the likes of Lala Amarnath, Jimmy(Mohinder Amarnath), Madan Lal, Bishen Singh Bedi sitting and gossiping in the outer field in Paharganj Railway Stadium while their two Batsmen playing out in the middle.  No entrance fees and any one can just sit with these stalwarts and watch the game .  The players used to be so simple those days without any reservations and mix with the crowd freely,  You could watch Lala Amarnath eating "Mooli, Gajar" from the Telewala who also would be watching the Match.  Lala Amarnath used to come by the local transport Bus.  

We have a gang of 20 guys who always join us for watching  the Test Match live for all the 5 days at the Feroze Shah  Kotla Ground ,New Delhi.  We do lot of planning and enjoy the event immensely as if  it is a festival.  We buy season tickets which cost only rs.30 (this is the lowest ticket )for all the five days of the Test Match.  Those days no ODIs.  I used to take five days leave from office.  The Match starts at 9.30 AM .  We leave the house as early as 5 AM with each one packing his breakfast  and on the way to Bus Stand we halt  to have Tea on the roadside Tea Stall.  I still remember what the Tea Stall guy asked  me .  He said " ithna subhe subhe kahan jareheho  and ithna khana packs " . I said Mother made all this in the early morning.  The Tea guy said only Mother can wake up so early and make it for her child.

All of us reach the Stadium with full of excitement.   Early 6 AM we were there.  It was still dark and very cold , foggy.  But no worry The only aim is to watch the game.  WE take up the top most seat.  The advantage of this seat is that you will not be victim to the throwing of banana /santra skins.  We always chose this side of the pavilion because in between this Stadium and the adjacent Football stadium there is a narrow Gali.  A chaiwala sits there making Tea.  We had come with all preparations,  We extend our ropeway which reaches the Chaiwala and in come the Gharam Gharam Chai.  WE play Taash (Playing cards) till the Match starts,  Suddenly there was a big loud noise all around.  I saw all the Indian Players walking in and the cheer is for the favorite Kapil Dev.  He was the most popular one that time.  It was a match between India and Australia,   All the five days goes this way with full of fun.

Three of us started a Cricket Club overnight in Mayur Vihar Delhi.  Each contributed Rs.100 (big amount then) and bought all required items.  This was in 1986.   It is called Sunday Cricket Club. You wont believe that the Club still exists and doing matches every Sunday.  They invited me for the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Club.

I used to be an Off spin bowler and opening Batsman, a very rare combination. 😁 You see.  I remember we had a Match with one very strong local Team .  Players used to be scared of one Pace bowler in their Team.  I only knew how I faced him being the opener.  When I shifted to Bangalore and was staying in Indra Nagar.  I used to go for morning walk and one day I saw someone standing in his Balcony of his house in 2nd floor.  I could make out who he was.  I waved at him and he came down.  He was Erapally Prasanna, the famous spin bowler of our Cricket Team. My joy knew no bounds. He was happy that I recognised him from a distance as he was our time guy.  We soon became walking friends.

My son  Harish was also mad after Cricket.  He joined Cricket Academy in Bangalore.  He switched his loyalty to Football after he was not selected in the State Team as his chance for proving himself did not come.  Otherwise we could have one Hariharan in Pace Bowling in our National Team like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.😀.  Even now he doesnt watch cricket.

All our office folks wanted to start a cricket club of our own in our Godrej Organisation..  A Team was made at a very short notice and I was elected as Captain because all knew about my involvement in Cricket. We used to play on Sundays with Corporate  Teams nearby.  We had initially on a winning spree. WE practice almost every day in the Ramlila Ground opposite our office,

Slowly our Godrej Team became too much involved in Matches and full of activity started thru the week.  One day we were invited by Bank of America guys for a Match with them.  I had some friends in there.  When I proposed this to our Team members all were excited but sounded a bit nervous.  Bank of America could be a strong Team and we need to prepare well, my bosses said.  That was enough for all of us,  So the whole of 2nd half of the day in the entire week before the Match in office used to be discussing strategy of how to combat this Bank of America Team. Discussions and discussions.  We were enjoying this because we were happy no office work happened in the 2nd half.  Three of us also visited Bank of America to finalise  Match.  Little did I realise then that I would be having a connection with Bank of America in the future.

We fixed up the Match with Bank of America on a Sunday.  They fixed up a Modern School Ground just close by to their office.  The rent for the Ground was Rs.1000 for a day.  This was a big amount those days. All were so excited and looking forward to this Match with a strong Team. Came Sunday and all our Godrej Team reached Modern School Ground at 8.30 AM.  We could see Bank of America Team practicing there in their full gear.  All white outfit with caps and each had one Bat .  We could make out they were all seasoned players.  We had organised "Chowmeen" Lunch for all our players and one of our Bosses brought it all the way from Green Park.  The Toss was won by them and they elected to Bat first.  It was indeed a tough Team as one of their Batsmen scored a Century.  Added to the misery, my entire family hired a car and came to pick me up when we were just about to Bat.  They had organised a"Girl seeing ceremony " for me . The original program was actually the next day. But preponed .  I took permission from the Team and left the ground in the middle of the game cursing myself .  Needless to mention that I rejected that girl . Lucky Girl.😀

Came Monday. I walked into the office with guilt as we lost the Match. My Boss called me into the Cabin and said"No more Match with Bank of America".  The office wore a silent and sad look.  All teased me for leaving the Match in the middle.  

In the Meantime, things were brewing in Bank of America.  My friends in the Bank started pursing for a suitable Match for me and found one in the Bank.  That was Geetha from the Bank.  Incidentally she had also come to watch the Match.  The next week their Parents, Father, Mother and brother came to see me in our house unannounced.  I opened the Door and ushered them in.  I was watching a cricket Match then.  Her Father started watching the Match without bothering to even look at me.  Then things fell in place and I was engaged and rest is history.  What was gain for me was a loss for Godrej, if I may say so.  So it was ultimately "Cricket Match".  When I announced my engagement to our Godrej people they all said I had preplanned all this😀 The match was a turning point in my life.