Boria Majumdar
We had just landed in Dubai, and had to rush to make the flight to Kolkata. That was when the gentleman stopped me. “I was watching you every day from Amsterdam,” he said. “Lived the series through the eyes of RevSportz.” This was just a random person at Dubai Airport Terminal 3. After we exchanged a few words and I finally made it to the boarding gate, another gentleman came and said, “Did not disturb you at The Oval. But watched the shows every day. Keep going. I was there at The Oval on the last day and can’t forget a single ball.”
It was strange how cricket had forged an imagined community. And as we sat down in the flight, a lady with her husband in tow came up to Sharmistha and I. “We are traveling from the US,” she said. “We did not have a live feed but watched every show of yours. The match would come alive for us. Our entire family lived every moment of the Test match.”
It did not end there. As I reached immigration at Kolkata airport, jaded and exhausted, the officer in charge of stamping my passport said with a smile, “Kirom mone hochhilo jakhan sesh wicket ta porlo (How did you feel when the last wicket fell)?”
While looking into the camera, all I could do was muster a smile. But the truth was indeed out there – sport unites us all. This Test series, and yes, it did happen for real, has given each fan so much to take away and savour.
From the old gentleman at Finchley who brought Gargi samosas to the family who got us kheer, it was a surreal two months. And in the process, bonds were created and friendships forged. While I don’t really remember if we exchanged numbers or not, the truth is our paths will cross again and cricket will surely get us all back together somewhere someday.
I would not be doing justice if I don’t recount the story of the man who has had over 50 sessions of chemotherapy. His only purpose in life now is to help underprivileged Indians in the UK. He has helped many of them study and make a career, and one of them is now an oncologist who treats him. He owns an eatery around Lord’s and that’s where he met us. On occasion, he’d get us prawn and fish curry, vada pav and dhokla.
It was only on the final morning that he came up to me and asked what I felt might happen. Before I said anything, he started again, “See, I have been living with cancer for a decade and more. Chemotherapy is part of me. All I do is try and help Indians, and that’s my biggest satisfaction. I want to see you all smile. Mark my words, India will win by 5 runs.”
At the end of the game, I did recount what he had said on our show. The regret is that I did not meet him thereafter. But again, the bond has been forged. And for all the pain he has gone through, he must have loved seeing millions of people smile. That’s what sport is all about. Its true power is that it unites us all and makes us feel Indian.
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