Eden Gardens: Ravi Vithal’s fandom began in protest. During apartheid, he supported every side that played against South Africa. But after democracy arrived in 1994, his allegiance shifted permanently. We met him on Day 2 at Eden Gardens during the India–South Africa Test, enjoying his birthday present with his son and reflecting on what 31 years of supporting the Proteas has meant.
The third day of the Test, November 16th, was his birthday, and his son had arranged this tour to Kolkata as a birthday present. Temba Bavuma’s team perhaps made the occasion even more memorable with their win over the home side. With very few South African fans in the stands, Ravi said, “My son, who is right here with me, and I are very avid cricket supporters.”
“Whether the team does well or not, we continue to support them, in good times and in bad,” he added.
The father–son duo, originally from Durban, South Africa, rarely miss matches involving the Proteas, regardless of where in the world they have played. Ravi said, “We have a special history with watching South Africa play abroad.”
So how could they miss the World Test Championship final? “We were at Lord’s when South Africa won the WTC final against Australia,” he said.
“South Africa were considered underdogs; everyone said the match would be over in three days,” he recalled.
As a proud supporter of the team, he continued, “But that didn’t happen and as everyone knows, South Africa won. So we are currently the Test champions of the world.”
But it wasn’t always like this for Ravi. Before Mandela, his allegiance lay firmly elsewhere. The ‘white-only’ government never had his support and not just in cricket. “I’ve been supporting the South African team since 1994,” he said.
“Before 1994, under the apartheid government, which was a white-only government, I supported every team except South Africa, because players of colour were excluded from both the cricket and rugby teams.”
Everything changed after 1994. “After our independence in 1994, when Nelson Mandela became our first democratically elected president, I began supporting South Africa,” he said.
“So it has now been 31 years of supporting the team. Whenever possible, I travel to watch them play. I’ve been to the West Indies, I’ve come to India for World Cups, I’ve been to Lord’s as I mentioned, and a few other countries as well,” he said, his eyes glowing as he recalled the memories.
This match at the Eden Gardens, however, held a special significance. It marked the 34th anniversary of the famous 1991 series, South Africa’s first international tour after their ban was lifted. The side led by Clive Rice, featuring Andrew Hudson, Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes, were mesmerised by a packed 100,000-strong Eden Gardens crowd. A young Sachin Tendulkar may have won the match for India, but the contest marked a historic turning point for today’s World Test Champions.
Ravi remembered watching that match on television. “Yes, I’ve both good and bad memories of that match. Clive Rice was our captain. I vividly remember Allan Donald taking a five-wicket haul at this very ground.”
“I wasn’t here personally, but I watched it live on TV,” he added.
Watching Eden Gardens through a screen and experiencing it in person, however, are entirely different. “The atmosphere at Eden Gardens is absolutely incredible. I’ve been to many stadiums around the world, but the kind of support the Indian team gets here is unmatched,” he said.
“When the Indian team does well, the crowd erupts and when they don’t, the applause stops. They’re a very knowledgeable, very passionate audience,” said Ravi.
Speaking about the current South African men’s and women’s teams, he offered a glimpse into how the nation celebrated their first ICC trophy.
“Winning the World Test Championship was huge. It was the first ICC trophy South Africa had ever won,” he said. “We did win the Champions Trophy in Malaysia under Hansie Cronje, but many people tend to forget that because we’ve lost so many ICC finals over the years.”
“The women’s team did brilliantly as well, although it was disappointing to lose to India in the final. India played better cricket that day.”
“Of course, South African fans were sad after the women’s loss. But when the men won the WTC trophy, the country erupted. There were victory parades across all major cities. The team went around on an open bus, and thousands of people came out to celebrate our Test champions,” he concluded.
As the final applause faded at Eden Gardens, Ravi summed up his journey simply: South Africa’s cricketing story is also his own. From resisting an unjust past to celebrating a democratic present, he has lived every step of it in the stands. And this birthday, spent alongside his son in one of cricket’s great theatres, felt like another chapter in a lifelong pilgrimage, one still powered by hope, memory and an undimmed love for the Proteas.
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