Fans’ dal, subzi keep India going
PERTH: Before the amazing wins in the World Cup, among the many fronts India players had to fight on was to get proper food, read Indian food.
The team has had to explore all options to get food of its choice, and towards this their supporters in Australia have been the biggest help.
“A lot of times the players haven’t got Indian food. The good thing is there are many Indian restaurants here, besides friends and supporters bring home-made food for the team,” Arshad Ayub, India team manager, told HT on Wednesday.
Dinner has been the biggest struggle. On most nights, the team has had to arrange Indian food from friends and supporters, who’ve got dal, subzi, gravy — paneer and rotis.
“Breakfast in no problem as every hotel in Australia serves Indian cuisine — from paranthas to idli sambar. The players love to have different food but for dinner, friends and supporters have been a great help,” said Baba, the media manager.
Since food has been an issue Down Under, the team management has allowed players to have The Australia team is known to carry food supplies when they go abroad, from vegemite flavoured energy bars to beer-flavoured water. When they toured India in 1998, Shane Warne didn’t find the local food to his liking. The spinner had spaghetti and baked beans flown in from Australia, causing some mirth in the media. He was promptly nicknamed Mr Bean.
food in Indian restaurants.
The issue arose in December when a few members had to go out as Gabba did not have vegetarian Ahead of the 2013 Ashes, the England board issued an extravagant 82-page list of demands for catering to its players in Australia. It included 194 dishes and drinks, including piri-piri bread tofu with tomato salsa, ginger biscotti, lamb and pea kofta kebabs with mint yoghurt. The fussy food demands were ridiculed with England players criticised as a pampered lot.
food at lunch. Team director Ravi Shashtri, Ishant Sharma and Suresh Raina were forced to go to an Indian restaurant. However
they were forced to finish the food outside after being informed that food and beverages were not allowed inside the ground.