Call-up to the national side

Published : Aug 23, 2008 00:00 IST

V. GANESAN
V. GANESAN
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V. GANESAN

For some reason, the selectors took their time choosing S. Badrinath (in pic), a fine cricketer, making one wonder if it wasn’t enough making runs in domestic cricket, on ‘A’ tours, and in the IPL, writes S. Ram Mahesh.

Sunday, August 10: The diary happens to stay in a hotel known for hosting some of Colombo’s most posh high-society weddings. So most nights go by in a blur of clinking glasses, swishing sarees, twirling toffs, and swivelling salad plates. Err… for the bride and groom that is; the diary does little more than put in the odd celebrity appearance to indulge its adoring hordes. Kumar Sangakkara dropped in yesterday, looking fresh as an unpicked berry despite batting five hours, and although the left-hander didn’t quite make it to the night’s main event, he drew a crowd almost as big as the diary’s.

Monday, August 11: News breaks that Abhinav Bindra wins independent India’s first-ever Olympic gold medal, and a group of cynics, hunched over their laptops, rejoice. “Ah, a holiday for me,” says one. “Now they won’t need my story on India stuffing it against Sri Lanka.” Tony Greig, the 6 ft 6 in former England captain, finds his way to the press box, and comes up with a line that raises the odd eyebrow in catering. “Maybe India should bring Mr. Bindra down here to take on Mendis; he’s a shooter as well, isn’t he?” Later in the day, Ajantha Mendis is asked which Indian wicket, of the record 26 he picked in the three-Test series, he treasures most. “A wicket is a wicket,” he says in Sinhalese (translated by his captain Mahela Jayawardene). “It doesn’t matter who I get out.” A normal enough occurrence; only he reportedly says in private (curious that eh? The off-the-record, on-the- record debate all over again) that he was disappointed not getting Tendulkar before the third Test.

Tuesday, August 12: What a jamboree! Sri Lanka’s medal hope in boxing, Anuruddha Ratnayake, loses early, and the criticism just keeps coming. The poor soul was heavily hyped, we are informed by the Daily Mirror, that stirrer of pots, his chances bloated by a relentless mill that kept grinding out propaganda. It’s difficult being a sportsman, isn’t it? Eveything’s easier this side of the fence.

Wednesday, August 13: Milling around in Taj Samudra, the venue for the pre-ODI-series press conference, the diary catches sight of S. Badrinath, who has made as insuperable case for selection as anybody anywhere. His First Class and List ‘A’ records are ridiculously good — at one point he was in the list of the top 10 highest FC averages; he is now 21st with an average of 56.49. For some reason, the selectors took their time choosing this fine cricketer, making one wonder if it wasn’t enough making runs in domestic cricket, on ‘A’ tours, and in the IPL. Others have been picked for less. The Tamil Nadu captain is also one of the nicest blokes you can hope to meet, and the story of his call-up to the national side is particularly heart-warming.

Thursday, August 14: The things journalists have to put up with. Well, it’s a dream job, one the diary once considered paying for, but if it’s learnt anything from its few years in the profession, it’s to crib. (It always had a natural talent for it of course). Anyway, all roads out of the hotel are blocked, some dignitary or the other is making his/her way across the city, and it’s an interminable wait just to get out. We finally get to the Nondescripts Cricket Club, where the Indians practise. Badrinath and Virat Kohli wipe the floor with the others in the bleep test, a shuttle-run fitness exam that sees the athletes make continuous laps at increasing speeds between two sets of cones 20 metres apart. Praveen Kumar and R. P. Singh do admirably as well.

Friday, August 15: M. S. Dhoni hoists the Indian flag behind the members’ enclosures at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium, ahead of India’s practice match against a Sri Lankan XI. “I have celebrated the Independence Day like this for 14 years in school,” he had said. “We would then get a box of sweets, which was very nice. It’s an important time. We remember the struggles of those who worked so hard to achieve it. We don’t always see the reality for freedom, we take things for granted. It’s important to keep this in mind even after August 15.” Both teams line up, as do the officials. It’s a solemn moment.

Saturday, August 16: Travel day, and the diary takes in some splendid scenery on the way to Dambulla, set amidst hills and lakes. Surely it can’t be expected to work here.

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