The media cafeteria is downstairs at Perth. As one enters, the sound of the ball hitting the stumps and the ‘thud, thud’ of spiked boots is heard. From a door crack one can see Ravichandran Ashwin at it, on his own at the indoor nets, all through that Test. Little does one realise that these visuals will pop up in the mind when he announces a shock retirement midway through the series. Lunch on that opening day in Perth was lamb shanks, if memory serves right; the day’s special could have been cooked better. Just like the ending of Ashwin’s career.
Warm hug on a sunny day
Nov 27, Perth
By oversight, the flight out of Perth had been booked two days after the Test ended, and one day later than the rest of the media pack. Turns out to be the best decision ever as former England batsman Robin Smith, with the fiercest square cut imaginable, agrees to meet on what was to be the final day of the Test. We meet on a sunny airy day at an outdoorsy cafe where he opens his heart on how he fought darkness inside him. Takeaway memory? The warmest hug imaginable at the end.
The Australian press is already making a big deal of a throwaway line from Josh Hazlewood and the headlines are splashed across newspapers: ‘Divided Team’.
Steve Smith’s photo of playing with his eyes shut is splashed across the West Australian with the headline ‘R.I.P.’ alongside a pic of a skull: ‘Australia’s old and out-of-form team humiliated’ runs the slug. Somewhat similar texts and visuals would be said about the other team in a month’s time. Such is life.
Brave Afghan girl & Deep Throat’s call
Dec 1, Canberra
Another decision on the fly proves gold. Canberra, where the Indians play a tour game against the Prime Minister’s XI, wasn’t originally part of the schedule but a cheap flight without check-in baggage is booked. The luggage is kept in an airport locker and a backpackers’ dorm becomes home for the next few days. The first sighting of selfie-king Sam Konstas is had, and also a remarkable young Afghan girl Benafa Hashimi, a 22-year-old who had fled Kabul as a 18-year old cricketer along with her teammates, is met on the day after the game, before driving to the airport.
On a tour, where brave gutsy bowlers hound down batsmen, Benafa remains the most courageous person I met. Also, the quietest quaintest capital city perhaps stirs up some more drama.
‘Deep Throat’ tells a story or two from the Indian camp. Put the phone down, drop the raised eyebrows with a couple of rum shots, and call the boss.
Unprintable Pakistan tales
Dec 4, Adelaide
The pretty old-age home of Australia, where the rest of the country seems to come to live their life after retirement, beckons next with the pink-ball Test. Couple of days at the Indian nets, it’s pretty easy to suss out that this game was going to be a lost cause. They find spotting the ball difficult from the hand, get rapped on the pads a lot more, and the question was how long this game would last.
An ex-colleague in India, currently an absolute star of the Australian media, Bharat Sundaresan throws a house party at his beautiful home up in the hills. The stories from Sunil Gavaskar on Javed Miandad’s witty repartees and tales of Pakistan crowds who took a fancy to Roger Binny are absolutely hilarious, but sadly unprintable.
The next day, the old manual scoreboard operator tells a tale from Virat Kohli’s first tour of Australia when the scoreboard plate carrying his name was dented by the Australian players celebrating their series win. Write that story out, omitting the offending Aussie player’s name. Sometimes sense prevails over sensationalism. A cricket-ball shaped pastry at the media cafeteria is the highlight of the Test.
Can’t wait to get you at Gabba, Ashwin
Dec 18, Adelaide
Last time in Brisbane was 12-13 years ago. It’s almost unrecognisable now, heavily corporatised and an aspirational city. Staying at a grimy neighbourhood though where the local tobacconist stays under a locked-door shop. A tobacco mafia war is on in Australia and firebombs are being hurled at shops selling cheaper cigarettes. Smoking kills, definitely. Rain keeps hurtling down, marring an interesting Test, but there are lovely sidelights.
Bishan Singh Bedi’s son from his first wife Gavasinder Singh comes to meet the person he is named after: Gavaskar. Ian Healy, former wicketkeeper, agrees for a chat on his career, and shows his twisted curly knocked-about fingers. Shudder.“Can’t wait to get you at the Gabba, Mate” has a whole other meaning now. Gabba gets Ashwin, and he walks behind Rohit Sharma into the press conference to announce his retirement.
A night later, have the best food of the tour at a Nepali restaurant. The dish was called ‘Laping’. Send a picture to the wife, get a response: ‘I have had it in Kathmandu when I went on the Mount Everest base camp climb’. Grrr, can’t win that. Beers are ordered and the fat tummy is patted.
Boxing Day: Reddy Gaaru unwraps gifts
Dec 26, Melbourne
Melbourne proves all Christmassy for Nitish Reddy, the break-out star with a lovely maiden Test hundred. He kneels down to plop his helmet atop his bat; and his uncle would tell its significance a day later: “He was showing that he has planted his flag in Australia at MCG with his first hundred”. Pity, instead of being inspired, India go down stunningly in the final session of the final day of an enthralling Test. Gautam Gambhir has a stern honest meeting with the team that evening. Some more developments take place as one leaves the city.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s family touch Sunil Gavaskar’s feet after Nitish’s century (AP/Screengrab)
Fireworks and hot story
Dec 31, Sydney
The morning of December 31, New Year’s eve, is spent locked out of the home of a kind stranger who had agreed to let a couple of journalists stay at his place as the AirBnB host had cancelled our booking for the night. Since he was out of the country but didn’t possess a key to the door-knob, a locksmith had to be called and the issue sorted out. Phew. The late evening/night, while most of Sydney spent revelling at the fireworks show in the city, this journalist spent time at a pub on the city outskirts speaking, collating information from colleagues, writing out the story of simmering chaos in the Indian camp, and picking up a burger at McDonald’s at 11:55 pm.
Saunter out, see a small paddock opposite the fast-food joint where a few strangers are sitting on the grassy banks staring at a distant horizon which is dimly lit up with a trail of fireworks in minutes. The burger tasted just fine. The new year was upon us. A video call with wife and kid is made; neither interested in talking as they are at a restaurant with friends and asking to shut up as ‘New year is still a few hours away’. Oh, well.
Gratitude shown for a line from 20 years ago
Jan 5, Sydney
The final Test hurtles along at a frenetic pace on a grassy knoll and the Indians are shot down on the third day. Jasprit Bumrah is stuffed physically, Mohammed Siraj is totally knackered, getting treatment by the boundary on his muscles, and revving himself up to bowl the next over. Game, series done. Spot Gavaskar by the boundary instead of the dais where Allan Border is standing before the ceremonies.
Tell a friendly Australian journalist looking for some scoop and he is abuzz, rushes down, speaks to Cricket Australia, to Gavaskar and files his story in a blink.
Nearly 20 years earlier, that journalist, Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock, had written a lovely line about Indians sleepwalking on that tour: ‘Wake up India, Get Angry, Shake a leg, move, Do something’ – words that had remained tattooed in the brain. Get him to repeat those lines after he is done with the ‘Gavaskar angry at not being allowed to present’ story.
Crash is older now, but still happily thirsty for a scoop, utters that line dramatically, and embraces with a warm hug. The tour started with a hug from Robin, ended with one from a journo. In between, there were a shoulder-barge, scoops, heartwarming stories and inspirational persons. And oh, by the way, a senior Indian player is right now planning a … just kidding.
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.
