Cricket love

Do we need to love anyone to experience love? Not always, all the time. If we reduce romance into a loving relationship between two individuals, we certainly miss out noticing some romances that are equally loveable. Some relationships are indeed stronger and tighter than what it is between two loving souls. 

My romantic journey with cricket blossomed when I was in childhood. I sense a certain kind of affection and joy when I watch and play the game.  I lifted the bat first when I was a six-year child. My first ground was our home dining space. I used to throw up my rubber ball into the wall and wait for it to come back to me as I take my batting stance. It was a one-man game. I used to set imaginary field restrictions and likely match scenarios. (Eg, 38 runs from 30 balls. Three wickets left). I would add me in the team as an all-rounder trying to finish the game for my team. Most often, the match would end up as a tie or our surprise win. 

The scenario would change if it is a Test match as I will be looking to play out many overs to earn a draw for the team. Many times I received friendly warnings from parents as there was a chance that I might cause some damage to the wall. Even though I barely knew the rules of the game, I became a fan of Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja during the 1999 World Cup because of his stylish approach. 

2003 World Cup and my fascination with numbers

I have a special liking for some crazy activities. When I was a child, it was a pass time activity to read some old newspapers. I used to read the cricket reports back and forth during 2003 and it was following the conclusion of the ICC World Cup. I had ample time because it was vacations and I was a guest at my uncle's home. The sports pages of dailies were my first gateway to cricket. I learnt the initial bits of the game by reading sports reports.

Two months of school vacation made me a cricket fan and that was when I started following the game on TV. The Tri-series where Yuvraj Singh hit his maiden century in Bangladesh was my first big experience. The game results did not appear most important but what I followed was the calculation of run-rate, strike rate, batting average, etc. I enjoyed cricket statistics and to this day, my obsession towards numbers remain the same. 

As a child,  I idolised Rahul Dravid and his cautious style influenced me a lot. He optimised the virtues of a great batter like patience, dedication, skill, motivation and a never say die attitude. When I grew up, I realised that I cannot limit my liking to one cricketer or one team. Even though I did not support a team, my fascination for the game remained thick and it did surprise a few of my friends because it was unusual to see a sports lover who doesn't support any team or any player.   

Cricket holidays

I spent more time in my school years by thinking about cricket. I never wanted to miss any match. Sometimes if the desire to watch the match was high, I would act as a sick child to stay home and watch the match completely. Srilanka vs South Africa match when Jayawardena and Sangakkara stitched a record partnership (624) for the third wicket is one match I can recall now.

When I was in Class IV, I used to make a sprint from our exam halls to reach home before it was lunchtime of the India-Pakistan Test series. Sometimes, I wait for the two-hour highlights and to this day I remember the tiny details embedded in the Ten Sports coverage including the visuals and the music. 

Cricket obsession made me give a miss from attending social events. Even if I attend, my mind would be stuck at the cricket score. I remember attending a marriage party on the eve of the 2004 Natwest Series. India scored 204, courtesy fifties from Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. I could only watch the initial part of the match before it was time to go to the party. I finished the party snack and hurried back home without waiting for my friends and family. Cricket mattered to me more than anything.  

During school years, I used to wait tirelessly to hear the match updates from friends who would go home for their lunch. I talked mostly about cricket with my friends. Cricket consumed most part of our conversations. During those years, I was their go-to guy to know the exact batting averages and some young elders used to casually enquire about the game statistics to test my cricket knowledge. I never shied back from answering despite knowing that some of them were simply making fun of me. 

Even though I have a good grip with numbers, I am very bad at narrating the game and discussing the same with my friends.  

A special title

Over these years, cricket produced several great clashes (2005 Edgbaston Test, 434 run chase) and several great moments (Sachin's ODI double ton, Lara's 400) which caught my attention on TV. 

2011 is a memorable year for any Indian cricket lover as the host nation won the 50 over World Cup after 28 years. It was a tournament I missed most since I was preoccupied with Higher Secondary Exams. The exams were completed by the end of March and I got an opportunity to join the million number of fans who saw the semifinals and finals on TV. It was an unforgettable night. We watched it in our neighbour's home, the 'lucky place' where we watched the pulsating 2007 T20 final which India won. 

Cricket writing and reading

It was a special achievement of sorts when my newspaper decided to consider my request to appoint me as sub-editor (sports) which eventually translated into a reporter cum desk job. I got a glimpse of many sports events as my job involved covering them for my newspaper. This was a job I loved doing and all the tension and pressure associated with the job soon became normal to me. I learned it the hard way thanks to the support of my editor and careful colleague. I did get the opportunity to cover the Indian cricket team and talk to several cricketers. I did not felt an overish joy and during match reporting, I felt the pressure of translating the emotion of the game in the form of an exciting report. After multiple setbacks and timely reminders, I got the hang of match reporting but to this day I wish I could write the way I feel about a match, true to my senses, capturing the finer details and beauty of the game.  

Cricket literature

Like all sports buffs, sports magazines and sports write-ups caught my attention. Unlike the internet age, it was not easy to gain access to our interests in my childhood years. Gaining a copy of Mathrubhumi Sports Masika or Sportsstar was more of a luxury. There were cricket reminiscents ( Remembering 1987 World Cup experience of a writer when TV sets were rare), autobiographies, special features and sports novels which featured in those magazines that caught me in awe.

Later, I bought cricket books when I was a university student with the help of my scholarship amount. Beyond A Boundary is one book that I cherish in my mini collection. 

The advancement of the internet has enabled more opportunities for online content. There are cricket writings everywhere. There is a wealth of archived cricket matches on Youtube. But the Television coverage and broadcasting methods of some channels still appear a tad disappointing. The quality of cricket commentary and pre-match shows are not great when compared to a bygone era. 

There are hardcore cricket fans who are often accused of not letting the other sports to grow in the country. As a former sports journo, I am often asked about which sport is my prime interest. When I answer cricket, I am often met with a lukewarm response with a reminder about the negatives of the game. As an objective journo (a former journo now), it is obligatory that I like all types of sports with similar levels of affection. But I have to admit that even though I follow all the sports, cricket is my first love and it may remain so in the years to come.