I am not a cricket fan. There I have said it. I do enjoy a game of cricket once in a while if the game is interesting but most of the times, I can tune out faster than I tune out my kid's fights.
This year however, I did go to for the IPL match. I had great plans to spend an evening with my son who shares my "love" for cricket. It's a father-daughter thing in my house. However, landed up going to the match.
Going to the stadium in Pune takes longer than one inning of the match. Usually the husband and daughter go on scooter to avoid getting stuck in traffic. This time, I dragged my son and myself on the scooter and set out. How bad can it be, right? Well, it is worse than your worst imagination. Serpentine lines of cars, scooters start about 4 km before the stadium entrance. And this at 2 in the afternoon under the blazing Indian summer sun!
"Mom, let's just go back. No one will notice". The enthusiastic son encouraged.
"Let's just try for a few more minutes", I say, cringing inside when the sun shines with all his might.
"Mom, can I get a Sprite when we get there?". He knows I will agree to anything. "Nicely played, kid!"
The biggest challenge was, I didn't really study the route before we started. And I knew, I was generally supposed to go towards the expressway. (I have a penchant of getting lost.) The husband had given very specific instructions "Stay on the left of the ramp". Erm, there are multiple such ramps!
In my mind "Let there be some sign that we are going in the right direction!". And then it happens, one yellow tee-shirt with "Dhoni 7" written on it appears from nowhere.
Hallelujah! "We are going to follow this fellow". Slowly but surely, Dhoni 7s started appearing from all directions. A Kohli 18 would intersperse once in a while, but this was a city that was possessed by Dhoni 7! Dhoni 7 in all shapes, genders, sizes, ages. The sea of yellow was flowing towards the stadium. Finally, after we got to the stadium, (and I after I paid my dues to the Sprite god), the match had already started. Dhoni gave the audience what they were so eagerly waiting for : 3 sixes in 3 balls. This non-cricket person cheered, screamed and jumped and begrudgingly admitted, this is fun!
On the way back, the Dhoni 7s guided us back home. "Mom, can we get one more Sprite for the ride back home?" I heard from the back seat while I regretted not buying a Dhoni 7 for myself! After all, there may be some one like me for the next match, who made need directions to the
stadium! Wait. Did I just say something about going for the next match?
This year however, I did go to for the IPL match. I had great plans to spend an evening with my son who shares my "love" for cricket. It's a father-daughter thing in my house. However, landed up going to the match.
Going to the stadium in Pune takes longer than one inning of the match. Usually the husband and daughter go on scooter to avoid getting stuck in traffic. This time, I dragged my son and myself on the scooter and set out. How bad can it be, right? Well, it is worse than your worst imagination. Serpentine lines of cars, scooters start about 4 km before the stadium entrance. And this at 2 in the afternoon under the blazing Indian summer sun!
"Mom, let's just go back. No one will notice". The enthusiastic son encouraged.
"Let's just try for a few more minutes", I say, cringing inside when the sun shines with all his might.
"Mom, can I get a Sprite when we get there?". He knows I will agree to anything. "Nicely played, kid!"
The biggest challenge was, I didn't really study the route before we started. And I knew, I was generally supposed to go towards the expressway. (I have a penchant of getting lost.) The husband had given very specific instructions "Stay on the left of the ramp". Erm, there are multiple such ramps!
In my mind "Let there be some sign that we are going in the right direction!". And then it happens, one yellow tee-shirt with "Dhoni 7" written on it appears from nowhere.
Hallelujah! "We are going to follow this fellow". Slowly but surely, Dhoni 7s started appearing from all directions. A Kohli 18 would intersperse once in a while, but this was a city that was possessed by Dhoni 7! Dhoni 7 in all shapes, genders, sizes, ages. The sea of yellow was flowing towards the stadium. Finally, after we got to the stadium, (and I after I paid my dues to the Sprite god), the match had already started. Dhoni gave the audience what they were so eagerly waiting for : 3 sixes in 3 balls. This non-cricket person cheered, screamed and jumped and begrudgingly admitted, this is fun!
On the way back, the Dhoni 7s guided us back home. "Mom, can we get one more Sprite for the ride back home?" I heard from the back seat while I regretted not buying a Dhoni 7 for myself! After all, there may be some one like me for the next match, who made need directions to the
stadium! Wait. Did I just say something about going for the next match?
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