A Session at Railway Stadium, Bhubaneswar

A view of the pavilion of the East Coast Railway Stadium, Bhubaneswar.

Like uncountable other Indian guys of my generation, I've grown up playing and watching a lot of cricket. All my childhood I missed watching a first-class cricket match live in a stadium. My hometown Bhubaneswar didn't have a proper cricket stadium. International matches at Barabati stadium in the neighboring town of Cuttack were few and far between.

After having shifted to Bangalore, I've witnessed the stadium experience quite a few times in all three formats of the game at the revered Chinnaswamy stadium. Yet that desire of watching a big match in my home town remained unfulfilled. This December, when I came home on vacation, the Ranji Trophy Elite match between Orissa and Karnataka was to be played at the newly built East Coast Railway stadium at Bhubaneswar. I didn't let the chance go and dropped by for the post-tea session on day three of the four-day match. 

The status of the match at that point was as follows: Tea, Day-3
Karnataka - 1st innings: 278 all out (CM Gautam 63)
Orissa - 1st innings: 255 all out (BB Samantray 65, G Poddar 53, S Binny 5/51)
Karnataka - 2nd innings: 119/5

Though Orissa had failed to get the crucial first innings lead, they had the visitors in a spot of bother in the second essay. The bowling was disciplined if not incisive. But, Amit Verma and CM Gautam were defending stoutly and scoring the odd boundary. Basant Mohanty's peach of a delivery that sent CM Gautam's stump on a cartwheel was a view to behold and the take-home moment for me. All of fifty runs and a solitary wicket came in the session. Yet it was a fascinating tussle between bat and ball, the kind of old-school grinding cricket that the purist in me could appreciate. Here's the story in pictures.

CM Gautham showcases his compact defence. 

Team Orissa celebrates as Basant Mohanty sent back CM Gautham with a peach.

Paresh Patel bowls to Amit Verma during a stingy spell of 6-4-5-0. 

The Mancheswar electric substation can be seen in the backdrop.

That's what I call the poor man's super sopper.

 Amit Verma threads one through the covers.

Amit Verma and SN Raju played through fading light 

without further alarms for the visitors. 

As the photos testify, the ground was a pretty sight - lovely green outfield with tall fences all around. But there are no galleries, only bushes and shrubs. Just about a hundred curious onlookers had gathered. A few years down the line I hope to see big galleries teeming with spectators witnessing an international match at the venue.

Long live Tiger

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, popularly known as Tiger Pataudi, passed away a couple of days back. Although I never had the privilege to watch him play, I've read and heard enough about his folklore to know that he was a true legend of cricket. He'll always be remembered for the fearlessness and confidence he infused into Indian cricket. Here's an extract from cricketnext.in that gives an idea of the man's stature.

Just a few months before he became India's captain, Pataudi had lost his right eye in a car accident. Where others saw one ball, reportedly he saw two, seven inches apart. He had to pick the right one - the inner image - if he were to get bat to ball. And did he do that with panache or what. Six hundreds, including a double hundred, and 16 fifties bear testimony to his grit.

Just tells that no handicap can stop you if you have the grit and courage to fight it.

Rest in peace, Tiger.

The Googly!

As non-professional weekend cricketers, we pride ourselves in the knowledge of the game's nuances. The best of the cricket pundits claim to be able to predict what the ball would do just by looking at the bowler's hand at the point of release. And of course, we discuss the game off the field as well. One such occasion, a team-mate wanted to test my credentials. "Tell me whether it's off-spin, leg-spin, doosra, googly or whatever" he blurted as he turned his arm over. "Back of the hand facing the batsman. Now that has to be a googly" I insisted. Pat came the retort, "Sorry, NO ball".

Ashfaque ton ousts IISc

16 January 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: A swashbuckling century from Ashfaque (111*) coupled with some inept bowling and catching from IISc brought an end to what had been a dream season for IISc. Indiranagar Cricketers thus go through to the semi-finals of the KSCA IV Division League 2010-11. The end of the season also marks the passing of the baton - team IISc now has a new captain and vice-captain.

Catch the details here:

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2011/01/ashfaque-ton-ousts-iisc.html

Ace Cricketers shock IISc

9 January 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: The game never ceases to amaze. IISc went into the match on the back of a five-match winning streak while Ace Cricketers came in having been beaten twice in the Super League stage to be all but out of the KSCA IV Division League 2010-11. The match seemed to be going according to script with the latter being skittled out for 115. Yet, the visitors pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat by bundling out IISc for a dismal 81 thus securing a 34 run victory. 

Catch the match report here:
http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2011/01/ace-cricketers-shock-iisc.html

IISc win Boxing Day bout

26 December 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: The KSCA Metro Shield Super League match between IISc and Sirur Park was much like a boxing bout. Both sides threw measured punches and jabs at opportune moments. It was a hard-fought battle till about 20 overs into the second innings when IISc started the hijack and took total control. Debajit (4/38) and Ashith (4/39) did the trick for IISc with a veritable exhibition of swing bowling.

Catch the match report here:
http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/12/iisc-win-boxing-day-bout.html

Young Lions hunt down IISc

19 December 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: Masterful half centuries from Nihal (78) and Santosh (53) coupled with some inept fielding from IISc helped Young Lions Cricket Club prevail over IISc in a friendly match here. 

Catch the match report here:
http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/12/young-lions-hunt-down-iisc.html

"Play and break the thinking loop"

Arindam Ghosh reveals the sportsman behind the scientist.

Interview by Lalit Patnaik
23 October 2010,

few days after IISc made it to the Super League stage of the KSCA Metro Shield 2010

[Download pdf file of this interview article here]

Arindam Ghosh, Assistant Professor of Physics, Indian Institute of Science is an accomplished scientist in the field of low-temperature nano-electronics. Amidst all the duties and responsibilities that entail his position, he always manages to find time for sports. The IISc cricket team has had his distinguished services for fourteen years now. Here's an attempt to get to know his story as a researcher who never gave up sports, more so cricket... read more

Dominant IISc decimate V.V.Puram

12 December 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: A red hot IISc nonchalantly dismissed a clueless V.V.Puram Cricket Club for a paltry 119 and then chased it down with close to 30 overs to spare. This has to count among one of their most comprehensive victories in recent past.

Catch the match report here:
http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/12/dominant-iisc-decimate-vvpuram.html
 

IISc go down fighting

5 December 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: In a closely fought 50-overs friendly match against BEL Colony Recreation Club, IISc lost by a slender thirteen run margin. It was a match in which IISc tried out quite a few experiments - new opening pairs in bowling as well as batting departments.

Catch the match report here:

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/12/iisc-go-down-fighting.html

IISc beat Basvangudi CA

28 November 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: A clinical team effort helped IISc beat Basvangudi Cricket Academy by three wickets in a 50 overs friendly match here.

 

Catch the match report here:

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/11/iisc-beat-basvangudi-ca.html

IISc Cricket Updates: Oct-Nov 2010

The super league matches of the KSCA Metro Shield 2010 are tentatively expected to start from mid-December. In the mean while, team IISc played four friendly matches, losing one and winning two, while one match was washed out. The brief scores can be accessed here:

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/11/updates-oct-nov-2010.html

Salil's defiant ton seals momentous victory

10 October 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: In a epic battle that swayed from one side to the other, IISc wrestled out Rajajinagar Colts to win by a slender two-wicket margin with barely two balls to spare. A fine unbeaten ton by Salil (108*) and his stubborn partnerships with Varun (26) and Teja (47) were the cornerstone of IISc's victory, their fourth successive win that propels them into the Super League stage of the KSCA IV Division League for the first time since 1997.

Catch the match report here:

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/10/salils-defiant-ton-seals-momentous.html

IISc drub Sangam

3 October 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: Riding on a sparkling unbeaten century by guest-player Vasanth (109*), IISc drubbed Sangam Cricketers by four wickets in a friendly match.

 

Catch the match report here: 

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/10/iisc-drub-sangam.html

Fancied Malleswaram SC surrender to IISc

12 September 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: Spurred by Ashith's all-round heroics, team IISc thumped fancied opponents Malleswaram Sports Club by a resounding six-wicket margin thus completing a hat-trick of victories in the ongoing KSCA Metro Shield. They are now strong contenders for making it to the super-league stage of the tournament for the first time in fifteen years.

Catch the match report here:

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/09/fancied-malleswaram-sc-surrender-to.html

Varun, Vasanth star in facile win

5 September 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: A stunning five-wicket haul from newcomer Varun and an aggressive unbeaten 89 from guest player Vasanth helped IISc drub BEL Colony Recreation Club by five wickets in a 50-over friendly match.

 

Catch the match report here: 

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/09/varun-vasanth-star-in-facile-win.html 

IISc trounce Spartons SC

29 August 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: Playing their third match of KSCA Metro Shield 2010, IISc thrashed Spartons Sports Club by seven wickets with a sparkling display of team effort - a four-wicket haul, two three-wicket hauls and two fifties.

Catch the match report here: 

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/08/iisc-trounce-spartons-sc.html

Fitness is an attitude

If you are a sportsman, be it professional or amateur, fitness - physical and mental - is of utmost importance. Here's a very pertinent quote from Paddy Upton, physical and mental conditioning coach of the Indian cricket team.

Fitness is an attitude. If you're training because somebody tells you to train, it's difficult. But if you're training because it's the right thing to do and you want to be disciplined, then it’s easier. Fitness is everything, from having energy to remaining injury-free, to being able to perform in an atmosphere of back-to-back one-day internationals... Some of the biggest mental challenges in a sport are getting injured, getting dropped, and when you have a low run of form. That’s when the individual’s character is really tested. There's a natural process you go through of disappointment and frustration, sometimes even wanting to give up.

[Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/88729/fitness-attitude-upton.html]

Close Shave

14 August 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: In a dramatic finish to their second match of this year's KSCA Metro Shield, IISc snatched a narrow two-wicket victory against Gary Cricketers. Debajit's spell of 4/58 and Vikram's knock of 44 were the highlights of IISc's performance.

Catch the match report here: 

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/08/close-shave.html

Resilient IISc beat Ranji CC

8 August 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore:  A resilient IISc chased down 251 with three wickets to spare in a friendly match against Ranji Cricket Club. Sounik (68*) starred with the bat while Arindam bagged four wickets.

Catch the match report here: 

http://cricket-iisc.blogspot.com/2010/08/resilient-iisc-beat-ranji-cc.html