Nine things I learned watching Test cricket in India

By Kris Swales / Expert

The India series is over. The baggy greens have been bagged.

The whites are being whitewashed, much like their owners. And the post-mortems into Australia’s 4-0 capitulation to an Indian side in a not dissimilar rebuilding phase have begun.

I don’t profess to have the answers to Australia’s cricketing woes, except that the selectors could perhaps experiment with a novel “pick batsmen with a Test match temperament” approach.

What I can tell you is what I managed to glean from three days in the stands of the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi, having successfully completed a sporting pilgrimage some 15 years in the making.

1. When it comes to buying tickets, “be prepared” is a myth

You might think you’ve done it tough trying to secure tickets to a sporting contest or music festival before, but you’ve obviously never tried to buy Test cricket tickets in India.

There was radio silence through official channels, while month after month of futile Google searches for “India Australia Cricket Delhi Tickets 2013” turned up nothing but red herrings.

Then all of a sudden, on the day before the Test started, a classified sized ad turned up in the Times Of India directing you to two websites, or bank branches spread across town.

Website ticket collection happened outside a jewellery store nowhere near the ground, from guys working out of a metal suitcase, half an hour AFTER play started on day one. Take that scalpers!

2. You’ve never had a day at the cricket as cheap as this

I’m yet to properly crunch the numbers, but I’m 99.94 percent certain that it’s cheaper for me to fly and accommodate myself from Sydney to New Delhi for five days of Test cricket (give or take a couple of days) than it is to fly from Sydney to Melbourne for the same.

Season tickets to the match for $10, ice creams for 80 cents, and there’s no beer on sale to torpedo your budget.

On the subject of beer…

3. It really is possible to watch live sport without a beer in your hand

I’m not making this up. No, really, I wouldn’t joke about something so serious.

As an added bonus you actually remember every intricate detail of the day’s play, and your liver doesn’t start calling for back-up somewhere around the first drinks break on day three.

4. Tubes of sunscreen are on the banned substances list

Presumably because they’re potentially a weapon…against skin cancer.

5. Indian cricket fans aren’t much different to Australian ones

They have a young larrikin contingent leading simplistic chants (roughly translated for me from Hindi as “Who’s going to win? India! India? Who’s going to lose? Australia! Australia!”) and taunting opposition outfielders with “Four-Zero, Four-Zero!” cries.

They have elders who want to talk about Lillee and Thommo. (Umm, sorry guys, I’m not quite an elder yet.)

They politely applaud opposition brilliance and go berserk at Indian singles.

And speaking of berserk…

6. The unintentional cult of personality surrounding Sachin Tendulkar is a sight to behold

With the possible exception of King Wally in his State of Origin heyday, I’ve never witnessed an Australian sportsman being regarded as bigger than the team quite like Sachin is for Indian cricket fans.

And it’s not just adoration, or even blind worship (though there’s plenty of that) but what appears to be true love – and it’s reciprocal.

They cheer when he waves at them in the outfield, they cheer when he misfields, they chant his name when two of his teammates are putting on a breathtaking century stand.

And the roar and chant of “Sachiiiiiiin, Sachin!” as he strode out to bat on day two – as 30,000 fans sounded like 60k-plus – had the hair on my arms standing on end. Incredible scenes at the Shah Kotla.

7. When Sachin needs to harden up before a big game, he only eats at Jaypee Cement (pictured)

Perhaps Australia’s sport scientists should look into it.

8. If Australia are looking for a new batting coach, they could do worse than Peter Siddle

Hey, I’m an as much of an armchair selector as the rest of you.

9. If you’re a cricket fan, you’ve got to experience test cricket in India at least once in your lifetime

And if you do it once, you’ll definitely want to do it twice. Hopefully I’ll see you in the stands next tour.

The Crowd Says:

AUTHOR

2013-03-29T15:29:29+00:00

Kris Swales

Expert


Geez Claire, reading about your adventures makes me feel like I've been short-changed! Seeing Comic Sans on a scoreboard would just about make my life I reckon.

2013-03-29T07:42:36+00:00

clairebbbear

Guest


I hear ya! I've watched cricket in India on two occasions, though admittedly Australia were nowhere near as they are now. I think my weirdest moment was getting my deodorant confiscated by security. Because if you smell nice, then the terrorists win. Also the scoreboard in Mohali that actually used Word 1997 up on the screen. It says something about how bad Aus were in 2008 that my highlight of the day was taking bets on whether the scoreboard guy would change the font to Comic Sans. Oh, and we were mobbed by taunting crowds in Nagpur (when Australia actually won the series, strange but true) - and the police having to beat them off with sticks.

2013-03-25T11:07:20+00:00

Dcnz

Guest


Kris good article mate thank you ... Very entertaining ..

2013-03-25T10:54:05+00:00

ryan

Guest


Sure it wasn't you haha

2013-03-25T04:04:15+00:00

Bearfax

Guest


Had to happen. India needed its day to move forward and enhance international cricket. Congratulations to them. They thumped us. And a good home team always draws good crowds. I think because they love playing (and beating ) the Australians that this test series could be remembered in Indian cricket folklore. The year they spanked the Ozzies.

2013-03-25T03:57:38+00:00

Bearfax

Guest


Let's consider this fellow called Matt Who invariably comes here for a chat He prefers clever verse To anything terse But of cricket, its not known where he's at. Happy now Matt.

2013-03-25T03:20:02+00:00

Simon

Roar Guru


Great post, thanks. It was good to see the fans turning up for this Test series.

2013-03-25T02:43:30+00:00

matt h

Guest


Where is your sense of poetry Bearfax. this was a great read for those of us unlikely to ever get the chance.

2013-03-25T02:09:14+00:00

Rob McLean

Guest


It wasn't me doing it, but I have witnessed punters preparing for a music festival rolling their drugs in Glad Wrap, slicing the top of their sunscreen tubes and sliding the package inside to confound the drug sniifing dogs...

2013-03-25T01:49:12+00:00

HardcorePrawn

Roar Guru


... and it does really sting if it gets in your eyes!

AUTHOR

2013-03-25T01:46:46+00:00

Kris Swales

Expert


I think it probably had more to do with its potential use as a projectile - there was a nasty incident with stuff thrown onto the field at a World Cup semi-final in '96 from memory?

2013-03-25T01:21:12+00:00

Lancey5times

Guest


I'll be there next tour. I'm pretty sure the Indians will invite us back ;) Thanks for the article. Good read

2013-03-25T00:55:36+00:00

Bearfax

Guest


Must be a slow day. I feel under whelmed I'm afraid. Moving onto the next article...

2013-03-25T00:44:18+00:00

matthew_gently

Guest


Good article. I was there for the 2004 series, which was an epic cricketing experience in every way. Eight years on I still find myself trying to describe to the love of Indians for Tendulkar. He missed the first two games in 2004, and came back for the 3rd match in Nagpur. At one point in that match he was fielding on the boundary, and whenever the captain shifted him left or right, the crowd of people behind Tendulkar would move too, like how the moon influences the tides.

2013-03-24T23:48:17+00:00

DingoBob

Guest


Best Cricket article I've read in a while.

2013-03-24T23:32:42+00:00

jameswm

Roar Guru


I think I'd rather the Windies - cruise between tests, the festivities. A bit hot at both places though.

2013-03-24T22:48:30+00:00

HardcorePrawn

Roar Guru


I wonder if there is any evidence of people carrying something nefarious in their sunscreen: drugs perhaps, a small weapon? I remember reading last year about a music festival held in Australia that banned both sunscreen and water bottles. The result was that hordes of kids had to be treated for sunburn, sunstroke, and dehydration, with quite a few ending their day in hospital. I rather hope that no-one had a similar experience at one of the recent tests!

2013-03-24T21:34:38+00:00

Harry

Guest


Great read - on the list of things to do in retirement. Assume the tickets are less than $125 which is what you pay for Sydney.

2013-03-24T19:33:26+00:00

Jay

Guest


Watching a test in India is my dream too. Lucky you!

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