I was nervous as I climbed up the stairs. It was barely 1.40 pm and the match was only due to start at 3 pm. Why do I always have to be so early? I don't even know what I am doing here... What I am supposed to do? I reach the second floor and see someone who looks as unsure as I do-- I smile nervously at her, and she nods back, I continue to climb slowly.
Just one more floor, and I will be there... I get there and see a small sign that says 'media' centre. The hallway looks a little dark and dingy, not too inviting, but I walk in anyway. I climb a flight of steps after seeing a sign that says 'print media' and walk into this glorious looking glass covered room. The light pours on my face and I see the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in all its glory.
Turns out I'm not the only early bird. I meet a friend inside and we talk a bit before I look to settle down in a better placed chair. I walk down towards the front of the box and watch the teams warm up. I am intently watching the Indian team go through a warm up routine that looks all too familiar... I try and identify each one... 'Mithali di... Veda... Jhulu di... That's Harry with her pink Nike shoes... Shikha and Smriti... I can see Sush with her hair tied up in a bun... Who's that in the floppy hat? Not Deepti, since I already saw her... Too short to be Ninja... I wrack my brains and can't figure out who the player is... She's done stretching, she takes a few steps... That familiar style of walking and immediately I know-- Vanni!!!!
As the Indian team disperses, my attention now turns to Ireland... They are playing football... I can hear the laughter up in the press box... It looks like lots of fun.
Soon enough the match starts, and I am back to my regular routine of writing down all the random things I observe, drawing wagon wheels and generally 'oohing' and 'aahing' as proceedings unfold. My colleague next to me looks at my notebook and laughs a little-- politely of course!
Smriti Mandhana plays a glorious cover drive down the ground and i almost leap in my chair, my colleague laughs again and I say, 'I'm probably not the best person to watch a match with'... She politely says 'It is an interesting experience'... Smriti and Veda smash Ireland around and in the ten minute break I finish writing half my report...
Shikha Pandey takes the new ball for India and strikes straight away. Before I know it Ireland are two down, and I am back to wagon wheel drawing, random observation writing and report updating.
After some brilliant work from Niranjana Nagarajan brings to an end a rather impressive innings from Cath Dalton, the match comes to a quick end. Run outs galore, as Ireland's inexperience shows-- what could have been a close match thanks to Dalton's brilliance, peters out to an expected result-- a comfortable Indian win.
The match is over, players shake hands, my first report sent, a few congratulatory messages received, and I have an hour or so to kill... What to do, what to do?
The front of the press box has a small open area... So I go outside and look at the ground. I stand there, above everyone else and soak it all in... How I would love to be on the other side, playing... I think about the one match I played here... The one I think about everyday when I cross the stadium on my way to work... The only one that really matters... Not my best day, but one I will cherish forever-- that feeling of being superman!
I stand there a little while longer, this time watching Sri Lanka and Bangladesh warm up. I spot Nuwan Zoysa, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, in the distance and mention it to my colleague, Sidhanta Patnaik. The genius story-teller her is, he thinks up a story angle and says we should interview him. We go down and wait for a while searching for the Sri Lankan team manager to ask for permission. I'm standing behind the fence, watching team's practice, and prepare for a match just like I do with my team... What I would give to be on the other side...
Meanwhile the Indian team files in behind me to watch the match. I speak to a few of them and continue to wait... The match begins, but there's no sign of Zoysa so I go back upstairs to start on my second report...
Almost 40 overs and a dinner later, Sri Lanka win after a few hiccups, and report no.2 has been sent in. It's almost 10.30 pm as I pack my bags, take one last look at the ground, and trudge off.
I was dreading it... But not too bad a day for my first, I'd think-- a master-class from Smriti Mandhana, superb cameo from Veda Krishnamurthy, an Oshadi Ranasinghe hat-trick, and a fantastic super over between SL and Bangladesh. Life as a cricket journalist-- what's not to love? Despite all the conflicting thoughts, a lot, I suppose!
Just one more floor, and I will be there... I get there and see a small sign that says 'media' centre. The hallway looks a little dark and dingy, not too inviting, but I walk in anyway. I climb a flight of steps after seeing a sign that says 'print media' and walk into this glorious looking glass covered room. The light pours on my face and I see the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in all its glory.
Turns out I'm not the only early bird. I meet a friend inside and we talk a bit before I look to settle down in a better placed chair. I walk down towards the front of the box and watch the teams warm up. I am intently watching the Indian team go through a warm up routine that looks all too familiar... I try and identify each one... 'Mithali di... Veda... Jhulu di... That's Harry with her pink Nike shoes... Shikha and Smriti... I can see Sush with her hair tied up in a bun... Who's that in the floppy hat? Not Deepti, since I already saw her... Too short to be Ninja... I wrack my brains and can't figure out who the player is... She's done stretching, she takes a few steps... That familiar style of walking and immediately I know-- Vanni!!!!
As the Indian team disperses, my attention now turns to Ireland... They are playing football... I can hear the laughter up in the press box... It looks like lots of fun.
Soon enough the match starts, and I am back to my regular routine of writing down all the random things I observe, drawing wagon wheels and generally 'oohing' and 'aahing' as proceedings unfold. My colleague next to me looks at my notebook and laughs a little-- politely of course!
Smriti Mandhana plays a glorious cover drive down the ground and i almost leap in my chair, my colleague laughs again and I say, 'I'm probably not the best person to watch a match with'... She politely says 'It is an interesting experience'... Smriti and Veda smash Ireland around and in the ten minute break I finish writing half my report...
Shikha Pandey takes the new ball for India and strikes straight away. Before I know it Ireland are two down, and I am back to wagon wheel drawing, random observation writing and report updating.
After some brilliant work from Niranjana Nagarajan brings to an end a rather impressive innings from Cath Dalton, the match comes to a quick end. Run outs galore, as Ireland's inexperience shows-- what could have been a close match thanks to Dalton's brilliance, peters out to an expected result-- a comfortable Indian win.
The match is over, players shake hands, my first report sent, a few congratulatory messages received, and I have an hour or so to kill... What to do, what to do?
The front of the press box has a small open area... So I go outside and look at the ground. I stand there, above everyone else and soak it all in... How I would love to be on the other side, playing... I think about the one match I played here... The one I think about everyday when I cross the stadium on my way to work... The only one that really matters... Not my best day, but one I will cherish forever-- that feeling of being superman!
I stand there a little while longer, this time watching Sri Lanka and Bangladesh warm up. I spot Nuwan Zoysa, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, in the distance and mention it to my colleague, Sidhanta Patnaik. The genius story-teller her is, he thinks up a story angle and says we should interview him. We go down and wait for a while searching for the Sri Lankan team manager to ask for permission. I'm standing behind the fence, watching team's practice, and prepare for a match just like I do with my team... What I would give to be on the other side...
Meanwhile the Indian team files in behind me to watch the match. I speak to a few of them and continue to wait... The match begins, but there's no sign of Zoysa so I go back upstairs to start on my second report...
Almost 40 overs and a dinner later, Sri Lanka win after a few hiccups, and report no.2 has been sent in. It's almost 10.30 pm as I pack my bags, take one last look at the ground, and trudge off.
I was dreading it... But not too bad a day for my first, I'd think-- a master-class from Smriti Mandhana, superb cameo from Veda Krishnamurthy, an Oshadi Ranasinghe hat-trick, and a fantastic super over between SL and Bangladesh. Life as a cricket journalist-- what's not to love? Despite all the conflicting thoughts, a lot, I suppose!
What I would give to be on the other side!!! Lots of people who have played a decent level of cricket have those same emotions.. It's so hard to let go... Nice blog
ReplyDelete- Vinod P