Cricket today and yesterday swamps. Prefer watching Australia against Pakistan in Australia to England versus India in India. A Jawahar House versus Gandhi House cricket match was on at the Maidan in 50s Calcutta. Me was a kid, fun and a bald red, hard used cricket ball; three stumps at one end of an up and down stretch of grass in a corner of the Maidan; one stump at the opposite end, the bowler's mark; 22 steps separated the bowler from the batter with one heavy pad on the left leg preventing any singles, two worn gloves; me was the captain of Jawahar House; the pacers bowled, runs got scored and me thinks, after a long ago today, Gandhi House were 24 for no loss; a change in bowling, always from one end; off spinners; took four wickets and was to make my mark on the ICC list with a fifth wicket when a howl flew over the Maidan; Jasu Patel has helped India beat Australia at Kanpur; G. S. Ramchand was the India captain; Jawahar and Gandhi were forgotten; the fifth wicket did not come by to me; we celebrated without without details; like the high noon tides in river Hooghly taking over Strand Road. And the second match was at the green patch of St. Xavier's College, Park Street. Think it was B.A. Economics versus B.A. Political Science. Me was taken into B.A. Economics there being a shortage of players; we won the toss and the captain got me to open, face the bowling as others did not want to open; one pad, two gloves, scored 26 runs, and someone called me Hobbs. Did not know Hobbs and still do not know the gentleman as for me West Indian cricketers alone are cricketers. With probably an exception. Noob, Tiger, Nawab of Pataudi. Me wanted to be him. Did not, was not worth it. Then the little ambition to cover sports; as a Trainee Journalist in the Times of India was dumped into business reporting forever.... like all cricketers waited for the easy ball and a four.. it came when in Business Line, me got to report India Interior and wildlife... there is something of sports in wildlife ... there is colour, breed tells, power is never graceless, and compassion lurks....both offer chuckles if not laughs ... and sad to say both in 2016 are hurt by corporates ... corporate profits have reduced Test cricket to T20... badminton will be 11 points, five setters....; corporate profits want to mine forests, rivers, seas, skies ...everything is up for monetary digging. Mike Brearley writes: 'But I am now less inclined than I was twenty years ago to take a high moral-aesthetic line. Cricket embodies enough aspects of life, and captaincy many more. One who finds a career that fits in with some of his earliest dreams, and finds that career intensely fulfilling, is indeed fortunate.' Cricket and surely all sports came early; wildlife came late; Mr. Brearley me never thought or desired to be a journalist. Have no regrets. Cricket and wildlife, thanks for that.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Cricket
Cricket today and yesterday swamps. Prefer watching Australia against Pakistan in Australia to England versus India in India. A Jawahar House versus Gandhi House cricket match was on at the Maidan in 50s Calcutta. Me was a kid, fun and a bald red, hard used cricket ball; three stumps at one end of an up and down stretch of grass in a corner of the Maidan; one stump at the opposite end, the bowler's mark; 22 steps separated the bowler from the batter with one heavy pad on the left leg preventing any singles, two worn gloves; me was the captain of Jawahar House; the pacers bowled, runs got scored and me thinks, after a long ago today, Gandhi House were 24 for no loss; a change in bowling, always from one end; off spinners; took four wickets and was to make my mark on the ICC list with a fifth wicket when a howl flew over the Maidan; Jasu Patel has helped India beat Australia at Kanpur; G. S. Ramchand was the India captain; Jawahar and Gandhi were forgotten; the fifth wicket did not come by to me; we celebrated without without details; like the high noon tides in river Hooghly taking over Strand Road. And the second match was at the green patch of St. Xavier's College, Park Street. Think it was B.A. Economics versus B.A. Political Science. Me was taken into B.A. Economics there being a shortage of players; we won the toss and the captain got me to open, face the bowling as others did not want to open; one pad, two gloves, scored 26 runs, and someone called me Hobbs. Did not know Hobbs and still do not know the gentleman as for me West Indian cricketers alone are cricketers. With probably an exception. Noob, Tiger, Nawab of Pataudi. Me wanted to be him. Did not, was not worth it. Then the little ambition to cover sports; as a Trainee Journalist in the Times of India was dumped into business reporting forever.... like all cricketers waited for the easy ball and a four.. it came when in Business Line, me got to report India Interior and wildlife... there is something of sports in wildlife ... there is colour, breed tells, power is never graceless, and compassion lurks....both offer chuckles if not laughs ... and sad to say both in 2016 are hurt by corporates ... corporate profits have reduced Test cricket to T20... badminton will be 11 points, five setters....; corporate profits want to mine forests, rivers, seas, skies ...everything is up for monetary digging. Mike Brearley writes: 'But I am now less inclined than I was twenty years ago to take a high moral-aesthetic line. Cricket embodies enough aspects of life, and captaincy many more. One who finds a career that fits in with some of his earliest dreams, and finds that career intensely fulfilling, is indeed fortunate.' Cricket and surely all sports came early; wildlife came late; Mr. Brearley me never thought or desired to be a journalist. Have no regrets. Cricket and wildlife, thanks for that.
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