Unlike the majority of my 1.2 billion fellow Indian brethren who was glued to their television sets for an amazing batting performance scripted by Dhoni & Inc in the 2011 cricket world cup finals, I spent most of that time, pacing up and down the streets of Wanchai, Hong Kong’s colorful bar district.
Before being accused of sedition or a heinous dislike for the game, the reason for not watching the game had more humbler rootS – superstition.
As most of my fellow overseas Indians would agree with me, watching the beautiful game outside of the country involves more than a cursory knowledge of shady streaming websites/coughing up fat channel fees/ or for people who are as technologically challenged as me, finding pubs which screen the game.
The last reason and the fact that no important Indian cricket game can be watched without the accompaniment of drums, whistles, spicy samosas, shouts and spot analyses/criticisms with other fellow desis brought a motley bunch to Maya Bar in Wanchai from the knockout games. Read Alvin Sallay’s piece in the SCMP: http://bit.ly/eeXMLb.
After defeating Australia (laying down the ghosts of the disastrous defeat in the 2003 WC finals at last) and Pakistan (in one of the most hyped up sporting encounters even by the usual lofty standards of the arch-rivals AND keeping our record intact of never losing to them in a WC), the stage was set for the final clash between India and Sri Lanka at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium.
In the two day run-up to the final, social networking websites and some of the Indian media went bonkers with the hype, comparing it to the mythological Hindu epic Ramayana. Some reminded us gently that the 1983 (the last time we won the WC) and 2011 calendars were identical – suggesting a win was preordained.
Unlike some of my friends, colleagues and elders, my memories of our last WC win is hazy and just contains a few grainy sepia images in my memory of my parents exulting and my father patiently explaining the importance of the WC win to me. For a nice piece on that, read Madhu Soman’s http://reut.rs/gEWK47
But the loss of two quick wickets to Maggi noodle-headed Lasith Malinga in the chase stirred visions of a weeping Vinod Kambi in the 1996 semi final loss in Eden Gardens and silenced the the lusty cheering Indian contingent in the bar. Taking matters into my own hands, I headed out for a quick walk.
As I walked around the block, I could see young parents with tiny tots elbowing their way inside packed hotels and bars showing the match, a couple of young labourers stopping briefly to catch the score and a few foreigners whose only connection to the game was that it shared it with an insect, stopping and enquiring about the proceedings.
Nothing unites us together on the subcontinent more than this game. As an India- born but British raised businessman pointed out to me, the sheer love for the game has brought together desis in far flung lands and caused strangers to walk up and ask quietly,” What’s the score?”
Whole cities have slowed to a halt, governance briefly interrupted, age old animosities swept aside temporarily as the six week tournament in the subcontinent would through various ups and downs. Only cricket can do that. For a story on what happened in the dressing room after the game, http://bit.ly/i2rmz5
As Dhoni belted the winning runs, the party had only begun for a nation which had waited for 28 long years for an encore. For a nice piece on the preparations to the cup, http://es.pn/gnh2lv
While frenzied fans in that tiny bar sang national anthems well into the wee hours of Sunday morning, downed tequila shots, blew whistles and drums and hugged each other like long lost brothers, I wondered what must have been the scenes in Marine Drive and across the streets of Mumbai that beautiful night of April 2, 2011. For a story on newspaper headlines the next day, http://bit.ly/euOJjE
Photo pics courtesy my friends in Mumbai: Ankur and Sonalika.
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| SRT in a lap around Wankhede on teamates |
As most of my fellow overseas Indians would agree with me, watching the beautiful game outside of the country involves more than a cursory knowledge of shady streaming websites/coughing up fat channel fees/ or for people who are as technologically challenged as me, finding pubs which screen the game.
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| A TV grab on the celebrations |
After defeating Australia (laying down the ghosts of the disastrous defeat in the 2003 WC finals at last) and Pakistan (in one of the most hyped up sporting encounters even by the usual lofty standards of the arch-rivals AND keeping our record intact of never losing to them in a WC), the stage was set for the final clash between India and Sri Lanka at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium.
In the two day run-up to the final, social networking websites and some of the Indian media went bonkers with the hype, comparing it to the mythological Hindu epic Ramayana. Some reminded us gently that the 1983 (the last time we won the WC) and 2011 calendars were identical – suggesting a win was preordained.
Unlike some of my friends, colleagues and elders, my memories of our last WC win is hazy and just contains a few grainy sepia images in my memory of my parents exulting and my father patiently explaining the importance of the WC win to me. For a nice piece on that, read Madhu Soman’s http://reut.rs/gEWK47
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| Scenes of celebration in Mumbai |
As I walked around the block, I could see young parents with tiny tots elbowing their way inside packed hotels and bars showing the match, a couple of young labourers stopping briefly to catch the score and a few foreigners whose only connection to the game was that it shared it with an insect, stopping and enquiring about the proceedings.
 |
| More street celebration |
Whole cities have slowed to a halt, governance briefly interrupted, age old animosities swept aside temporarily as the six week tournament in the subcontinent would through various ups and downs. Only cricket can do that. For a story on what happened in the dressing room after the game, http://bit.ly/i2rmz5
As Dhoni belted the winning runs, the party had only begun for a nation which had waited for 28 long years for an encore. For a nice piece on the preparations to the cup, http://es.pn/gnh2lvPhoto pics courtesy my friends in Mumbai: Ankur and Sonalika.
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