Raghuram and Leelakrishna, 14 and 12 respectively, are brothers. Away from school hours, they go to a cricket academy not far from home, in Dharwad, in northern Karnataka, to train. Sunday was a memorable day for the boys, as they got to see some prominent cricketers, and get a few autographs and selfies. All in their neck of the woods – Dharwad to Hubballi is a half-hour’s drive – which is not a regular destination for international cricketers.
“We used to watch these cricketers on TV; this is the first time we have seen them in the flesh,” Raghuram said. “Watching them, I could figure out what they do, how they warm up and train, before going out to play. They don’t show all that on TV. At the academy, they train us to bat, bowl, field, but seeing the real players is a new experience.
“I saw live, from a distance, where the fast bowlers pitch the ball, how the batters watch the ball…”
Harshith, a 12-year-old legspinner who likes to bat, too, had a similar story to tell. It was a first time at a match of this level for him too, and the Shane Warne fan – there’s the legspin connection – got to take back Chahar’s autograph. It’s a proper – not souvenir – bat he got the autograph on, and that will be packed away now, Harshith said.
Not looking as thrilled as the boys was 16-year-old Prarthana Dikshit, a middle-order batter and part-time offspinner who trains at an academy in Hubballi. The reason for her disappointment was that she got late getting to the ground on the fourth day, having stayed back anticipating rain, but by the time she got to the ground, all the play for the day – 13 overs’ worth – was done and the rain was back.
“It was nice to catch a glimpse of Ruturaj and Umran, my favourite cricketers, but I wanted to watch them play,” she said.
Her father, Prasanna, has followed domestic cricket for many years, and was happy that first-class cricket was being played in his city. “It’s a big difference, watching cricket on TV and watching it live at the ground,” he said. “At the ground, not only do you watch 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.”
Daya Sagar is sub editor with ESPNcricinfo Hindi. @dayasagar95