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Chennai Test: Agony and ecstacy By: Clayton Murzello October 19, 2004
Chennai: Never give up on a Test match. The spectators who turned up at the Chidambaram Stadium yesterday hoped for play even after those directly connected with the game had acknowledged that rains had played spoilsport.
They bought their drums, flags and plastic bottles that they banged on the seats even as the rain refused to disappear under a sulky sky.
The umpires got a wholesome response when they set foot on the rain soaked-turf and the cheering continued even as David Shepherd indicated that outfield was fit for a swim. He did a good butterfly stroke and Rudi Koertzen joined in the fun.
The stadium has a new press box at the far end of the ground a good distance away from the dressing room. If one had to get to the dressing room then, you could just wave goodbye to footwear and leg wear too to trudge through slush to reach ones destination.
An Australian journalist decided to walk along the boundary ropes to get to the other side. Somehow, something told him to take an early right turn that led him to a narrow street on the west side of the ground instead of the pavilion.
The Aussie was lost and in a tizzy what with a deadline fast approaching.
An auto rickshaw (tuk tuk to him after his Sri Lankan travels) took him to the desired side of the ground. Only for Rs 50, of course! When it rains, it pours big bucks for the rickshaw wallahs of Chennai.
The press corps indulged in some cricket fantasy. The captains should break tradition and opt to play tomorrow as both teams are in a good position, Remember, how this Test has seen unusual things like Australian batsmen walking. Do something different today too, guys, said an old hand.
To us all, a great contest had just been ruined by cruel nature. The cricket lovers in us felt jilted.
The weather gods could not have been more cruel we were convinced, until we sat in our rickshaw. The driver told us: Sir, it is a great day today. It is raining finally. We get only four buckets of water every day. Now, we can hope for more.
No one is greater than the game, we say always. But for the common people like this rickshaw driver who takes us to our cricket destination, the weather God was the greatest.
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