One of those games...

Just as I stare at the cursor, after having opened Microsoft Word, I wonder what makes me to write on topics, certain topics. While most of it all revolves around Cricket, it indeed is thought provoking as to whether my blog is restricted to just the game or something more. No, probably not just the game, but this is a record of all the good moments in my life. It’s been four years since I started, writing has not been a passion, but I’ve been fond admirer of thoughts. Thoughts convert into actions, they say. But I say, thoughts convert into words for me, and these words drive the action.

Yesterday, the 15^th of Jan, 2017 was one such occasion which had to be documented. For these blogs of mine, is merely a record of a few good things that over the years I’ve encountered, moments which I’d like to cherish upon in the future. And what better than a game of cricket! Just the game every spectator would have wanted, a high scoring thriller with a game full of twists and turns. Last Morning, as we parked the vehicle and started to move towards the stadium, it was afternoon! Crazy yes! It took just over an hour to reach the gate, as we passed through an ocean of blue jerseys. We also bought one. I think I kept seeing the jersey for a while, before a friend of mine rushed me up. Little did they know the emotions that ran in me as I observed the special number on the back of the jersey (People who know me would guess the number). It was packed, both the crowd at the gate and the jersey over my shirt. We had quite a number of accessories – A pull-over (assuming we would have needed while returning, which turned out to be a blunder), a hat, power sun-glasses(To avoid annoying people by asking the scores every time) and a new addition – An annoying trumpet. Little did we know, buying the trumpet would come in handy at the last moment.

I’m going to run through the events of the game now. Something, which most of us by now would have read (at least heard) from the papers. But this is the version of a fan. A fan, whose interest, if asked for, would have only, uttered the seven letters of the game. Oh! Number seven here as well! Co-incidence!

As we ran through the seats, there was a pool of players standing still. The National Anthem was played. When a little over thirty five thousand sing along, it surely is a moment of pride. We ran and ran and finally found our seats, hardly twelve rows from the ground. Yes! We were on the ground level technically. Such a beauty, the ground. People thronged. The first ball was about to be bowled. Most of them stood up. Crowd erupted as VK led the team for the first time in one day internationals. Quite a moment for him. Umesh had the ball, and as he ran in, there were cheers from the thirty thousand plus crowd. Fast forward, as we went past the thunderbolt stumping from the man behind the stumps. Next up was a caught behind appeal, umpire did not react. The man behind the stumps was confident. The captain came appealing and he saw the wicket keeper in desperation. MS Dhoni asked for a review. What happens next is something everyone knew including the umpire, probably. The confidence resulted in a positive review and a crucial wicket. With a stroke filled Stokes at one end and an elegant Root at the other, Englishmen made 350. This was their highest against India in One day Internationals.

The Indian openers came back after the break, loud support from the audience. We, meanwhile, were still trying to calculate the money we had in total and a strategy to utilize them for the next fifty overs. We did not have anything in the first innings, except for a salt-filled-samosa and some five litres of water. We were dehydrated. Energy had been sucked out of us in the first innings, just like that advertisement when Dr. Sun sucks it out of the kids. The only irony being a kid who was so active, next to our seats. We wondered how the salt effect still hung up on him. We managed and took a gamble to buy out everything with whatever he had. Technically, we were bankrupt in the fifth over of the second innings. Just when that happened, VK had come in and hit a humongous six towards our stand. Just when we thought we were in for a serious chase, he was running out of partners at the other end. A Yuvraj’s six brought life to the crowd, who screamed their heart out. It was a typical Yuvi pull-shot. He was gone soon. Next up was the ex-captain ( Years from now, when I read this blog, I want to keep this memory of Dhoni’s first ODI not as a captain in ten years, but most importantly, VK’s First ODI as captain) . Decibel level rose to newer heights. People stood on the chairs and cheered for their star. While I screamed for a while, later began to observe the crowd, I knew it was time for me to feel those few seconds when Dhoni walked from the pavilion to the centre. There were cheers of “Dhoni!! Dhoni!!..”  in unison. Nothing much happened after that. An absolute silence followed when MSD got out to a cheap shot.

In came a Kedar Jadhav, hometown boy from Pune. Score was reeling under so bad that India needed another 300 runs approximately. What happened next was a treat. The next thirty overs, India dominated. No wicket fell up until then. Yes, VK as usual hit a century for the nth time while chasing. But it was Kedar who stole the show. A solid partnership began to build as Morgan (Eng Captain) began to see the game losing out of his hands. Kedar cut, pulled, drove, glided, flicked the ball to all parts of the ground. VK on the other side was on a roll with his usual self. Crowd began to cheer for every single run. When VK hit his century with a six, the crowd burst out in joy! The boy next to me, closed his eyes, with his fists closed, let out a roar, which still resonates in my ears as I write this. “Congratulations Virat” read the display board. In the next few overs, Kedar would reach his hundred with a late cut. The crowd stood up and gave a standing ovation. We bowed to the young man, who resembled a bit of Tendulkar, in taking the attack to the opposition. He was calm, no big celebrations. He was struggling with cramps on one side, and VK got out with another 80 runs required, it was Kedar’s and Hardik Pandya’s role to finish the job.

Kedar fell on ground, the physio came in, play stopped for a few minutes. Morgan helped Kedar in the middle, the crowd applauded the sportsmanship of the opponent captain. Kedar stood up and shook his head, refusing to have a runner. The crowd supported and cheered the lion hearted act of their home boy! One ball later, Kedar rocked back and pulled Ball to maximum. This shot, summed up Kedar’s innings that day. Full of grit and determination. He had to prove and he did it in style. What a moment!

We were in the game. We always were, despite losing Kedar balls later, and Jadeja sometime later, moments from victory. Hardik and Ashwin didn’t want to keep us(spectators) in the waiting. Bang! Six off the last ball of the second last over. Boom! Another six, this time from Ash, a monstrous six that went twenty tiers deep inside the midwicket stand. VK was pumped up in joy. Ash and Hardik celebrated. And came the young man, again calm and composed, Kedar came out to a greater appaluse. “Worth for money” one exclaimed, as people began to move out. They knew this was a greater worth for money.

As Dhoni came out of the pavilion with players shaking their hands out. He smiled. When Ash had hit the winning run with a six, Dhoni probably realised the game is in right hands, the team was in right hands. The weighing role of a finisher, for the first time in years, came little off him. As we began to walk out, I saw the young kid still shouting and waving for his Kohli to probably come have a look.

I came out smiling thinking of the kid, who probably will go on to explain the game the next day at school. Thank you VK and Kedar, for giving us a run for our money! You will be remembered. This match would be remembered. Had finally stepped into the stadium of Pune as well, after Chennai’s and Bangalore’s.