Leg Cricket..!

Cricket Fever

Bleed Blue - was a creative initiative for the game of Cricket by Nike. And, yesterday, it did become a reality when Indian Cricket Team literally fought to record a historical win against their traditional 'gaming rivals' - Pakistan. I wonder if anybody in the spectator stands watching the match could sit in their seat during the slog overs to see Indians making their way to the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, almost every Indian across the Country felt their heart pumping hard throughout the game.

By half past ten at night yesterday, Pakistani cricket player's flight reservation tickets back to Lahore were all confirmed. It was indeed, a well balanced battle and the one who held their nerves with a fair bit of luck swinging their way, made it through the finals. India in the past had never lost to Pakistan in world cup matches and they didn't, even yesterday. Sachin being dropped a couple more than a couple of times was an embarrassment for himself. As a result of yesterday's win, every single small street in Bangalore has turned into a cricketing strip, should it need a note about the play grounds then? Its been a very hard time for parents to keep their kids sit with books; Cricket Fever has successfully taken a remarkable hike over the Exam Fever!

Can you imagine of a cricket game being played with no wickets, no bails, no bats, no boundaries but just a fur-less tennis ball? I was to halt for a while in Koramangala when on a visit today and decided to relax in a nearby park in the midst of the lovely greenery. Adjacent to the park was the BBMP playground and believe me, it was jam-packed with cricketers. I wasn't able to figure out whose cricketing ball was going where - there were so many matches going on! Though I did give a try, it was not all that easy for me to follow a single game amongst the too many of them being played there.

Out of all, one group of players did grab my attention. A long, wide stone made their wicket at the striker end and a brick at the non-striker. Half-folded pants were good enough to help them use their legs as bat! Under-arm bowling was only allowed to challenge the batsman. A pitch-catch is all it needs to send a batter back and it was only a five overs match. It looked to me like an all new form of Leg Cricket, next to the T20 format. I carefully followed their game and it really was amazing to watch!! Some had their right leg pant folded and others left - accordingly I assumed they were either right-legged or left-legged batsman. I was astonished to see one of the players using his stomach to defend his wicket and other one used his head to hit a boundary behind the wicket keeper! They were using everything to hit the cricket ball except their hands. Watching them, the cricketer within was almost pushing me to join those kids with dirty legs, who were enjoying their game to the fullest. It did remind me of those days when I got used to get scoldings from Mom for making my dresses damn dirty playing at the ground - it was real fun playing in mud, that too on a heavy rainy day!

Today morning, I just saw a picture (did not read the article) in Times of India; Kumar Sangakkara getting a thread tied to his right wrist by a holy-looking person before leaving to Mumbai. No matter how long threads they tie around hand and different parts of their body, it can never out match the prayers of all we Indians. Lets pray together for our Cricket Team to go and win the ICC Cricket World Cup this Saturday.

Chak de.. Chak de India!