All Day I Dream About Sports

India and Pakistan:The Friendly neighborhood

Cricket is a religion in India. A game against Pakistan is like the most sacred event in this religion comparable to the kasi yatra, Haj, or a visit to the vatican. In these frenetic clashes, I am picking ten of the best moments that I saw live. Comments are welcome and comments from smart asses like the Anon who keeps posting in my other blog are strictly prohibited and will be surely deleted.

10. Rajesh Chauhan and Ijaz Ahmad: Sometime in 1997, India visted Pakistan for a three match ODI series. In the second match of the series, India needed more than 8.0 runs per over in the last couple of overs. Rajesh Chauhan[ best forgotten for his "off spin"] was giving Saba Karim [ best forgotten for his "wicketkeeping"] company. Saba Karim was playing and missing despite Geoffery Boycott kept telling him for the commentary box "karim, karim you could make a name for yourself, if you win the game"
In the last over, Chauhan decided to take matters in his own hands and hoisted the unplayable Saqi over mid wicket and won the game for India. Ijaz put paid to India's hopes of clinching the series by blasting a quickfre 124 at a strike rate of over 200 in the third and final match.

9. Aaqib Javed's hat trick: on Oct 25, 1991, a certain gangly individual named Aaqib Javed wrecked havoc on India and took 7 for 37 , figures that would last as the best returns by a bowler in One day cricket.The 7-fer also included a hat trick , two of whose wickets were the biggest blunders ever made by man before the Jharkand governor decided to call Shibhu Soren to form the Government in Jharkand and Super Bowl hosts decided to call Paul McCartney for the half time show.

8. Venktesh Prasad and his next to the middle finger act:Talk about deceptive packaging. For nearly five to seven years, Venktesh Prasad made scorers beleive that he was medium fast. This fake act would remain the longest till 2008, when George W Bush's eight years of Presidency comes to the end and he takes the cake for the longest fake act. Prasad, with his typical curd rice looks, on a spring day in his home city of Bangalore, "bangalored" Aamir Sohail and showed him the way to the dressing rooom. Aamir Sohail, for his part, aroused the sleeping street dog by stamping on its tail, as he notioned to Prasad the part of the boundary he would go to verytime he bowled that length to Sohail.

7. Blinded in Dhaka: "Hrishkesh Kanitkar" does the name ring a bell. Nope, he was not the villain of the last Vijayaganth movie. A few years back, he was the blue eyed boy of Indian cricket when he slog swept Saqlain Mushtaq over midwicket to help India successfully chase down 317 in near darkness in Dhaka. Quite ironically, Ganguly commented that night that Hrishi has a bright future. Kanitkar did have a bright immediate future. He held on to his place in the team for a while as an allrounder and made his money eating Brittania biscuits on national TV. Allrounder Kanitkar is the second best oxymoron of my times not far behind "real boobs" Pam Anderson.

6. Saeed Anwar 194: "Allah ho Akbar" was the chant from the local mosque in triplicane at around 5 in the evening and then the first ball of the game was bowled. It was month of May in Chennai and chennaities know what it means. It means sweltering heat and hence the delayed start to a the day night game. Doing well in India is the holy grail for many Pakistain cricketers. Anwar was tired and sapped at 96, when Sachin Tendulkar decided to show his generosity [ read follishness] by allowing him a runner. Anwar went on to reach 194 and it was as if Tendulkar had literally carried him on a palanquin into the panthenon of greats. Anwar repaid Tendulkar's generosity by giving him a few CD's of Nusrat ateh Ali Khan's qawallis.

5. Ajay Jadeja went hammer and tongs: If Venktesh Prasad was the star of the post lunch session, the cameo of the pre lunch session was by Ajay Jadeja. He came, he saw and he conquered. In the hindsight with all the match fixing allegations, it may seem as if everything was planned but at the time of happening, there were very few exciting moments as Jadeja plundering Waqar. There was so much talk of reverse swing etc and Jadeja put everything to rest. If I were to quote a Sidhuism, "Jadeja batted like a mountain with orgasmic rush"

4. Tendulkar's class act in Chennai: Tendulkar played a great knock to almost snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He then threw it away, so did the rest and India snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. I remember those paddle sweeps of Tendulkar vividly and those late cuts and the buzz they generated in the stadium. I still beleive that he should have closed out the game [ a la Lara in Barados with a 153 n.o against Australia] as he had one whole day remaning and his back was no excuse. Also what was interesting was the attitude of the other batsmen. They were so damn disinterested in getting those 16 runs that at times it was as if there was some beautiful woman in the dressing room giving these guys a lap dance and they were more than happy to stay in the dressing room and stretch their loins than strain their muscles.

3. Kumble's Pefectto: "36-24-36" would make eyes pop out but all 10 wickets in an innings will make your heart pop out. Woow!!! All 10 wickets and that too Pakistani wickets is an amazing feat. Kumble lived a childhood dream and gave something for the Indians to rejoice in a series dominated by Saqlain Mushtaq

2. Cavalier spirit in Centurion : "FOUR!!!" was the shout at nearly 5:00 in the morining in Arizona and I knew the Indian innings had begun. I had come back home to take a leak during he break and I guess the leak took a little too long as the Indian innings had started. I rushed back to my friends house, where some 50 of us were watching it [ Thanks Carkit !!!] and Sehwag, Tendulkar were pulling the chains of the Rawalpindi Express bringing it to a screeching halt. Tendulkar batted with a murderous spirit that he usually reserves for the Aussies. As much as I hate Tendulkar, hats off Sachin for this knock.

1. The crowning moment and the tearful eye: "Appa Indiathana pa win agum"[ Dad, India is going to win, right?"] was my question to my dad with one ball remaining and four to get. "Amam" [Yes] said my dad reassuringly patting my back. Little did we know that the bearded Chetan Sharma would attempt a yorker the next ball and Javed Miandad would send it into the stands and send millions of Indians into tears. I wasn't sure who I hated more - Chetan or Javed. Chetan Sharma's full toss is much more hated than Bill Buckner's fileding error of the Red Sox folklore. That six was a watershed in India-Pakistan cricket matches and tilted the psychological edge permanently in favor of the friendly neighborhood.

posted by Sudarshan @ 12:25 AM