A Love Affair Called Cricket

And we say cricket is a gentleman's game. Where they hurtle a ball at the speed of (well almost) a misslie at each other - and sometimes even at people watching them :D. Where they spit and blow their nose on the same pitch they slide on. Where they say "FUCK YOU" to (almost) every one who goes out of the field.

But that's not what I'm musing about. I'm pondering at this love affair that each Indian has with this game - down from a 3 year old to a 93 year old. And every cricket-junkie is like a possessive, doubting, yet worshipping partner. There's SO much investment in the game - emotional, financial, physical (what do you mean you've never heard of people beating each other up coz their personal god was insulted by another?!?). As in a relationship, there's one partner so giving (that's the team for you!) and the other partner (the country) so demanding. A small slip and there's Cain to be raised! Let one date (read match) be that isn't all fireworks and adrenalin and the doubting game begins. Along with, of course, the gossiping, the bitching, the making up....

This country is MAD about this game. EVERYthing else pales in comparison - my dad's just come back home today after a heart attack and a stent insertion in one of his arteries and he's sitting up and watching the match. My nephew's 8 years old and he's stuck to one spot coz "koi out ho jayega agar mei hila, bua". I'm sitting there and clapping till my hands are sore - sometimes both hands together, sometimes one hand on my mouth! I'm at a bank in the afternoon and everyone's working furiously, so work can be done and everyone can go home by 2 to watch the match. I step out at 4, the streets are empty. I'm out to purchase something and the store owner says, "come tomorrow, if we've won, I'll give you a 50% discount!" Diwali has competition - there's so many people bursting crackers, I'm wondering if this is March or October!

Well, this is one affair that doesn't show any signs of waning. There may be small flings on the side (football, etc) but the real love goes on...Read my FB wall and you'll know what I mean. The entire country, Blue Boyz included, is in orgasmic ecstacy at the moment.