Just got to dig in and get to tea, mate!

*Using Test Cricket to make sense out of the turbulent life of an early-20 year old*

It's an interesting period of play this. You've seen off the new ball and got a taste of how the pitch is. The odd ball has stayed low, but it has come on to the bat as it should on the first day. Suddenly the leggie turns one sharply from the foot marks outside the leg stump. Slightly shaken, you think twice before you committing on to the front foot from now on. It's life. It's Cricket. Just got to dig in and get to tea, mate!

It's an interesting period of play this. The strike fast bowler has come in for an energized third spell. It's starting to reverse on a hot afternoon. They bring back the third slip and the gully. You try hard to look for the shine, and get beaten anyway. More than you'd like. It's ugly and not what you imagined it to be. It's life. It's Cricket. Just got to dig in and get to tea, mate!

It's an interesting period of play this. Pace from one end and spin from the other. In-out fields. Men at catching positions. A man for the drive and a man for the hook. A lapse in concentration results in an uppish-shot. Your heart is in the mouth as you watch it fall just short of deep backward square leg. You thank all your Gods. It's life. It's Cricket. Just got to dig in and get to tea, mate!

It's an interesting period of play this. Plan 'A's have failed, so have the batsmen at the other end. You're still leaving balls outside the off stump but it's time to improvise. You change your guard and push a ball from outside the off stump down to mid-wicket for a single. It's not a boundary, but you've got the bowler scratching his head. Little moral victories are all you need sometimes. It's life. It's Cricket. Just got to dig in and get to tea, mate!

It's an interesting period of play this. With 20 minutes to go, the part timer comes on. You've worked really hard to get here and don't want to throw it away. You cut a short one down to deep point and get to 50. The dressing room stands up and applauds for the valiant effort on a tricky wicket. You acknowledge and realize that the job's only half done. You want to sleep well tonight knowing you've given your best. It's life. It's Cricket. Just got to dig in and get to tea, mate!

Stop blaming Cricket

It’s a joyous occasion this. P.V. Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and Dipa Karmakar have created epic legacies and have inspired one and all in this nation. I have been absolutely overwhelmed. I believe we all are. You got to love the beauty of sport. Divided by religious beliefs, political affinities, it’s amazing how sport unites us. The setting of a billion hearts rooting for one of ‘our own’ to bring us glory, is a real treat to watch and experience. What is also equally amazing to watch and experience is the intensity of the nasty social media blame games and criticism.

No, I am not talking about Shobha De. I believe enough has already been talked and written about that, and making sure this isn’t a clichéd blog is something I have been trying to take a little seriously. What I am talking about, is this whole, “Eh we don’t win medals in Olympics becoz all d importance is given to Cricket and other sports are not even valued.” Let me just stop you right there. Cricket has never asked for all this importance. If you really hate Cricket as much, just stop following it. It’s better off without you. Also, I’m sure Cricket didn’t knock at everyone’s doors and pleaded people to love it and give ‘all d importance’. It’s not Cricket’s fault that a majority are drawn to it. It’s not Cricket’s fault that kids on the streets are playing it instead of any other sport. It’s not going to complain. It’s not going to stop growing and it’s not going to stop becoming more glamorous. No sport should.

And when you come to think of it, no sport is born glamorous. And sadly in a way, the attainment of glamour in initialized by inspired performances at the highest level. Something like what P V Sindhu did! I’m sure a lot of young girls bought badminton racquets today and I’m sure a lot of badminton playing girls started believing in themselves a little more. Likewise, Cricket too was ‘not-so-glamorous’ at one point in this country. Even as someone who’s followed this game very closely over the last few years and have had Cricket for breakfast, lunch and dinner at times, I am not that familiar with the big moments of Indian Cricket from the pre-1983 World Cup period. In fact, before 1983, India was one of the weaker teams, winning only 35 of the first 196 Test matches it played! The point I’m trying to make is, a sport isn’t born with glamour. Glamour is earned. In more ways than one, the 1983 World Cup initialized it for Indian Cricket. And I hope what our girls achieved in this Olympics, does it for the respective sports.

However, initializing it isn’t enough, is it? Indian athletes have won Olympic medals before, the attainment of glamour has been initialized. But to keep it going it is important that they back it up with reasonable performances from time to time. I’m not saying it is the athletes’ fault entirely. There could be other factors like the inefficient IOA, injuries, etc. But such things prevailed in Indian Cricket after the 1983 World Cup as well. And I hate to break it down to you, but, Indian Cricket has followed up the 1983 World Cup win with sizeable performances at the biggest stage. Be it the 1985 World Championship, the 1986 Test series victory in England, the semi-final births in the World Cups to follow, and many more. Even at present, we’re closing in on No.1 rankings in Tests, No.3 in ODIs and No.2 in T20Is. From what Cricket was at one point in this nation, glamour-wise, to where it has come now hasn’t been an overnight achievement. You can be jealous of Cricket all you want, but the truth is India has somehow found talented Cricketers who’ve brought huge victories at the international stage more often than any other sport! I hope the people of this country can wrap their heads around this fact, and if one really hates Cricket, it’s just beautiful. Because then we have someone who will (or should) venture into some other sport and give it the glamour it deserves.