Wednesday, November 13, 2013
My God....
Cricket was a game I loved the
most and understood the least. Loved the game because as it was one ‘boring
game’ that spread across days. Thank God it is hours now, with one day and T20
format, as the Test match format is spread over days. So the hours that got
spent watching the boring game was constructively used getting friends over and
downing beers and yelling and screaming when a wicket fell or a four or six run
got struck. Though this too was limited only when then there was an India - Pakistan
match and it was a semis or finals.
India - Pakistan matches were
always watched by me as if it was a war happening. If Pakistan lost, it was a
joy we could kick the Pakistanis (not using the word Pakis as it is considered
offensive). If India lost it was like ‘we are anyways a country of losers’ with Pakistan
exporting terrorism since the day we were partitioned, to the extent severing
off the head of one of our soldiers, and maybe even playing football with it. Despite
all this our governments(s) plays ball with Pakistan and they don’t have the
balls to go to war with Pakistan. So at least there was cricket where I could visualize
war.
My Mother never understood any
sport besides the sport I excelled in, which was playing the fool. So could not
understand of what she understood about cricket which she started watching ever
since Sachin came on the scene. Whenever he went to bat, she used to go in
prayer mode. Someone who was a conservative and old fashioned lady, will be
jumping with excitement when Sachin struck terror on the field. Someone who retreated
into a shell if he got out. If he got out on a ‘duck’ it was like mourning in
the house. Being a teenager when Sachin came on the scene, having friends home
and downing beer was not something I graduated too, but watching her sheer excitement
was nothing short of entertainment.
The excitement rubbed into me and
soon I was a ‘Sachin maniac’. He was a drug that I craved to get out of the
problems and the mess the world is in (or maybe it was just my world). Hated
the title given to him which was ‘God of cricket’……..but when he did magic with
his magic wand (cricket bat) I was like ‘Oh my God’, and if he got out it was ‘Ohhhhhhhhh
Gawd’……if he struck a ton it was ‘God you rock’. In the process confusing my
God with him. Thanks to Sachin who brought the small doses of joy into my life,
and as I moved on in life, cricket was something I started watching lesser but more (or whatever little) when Sachin used to play. If not watching
it, any news on Sachin was something I consumed, though never got a chance to
consume food in one of his restaurants though.
With fame his fortunes
increased with endorsements. Someone who is not an actor and has a feminine voice
endorsing products!! Actors who used to endorse products would fear his
endorsing products, like how any cricketer feared when he entered the cricketing
field. His endorsements always ensured great sales for the products he associated
with. To the extent some of the products even endorsed his signature as ‘limited
edition products’. I can’t remember any actor whose signature got endorsed on a
product, and even if there is, I don’t want to remember.
As today Sachin goes to
play his swan song in his cricketing career, with sadness and grief I am not
watching, or even bothered to know what he scores. I don’t care if he goes out
on a duck or even cracks a ton. All I know is my heart will be cracked. No one
can take his place in my life. Wondering where would I now retreat to when I
need the ‘drug Sachin’. Getting friends home and downing beers will never be
the same. Anyways cricket is such a boring game, so I will now watch government
proceedings in the parliament. The joy and hope is with Sachin as a Member of Parliament
he could go into Parliament and whacks some balls, and I could yell Saaaaacccchiiin
Saaaaacccchiiin.
My God, please save this country.
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