There is something different about watching a cricket match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. We witnessed a sample of it when India A took on India B in the Duleep Trophy game. There was enough action and drama in the middle, with Musheer Khan once again dominating the show. And then there was some action off the field too.
For the Duleep Trophy, just one stand has been kept open for the fans. And that top-tier stand was buzzing with enough activity. To illustrate the point, let’s revisit the completion of India B’s innings. When Navdeep Saini was dismissed after playing a gritty hand, there were chants of ‘Rahul, Rahul, Rahul’ from the fans. Unfortunately, for the fans, the local hero, KL Rahul didn’t walk out to open the innings. Instead, Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal, who is also from Karnataka, made their way out. On expected lines, both Gill and Mayank were cheered, whenever the duo cracked a shot.
It didn’t stop there as Yash Dayal, the India B left-arm pace bowler, was also welcomed to the bowling crease fervently. For a second or two, it was confusing. After all, Dayal isn’t from Karnataka. And then it flashed like a bulb that it was the RCB connection, which made the fans root for the pace bowler. Not surprisingly, a few minutes later, ‘RCB, RCB, RCB’ chants roared across the stand.
Of course, there were some wonderful moments on the field too, which in turn matched the enthusiasm of the fans. For starters, Musheer continued to stamp his authority on proceedings. With the track getting better to bat, a confident Musheer explored different parts of the ground. More than the shots, it was his ability to convert ones into twos that stood out. Just like his elder brother Sarfaraz, Musheer too can fluster and irritate the opposition.
Lest we forget Navdeep’s contribution. The lower-order batter hung in there for 144 deliveries. He was also ready to take the aggressive route when needed. He was basically the perfect foil for Musheer as the pair guided the side to safer waters.
What about the India A batters? The opening duo of Mayank and Gill made decent contributions but neither could convert it into a big one. Mayank in particular looked all set to compile a massive score but he was dismissed on the back of a strangle down the leg-side. The one highlight of Mayank’s stay was his mannerisms after playing a false shot. Every single time he was beaten, he would go across towards the square-leg umpire, return to the crease, tap his helmet twice before getting ready to face the next ball. It is perhaps his way of trying to forget the previous outcome.
What about the bowlers then? Akash Deep had four wickets against his name. Here is one bowler who invariably hits the seam and for the ball to then hasten off the deck. The delivery to Nitish Kumar Reddy in the first innings just capsulised his bowling. Navdeep himself took a couple of wickets and he was consistently the quickest bowler of the game.
A couple more hours went by and it was time for the umpires to call it stumps with India A still trailing by 187 runs. But the day’s play was a lot more than that. It was about how around 100-150 fans were able to liven up the atmosphere.