Let the Cricket (Craze) Begin!

Of the many things that happened in 2003, I can remember only one significant detail: I fell in love with the Cricket World Cup. No, it wasn't just about cheering for Team India or about staying up late at night to watch an excellent match.

It was about the entire experience: the tense final overs, learning the difference between a short leg and a silly point, breaking into tears when India was thrashed in the finals, guessing the Man of the Match, arguing with Mum about who will win the match, not watching a particular player fearing that I will jinx him, putting the volume on mute and giving my own commentary. Those were the days that made another cricket-obsessed Indian.

The 2003 World Cup, therefore, was my definitive cricketing experience. The T20 World Cup that we won didn't even come close. It was too snappy and short and while the result was delightful, it just didn't equal the amazing passion and emotion of the ODI World Cup in South Africa. The 2007 World Cup in the West Indies was probably one of the most boring, tedious tournaments in cricketing history and most people were just glad to see it get over without further mishap. But this year promises to be special, for cricket's biggest tournament is back to its biggest fan base. 

When the Indian team plays, a nation unites

Jokes abound on Twitter about all scamsters being the happiest people with regards the upcoming World Cup, for it means that the attention of both the people and the media will squarely be on cricket. That is certainly not far from the truth. As February 19th nears, India gets ready to drown in the ocean of its favourite game. 'Breaking News' will soon mean results of matches and in the case of some channels, every wicket. Score updates will be received with frenzy via SMS, Twitter, Facebook while on the move. 

It is a lost cause to try and ignore cricket in India. Unless one plans to live in a rock for the next few weeks, cricket is inescapable and omnipresent. Prayers for India's victory, homa or rituals for Sachin Tendulkar's century and offerings to Cricket Ganesha will get underway. Chale Chalo from Lagaan will be played by many news channels in their feature videos wishing good luck to the Indian team. Politicians will comment on the team's performance - good, bad or ugly. Betting rackets might be busted. Teachers will make mandatory statements about the timing of the World Cup and how it distracts students from their final exams. 

I'd recommend that we all take the plunge and enjoy every moment of this wondrous sport, for few things unite India the way cricket does.

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A Pressure Test!

One can safely assume that Indian cricketers are quite used to playing under pressure. After all, as TV channels remind us regularly, they are always carrying the 'expectations of a billion people'. If that's not pressure enough, we are constantly reminded of the fact that 28 years after the epic triumph of David over Goliath in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, India has another chance at ultimate glory. 

We have 'Good Luck' campaigns underway, Mandira Bedi is back, reminding us of the seriousness of the event, and what's best this time (or worst, depending on how you look at it) is that India is playing at home. So that means, playing before a packed stadium that will cheer every ball, every shot. That means playing when you know a billion people are constantly monitoring every over. That means playing at a time when it's possible the Lok Sabha will discuss the performance of the team. If the Lok Sabha is functioning this session, that is.

India go into the World Cup as clear favourites and history shows that Team India play well when they go in as 'underdogs' in a tournament. Why? Because that means less pressure is foisted on them. Nobody really expects them to do well, so they can just go out and play their game without the perilous load of expectations hanging to them. 

The upcoming World Cup is likely to be Sachin Tendulkar's final World Cup

There's an extra element of pressure this time around: ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is, in all probability, Sachin Tendulkar's last World Cup. M.S Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir have both spoken about winning the World Cup for the legendary cricketer as a farewell gift of sorts. While the thought is no doubt noble, I asked myself why on earth the Indian team would pile up more pressure on itself! 

Now it's not enough that they play exceedingly well since they are 'carrying the hopes of a billion people' and repeat the feat of Kapil's Devils, they also have to present the ultimate gift to a man who has come to define Indian cricket. If pressure on a sporting team could be measured, this one would make it to the Guinness Book of World Records. 

I sincerely hope that the Indian team is able to just go out and play their game, temporarily forgetting the pressure they're under though that is definitely easier said than done. I would also recommend that they not read this post, which serves as a compilation of the overwhelming expectations on this team. Anyway, here's hoping for a wonderful world cup for all cricket fans, especially the ones in India!

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To The Chennai Open, With Love

For most players and fans, the yearly tennis calender usually begins with the Australian Open, the first grand slam. But if you ask some of us, tennis rings in the new year with the Chennai Open.

There is no legendary strawberries and whipped cream snack here. There is no fiery red clay court waiting for the players. The Chennai Open is where the world's best tennis players are made to use cricket bats to hit tennis balls to the cheering crowd. The Chennai Open is where mothers bring their eager kids and remind them to watch the match carefully and carry home tips for that elusive drop shot. The Chennai Open is where senior citizens earnestly debate Federer vs Nadal with College students. The Chennai Open is where you hear gems like 'What a straight drive!'

This is a tournament like no other. As a fan who has watched five editions of this ATP Tournament, The Chennai Open has become a personal experience, something close to my heart. Tennis fans have had the fortune to watch the likes of Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya, Tomas Berdych, Ivan Ljubicic, Marin Cilic, Stanislas Wawrinka, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi here. And the players have been treated to an electrifying atmosphere and a crowd that will appreciate good tennis no matter who plays it.

2011 Aircel Chennai Open Champion, crowd favourite Stanislas Wawrinka

Feeble Mexican waves can be spotted amidst the mind-blowing cheer of 'India! India!' when 'Lee and Hesh' are playing. This is the crowd that takes upon itself to 'cheer up' and encourage a player who's just double faulted in a crucial point. Umpires might not love the din and explosion of sounds that come with the Chennai Open, but the players almost always seem to. Janko Tipsarevic remarked that the crowd made him feel like he was playing the Davis Cup in a home stadium. Compliments don't get any better than that!

Sport is not just about those who play it. Sport is also about the fan who won't move her fingers from her cheek or lean forward, fearing it might jinx the match. Sport is also about the young boy who does his homework between points, while cheering madly for his favourite player to win. Sport is also about the thousands of people who give a standing ovation to both the winner and the runner-up. The Chennai Open exemplifies this spirit of sport and the sport lover.

The tournament will stay in Chennai for the next two years and one only hopes that this can become a permanent fixture in the tennis calender. To all the players, the organisers and the audience who made this year's tournament as unforgettable as ever, a heartfelt thank you. To Xavier Malisse, this year's runner-up and 2007's champion, best wishes for a great year in tennis. To Stanislas Wawrinka, 2011's Chennai Open Champion, may this tennis year be as wonderful as your one-handed backhand. And come back to defend your title in this magnificent city!

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In A League of Their Own

Caught up with the euphoria of the Indian contingent following up its wonderful Commonwealth Games performance with a best-ever medal tally at the Asian Games, not many of us remembered the fact that Cricket was making its debut in the Asian Games. A cricket crazy nation like India would have remembered this, had the Indian team been participating. Owing to 'other commitments', neither the women's cricket team nor their male counterparts made it to the games. Not even a second-rung team of junior players turned up. Possibly due to this, most of us didn't find the time to keep track of which 'amateur' team trumped over the other. 

A Neytiri-like depiction of a female Pakistani cricketer. Source: The Express Tribune

The news that many of us ended up missing out on was this: the Pakistan women's cricket team won the gold medal in the women's cricket category. For a nation ravaged by floods, violence, terror, 'pending economic catastrophe' and an embarrassing expose about members of its men's cricket team involved in spot fixing, this gold medal came as a healing balm of sorts. Indeed, President Asif Ali Zardari termed the victory as "as a gift to the nation riding on a series of crises".

With the Indian women's team, a strong contender for the Gold medal missing out, it was an easier task for the Pakistani women. The finals was a one-sided affair, with the Pakistani women routing their Bangladeshi counterparts with a ten-wicket win. 

These women come from a country, which like its neighbour India, would rather concentrate on the mediocre performances of its men than on the victories of its women. India would rather discuss Ravindra Jadeja than Jhulan Goswami. Pakistan too follows similar yardsticks. Hailing from a conservative society, playing a sport considered 'the gentleman's game' came with a whole gamut of challenges. In the words of Sana Mir, captain of the Pakistani team, “There is always TV coverage when the men’s team plays in Pakistan because it is huge, but you never see us playing on the big screen. I hope our triumph will change people’s attitude towards the game back home. Parents, in my view, would feel more confident in allowing their daughters to take up the sport.”

And that is exactly what one hopes would come out of this victory for Pakistan. It is one thing to watch Chak De! India and drown in patriotism or feminism and cheer for ‘the girls’. It is yet another thing to constantly and passionately keep track of the girls’ games and cheer them on.

The Indian women’s cricket team finished as runner-ups in the 2005 World Cup, an event that made news for that week at most and was re-telecast when the men weren’t playing any matches or when it was a slow news week. I hope that this victory of the Pakistani women’s team will have a more substantial impact on society, motivating many young women to play the sport that they love, without inhibitions. It is time we really gave a ‘Chak De!’ to our women in sports. 

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