SLOW!

Robbie Williams said that cricket is basically baseball on vallium. Cricket has been subject to much mockery and mostly due to the five day feature of the sport. Even the one day nature of the sport is a long one considerring that a football game gets wrapped up in under 2 hrs. And it is true that in today's world when Almighty Bush takes just a wink to decide to bomb a country, five days is too long a time. Its equally unviable to sit in a stadium for five days and watch a game. And because we sit so far off from the pitch we dont get to relish some finer aspects. Thats where the TV comes in. To me there is none more enjoyable sport to watch on TV then cricket and the best cricket is played in the five day feature. While TV gives you the flexibility to leave the game at any moment of time, it also has the ability to focuss on larger landscape of things and then there is always that joy attached to hearing Benaud say' simply put simply superb' or Lawry say 'got him...yess gone' or Grieg rhetorically saying ' right off the meat of the bat' or a Sidhuism like ' wickets are like wives you never know which way they will turn' or or a Shastri ' Hez seeing the ball like a football' or better still a Boycott 'Even my mum could do that'.

Watching a test match is often like watching a tele serial. The match will have its own sets of battles, smiles, humorous incidents etc. Time is a major factor here. No other sport will give two people the kind of opportunity to go against each other as does cricket. And the best arguement is done with the bat and the ball. Theres one that I remmember. Between Allan Donald and Mike Atherton. Atherton whipped the first ball for a four on the leg side, then the next delivery he drove for a four through the covers. The third delivery from Donald didnot move away and held its line. Artherton was upto it. Donald stopped and gave a glare and Artherton smiled back as to say, that was silly of Donald. Fourth ball swings in towards Artherton in the air and knips back after bouncing, Artherton just gets the bat down in time. Donald immediately turned away for his run up. Fifth ball, he pitched it higher up, it again swings in and knips back sharply after bouncing and takes the leg stump along with it. Donald just stood there smiling. As Cronje, Rhodes etc ran into him, he just stood still smiling all the time while Artherton kind off froze in his stance at the crease, preferring not to look back. It was a moment to treasure. No words exchanged, no blows exchanged,no heating arguements, none in the stadia would have realised this sweet little battle. But questions were asked to each other and they were asked and answered in a language which was crystal clear to the batsman and the bowler. And the arguement was settled in a most refined manner. Beautiful. And all this was enabled for us to enjoy because it was a five day game and players had the 'time'. And ofcourse TV was there to capture it.

Cricket is but a chocolate that melts slowly in your mouth. Its not a drink you gulp and guzzle in a wild party, get a hit and then get lost in its intoxication but a wine that you sip slowly along a romantic conversation over a candle lit dinner, with music in the background ( read commentry)whose after effect are equally intoxicating and last longer.