In a small town in India, amidst the euphoria, and sadness of cricket

Raghuram and Leelakrishna, 14 and 12, respectively, are brothers. Away from school hours, he goes to a cricket academy away from home, in Dharwad, northern Karnataka, for training. Sunday was a memorable day for the boys as they got a chance to see some prominent cricketers and get some autographs and selfies. All in the jungle – a half-hour drive from Dharwad to Hubli – is not a regular destination for international cricketers.

But this is where the second India A vs New Zealand A four-day match was going on

There was not much cricket due to rain, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the spectators. If anything, they caused a stir around the game. On the first and fourth days of the game, they filled up the colorful seats and the space inside the tents around the field. And when they saw a player or two – Indian or from New Zealand – the excitement went through the roof. Perhaps because of the mood of such a non-international competition, one where little play was possible, the players were also more than happy to join in the fun, as KS India admitted in a post-game press briefing.

The star attractions in this IPL era were Umran Malik and Rajat Patidar. Malik is a clear star. He bowls at speeds over 150kph and is now an Indian player as well. And Patidar, well, he was one of the top performers for the local IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore this season,

Raghuram and Leelakrishna brought a small bat with them

Raghuram and Leelakrishna brought a small bat with them. By its end, autographs of Malik, Rahul Chahar, Patidar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Verma, Sarfaraz Khan, Priyank Panchal and Kuldeep Yadav had found their way. Shardul Thakur did not oblige, and he said, it was a great disappointment.

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“We used to see these cricketers on TV, this is the first time we have seen them in flesh,” Raghuram said. “Watching them, I could understand what they do, how they practice before going out to play. They don’t show it all on TV. At the academy, they train us for batting, bowling and fielding. But watching the real players is a completely new experience.

“I watched live from afar, where the fast bowlers pitch the ball, how the batsmen see the ball…”

Not looking as thrilled as the boys, 16-year-old Prarthana Dixit, a middle-order batsman, and part-time off-spinner, trains at an academy in Hubballi. The reason for her dismay was that she arrived late on the fourth day waiting for the rain,

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“It was nice to have a glimpse of my favorite cricketers Ruturaj and Umran, but I wanted to see them play,” she said.

“It’s a huge difference, watching cricket on TV and watching it live on the field,” he said. “On the field, you not only see the cricket, but you feel it. It’s wonderful for young cricketers like my daughters to get a real understanding of the game. We should have more first-class cricket here.”