Travel, friendships, and gastronomical delights
A lot of aerial criss-crossing had to be done to follow the fortunes of the Indian team in Australia. And in every flight there were a multitude of Indians — sports hacks, broadcast crew or fans — who flew in from all over the world.
The caravan flies
A global tournament in a vast nation like Australia entails a lot of aerial criss-crossing. A day after Virat Kohli staged his heist against Pakistan in Melbourne, it is time to fly to Sydney. It is Diwali (October 24) but there is a job to be done and the travelling media corps take to the air. In every flight there are a multitude of Indians — sports hacks, broadcast crew or fans — who have flown in from all over the world to follow the ICC Twenty20 World Cup. Couples with kids in tow exchange notes: “Oh were you at the match? Thought we lost it till Kohli played that stunner. Oh like us you guys are following the Indian team? That’s nice.”
Sydney with its looming high-rises, parks and general city bustle greets the travelling entourage with a cold embrace as the southern summer turns coy, being saddled under dark clouds, blustery winds and the odd drizzle. Climate change is real and Australia, like the rest of the world, isn’t immune to its effects. Meanwhile, out on the turf, India maintains its winning streak, getting past the Netherlands on October 27. Skipper Rohit Sharma strikes a 53 and India prevail by 56 runs. The Bharat Army is thrilled and the Sydney Cricket Ground is a sea of blue.
Sport and pastime
The morning after isn’t about a leisurely cup of coffee, it is entirely linked to the mad rush to the airport as Perth beckons. An acquaintance quipped: “You might as well go to another country, Perth is so far, five hours away by flight.” A book is picked, a brew is sipped and after self check-in and the usual security drill at the Sydney airport, it is time to fly. From the next seat a seemingly familiar visage nods, the “in’it” twist in his utterances to fellow travellers hints at connections in England.
A question is fired: “Have we met at Leeds during the 2019 World Cup?” The riposte is quick: “Not really but I am part of the Bharat Army and you may have seen me at the grounds.” Arvind Desai introduces himself and points out his bunch of pals from London and Manchester. “We are travelling together tracking the Indian team. It is strenuous, we flew for 22 hours with a break in Singapore. And now with the matches on it is hectic, on game-days we are at the ground and other days we do the touristy bit, taking in the sights and sounds while nights end up being long with partying,” Arvind says and then probes about the dynamics of sports writing, deadlines and digital avatars. The five-hour flight dissipates and it is time to readjust watches as Perth is three hours behind in the timezone. Eventually a Sunday (October 30) turns dull for the fans as India suffers a loss to South Africa.
A town of infinite charms
Adelaide has a quaint streak but the nippy air seems to be shadowing the travelling bandwagon. A Monday is spent largely at airports — Perth and Adelaide, first to check-in, second to exit after waiting a bit for the baggage to arrive. A cab is hailed, the apartment is reached and it is time to set up home even if it is for a few days. Fellow tribe-members land with their laptops and deadline pressures in a town fringed by the sea on one side and hills on the other end. “This is the best place for tourism and festivals,” says a cab driver with roots in Punjab.
One of the nights is well spent with Bharat Sundaresan, former Indian Express correspondent and current Cricbuzz reporter and writer-at-large with two books under his belt, extending an invite to the Indian scribes for an impromptu get-together at his home. There is warmth inside, lovely food, anecdotes galore, tinkling glasses, and two friendly dogs seeking cuddles. Even if there is talk about cricket, it is still a break from the routine.
The willow game then takes over as India and Bangladesh clash on November 2. An expected routine triumph gets complicated by the rains and the ebullience of Bangladeshi opener Litton Das. India prevails in a thriller with Arshdeep Singh bowling a tight last over despite a clubbed six.
Business end
The ICC T20 World Cup is racing towards its finish and India’s last game and in fact the league’s final clash is against Zimbabwe in Melbourne. Again it is scheduled for a Sunday (November 6). The championship may be in Australia but the power and commerce of the Indian diaspora means that the fans in blue are given the privilege of filling up vast stadiums over frenetic weekends. “Other teams may have played often at the same venue while we travel, but I understand that considering the number of fans we have and who are spread all over,” R. Ashwin quipped.
Melbourne with its whimsical skies during the previous visit has now changed to an urban sprawl basking under the sun even if the air can be cold and temperatures dip at night.
A visit to the convenience store unveils preserved gastronomic delights — be it local cuisine or from West Asia, South East Asia, or even the Madras curry powders harking back to the British era when ships sailed towards the Coromandel and Malabar coasts seeking tea, spices and timber.
South Africa chokes against the Netherlands and inexplicably crashes out of the tournament while there are whispers about a die-hard Indian fan, flying last-minute from Texas to watch the semifinals and final. It is an instinctive move that cost him ₹15 lakh.
Indian fandom borders on the devotion of the extreme but it is also the lubricant that greases the conveyor belt of talent back home and bolsters the game’s commerce through bigger telecast revenues with brands riding piggyback. And fans like him and others sitting glued to their television watching the action live had enough reasons to cheer as India defeated Zimbabwe and cruised into the semifinals.