When I was a kid I thought that I was a great cricket fan because I used to play till the street lights turned on, that I used to watch and support it even during exams. And that I used to remember the scores better than the poems, and that I played cricket during the gap that we had b/w our exams.
When I moved to Bangalore for my BE @ SMYS hostel I realized that I am one among cricket enthusiast who lived on cricket. I still remember how we all glued to the screen to watch laxman's 281, INDIA's historic win at Kolkata completely forgetting our Exams. We even had postponed the evening prayers and dinner during the day and night games. I still can't forget the quadrangle where we played indoor "pitch catch cricket" under flood lights after our evening games. Can't forget Mar 23rd, WC 2003 finals where we had painted Saffron White n Green on our face and body, which was washed right after the 1st innings. And the buckets and plates which were used as our drum beats. I can’t forget the response one of our guyz had given the maternity hospital nurses when complained. "Aunty don't worry sachin nantha magu huttute" --translated as "aunty don't worry your son would be like sachin". That is how we were crazy abt cricket.
After BE I thought that cricket would gradually fade away as people would mature become more responsible and do more sophisticated things than playing cricket. But life had different plans for me, when I moved to IISc for my job as R & D assistant, my cricketing career blossomed. I played more cricket than I worked, played serious cricket every day.
When finally when I was US bound I remember sudhir s sadly telling me that my cricketing career was over, it haunted me during the flight. On reaching River Pointe Apt, Indy I saw bunch of guyz playing cricket in tennis court. My joy grew no bounds as I never had dreamt of playing cricket again. There I met Saurab, who remembered the name of cricket tournament, date, venue and how batsman got out, "chalta-firtha cricinfo" and Mandar who was doing a double Phd Science and Cricket, who used to give LBW decisions even before the umpires did. I still remember watching 2005 ashes with him at 4 am and mandar’s comments “sala tera naseeb dekh
US aate hi ashes dekh raha hai”.
At Indy we played at 4 degree C, wearing gloves, cap and sweatshirts, still remember mandar words, "chal sirf ek degree hai khel tee hai". And during snow fall we played indoor cricket at apt 131 successfully breaking 2 lamps. After playing final match together we all departed to different directions literally. Now in bay area after playing for cricbay I have come to conclusion that cricket is a lot bigger than I thought, there are more cricket enthusiast than me. Player in mid 30's (no offenses here) are more active and involved than me.
So far cricket has followed me like my shadow, hope it follows me a long way, just like the saying It's not the age it's the mileage that counts. Hope my mileage increases with life.
