Hordes of fans thronged the cricket stadium.The beach road in Chennai leading up to the M.A.Chidambaram stadium was fully clogged, with traffic almost coming to a stand still. One could see the iridescent colours of the harsh summer sun going down behind the canopy of trees. On the other side , the white monstrous frothing crest of the Marina rose and fell continuously in a soothing rhythmic noise. The water shimmered reflecting the azure blue of the sky. Cars and two wheelers impatiently honked and vied with each other to inch forward in the ensuing chaos. There were serpentine queues outside the stadium with enthusiastic fans trying their luck for last minute tickets to see if they could force themselves in .
Vendors selling banners, posters and food made brisk business. Yet another hot and humid day at Chepauk. It is peak summer and day temperatures hovered around 40 degree Celsius. But the sweltering heat and sticky weather were no deterrent at all for either the cricket crazy fans or the innumerable vendors peddling out their wares- be it masks, paints, posters or eatables. After all they had to make hay when the sun shines!!! It was the grand finale of the IPL and they had to make the most of it.
The stadium was agog with excitement. The stands were packed to capacity with tickets being sold out completely weeks before, by the BCCI . Whistles and cries of ' Chennai super kingsikku whistle podu ' rent the air. The catchy one-liner of the home team reached a feverish pitch. The cheer leaders in colourful costumes of refulgent yellow and splendid blue to match the respective team colours with their sprightly dance added to the charged atmosphere. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were the defending champions and so had the privilege of hosting the finals. Today they were facing Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the title clash. Both the teams had their own set of super stars and were equally poised to win in that sense. But being the reigning champions and playing on home turf, Chennai was believed to have a slight edge over its opponent. Both the teams had world renowned players to boot.
An hour to go before the big match. The floodlights came on lighting the stadium brightly. As the people settled into their seats , the two captains walked in for the toss."Tails" called Shane Watson, the captain of the Royals and "heads" it was. But Dhoni , the CSK skipper inserted the opposition in to bat. CSK were confident of chasing a target and batting second. They had won many a thriller and lent a photo finish umpteen times in this tournament by chasing. And today they were the hot favourites with the home crowd cheering and backing them.
The VIP box was choc a bloc with celebrities from different walks of life- cinema, theatre, politics real estate and literary sphere to name a few. In short, all roads in Chennai that day led to the Chepauk stadium.
Ketan Mehrotra and Samir Shah had also got plum seats in the pavilion stand. They had met a couple of players in both the teams yesterday at their hotel.As the players from the home team walked on to the field with the captain leading them they got a standing ovation from the crowd. The field was set and the two batsmen got ready to face the bowling.A thunderous applause and uproar marked the beginning of the proceedings. Since it was a 20 -20 match, runs started flowing from the first over.A steady trickle in the first six overs and then it gained momentum. The RR opening pair put on a century partnership in about 12 overs which was pretty good going. They were timing the ball sweetly and smashing it all over the park with great flair and flamboyance. It seemed the CSK bowlers were struggling with their line and rhythm. They conceded a lot of extras by bowling too many wides and no balls. They were slightly off colour today. Every time he was hit for a boundary, their main pace bowler stomped his foot. Was it a sign of frustration? The crowd bawled and grew a bit restless and egged CSK to get a break. They jeered and booed whenever they saw the ball dispensed to the boundary. At last, the much needed breakthrough was got. Once the opening pair was dislodged, a couple of wickets tumbled quickly and CSK had stemmed the flow of runs. The RR team did well to pile a reasonably good score of 228 setting a challenging target for CSK.
During the break, Ketan and Samir were busy making a few calls on their mobiles to talk to their friends who were watching the proceedings of the match in the comfort of their hotel rooms.
As the second half of the match got underway, the crowd was on tenterhooks and total silence descended on the ground as they watched in anticipation at their opening pair. Will they be able to give a fitting chase to the Royals' score? In India, as the media often reported, cricket is almost a religion and the cricketing icons are literally deified.Over the years we have mastered this game so well , this colonial legacy, that we can confidently claim of bearding the English lion in its own den if the need arose!!
The top half of the CSK team did not belie the expectation vested on them and batted with gusto to take the team to a score of 185 for 4 in 15 overs. There was jubilation in the air as the crowds sensed a victory for the home team.Chants of CSK,CSK pierced the stadium. As the number 5 batsman effortlessly lifted the bowler for a six over third man, celebrations had begun in right earnest.The match had reached a crescendo and the crowd went delirious. Bugles and trumpets blew to the resounding beat of the drums!! CSK was almost on the threshold of victory!! As the bowler came in and delivered the next ball , the batsman shuffled and turned back to see his bails flying. Oh , what a moment to lose a wicket! A loud disapproval followed by hush silence. The match which was almost within grasp for CSK a few minutes before again seemed to open up. The commentators were hoarsely proclaiming' Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties'. As the no.7 batsman walked in, he twirled his bat three times before taking his stance to face the ball.Possibly it was a sign of nerves. He had to shoulder the responsibility of carrying the team thru in the finishing stages. Ketan and Samir waved out like so many others in the crowd. The next ball saw the batsman angling a catch to the mid wicket region. As the umpire s index finger went up and the batsman headed towards the pavilion,the angry mob hooted the opposition. The air was rife with tension as the teams fortunes vacillated. The next batsman at the crease needed to stem the rot. But it was the beginning of the tail. Anyway, not all was lost and the crowd rooted again for CSK. They were calming down as the batsman picked quick singles and twos and played a sweet cameo. Things seemed to be cruising along when all of a sudden there was a mix up in the pitch and it ended in a disastrous run out. The batsman walked out in exasperation to the pavilion wiping his forehead with his handkerchief and dangling it back again in his pocket. Ketan and Samir walked out briefly and returned again. 20 runs were required in the last 2 overs but the CSK tail just folded up tamely. The fans were thoroughly disgruntled and gave vent to their feelings by pelting oranges and eggs on the ground. They had come to watch their heroes with so much expectancy and pride and felt let down. There was so much analysis paralysis done at the end of the day by the commentators. Little did anyone know the 'behind the scene' sordid story.
That evening after the match, Ketan and Samir along with their other friends back at the hotel called a few of the players from both teams whom they had met the previous day and huddled in mysterious discussions with them.Among them were the few players who had thrown away their wicket from CSK. And these were strangers with whom they were sharing their team s logistics.
Thousands of people had reposed the faith in these cricketers and paid huge sums of money to watch an honest and clean game. They had spent their time and money , some coming from different corners of the globe to watch this so called thrilling spectacle. Had they been taken for a ride? Is this fair play?
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