TV came to our house before the Asian Games in 1982... Weston. It was a trouble child... more often than not, it used to be unwell... and then the wait was a long one.
India will play Sri Lanka tomorrow in the finals of the world cup.
In 1983, it wasn't the world cup... it used to be Prudential World Cup. I was a kid of 7 years. What are the memories?
One is of going to Durgapur... and getting to see an Anandabazar Patrika, which had an article on my grandfather on the editorial page. At the back page that used to cover Sports, India had beaten West Indies in the group match.
The next what I remember is my uncle came down on the evening of the world cup final to watch the match at our modest railway quarters of Sealdah. Gavaskar got out very cheap. I was sad. Cricket for me at that point in time meant only Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. Srikkanth played for sometime. Can't recall much after that apart from the fact that Gordon Greenidge was bowled by Balwinder Singh Sandhu trying leave a ball hoping that it would leave the off stump. But it was knocked back.
I was given an early dinner... mere ko khila peela ke mereko pack kar diya. My father said "Will call you at night". Not sure if he had really meant it at that point in time when I went off to bed with my mom.
Suddenly, at midnight, my father woke me up and excitedly said, "India have won the World Cup". Got out of the bed and four of us saw Kapil Dev lift the cup.
Next day morning, the same picture from the TV was on the cover of Aajkaal.
It was a turning point in Indian cricket... but West Indies came back to India just after the cup and just beat India black and blue. The saving grace was Gavaskar's 29th century to catch up with Sir Don.
As I saw the emotions run high on the night we beat Pakistan in the semi finals, my mind went back to those little visuals that are still so clear in my memory. I am sure tomorrow will be another such day which will remain in thoughts and memories for years to come.
Vande Mataram!!!
India will play Sri Lanka tomorrow in the finals of the world cup.
In 1983, it wasn't the world cup... it used to be Prudential World Cup. I was a kid of 7 years. What are the memories?
One is of going to Durgapur... and getting to see an Anandabazar Patrika, which had an article on my grandfather on the editorial page. At the back page that used to cover Sports, India had beaten West Indies in the group match.
The next what I remember is my uncle came down on the evening of the world cup final to watch the match at our modest railway quarters of Sealdah. Gavaskar got out very cheap. I was sad. Cricket for me at that point in time meant only Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. Srikkanth played for sometime. Can't recall much after that apart from the fact that Gordon Greenidge was bowled by Balwinder Singh Sandhu trying leave a ball hoping that it would leave the off stump. But it was knocked back.
I was given an early dinner... mere ko khila peela ke mereko pack kar diya. My father said "Will call you at night". Not sure if he had really meant it at that point in time when I went off to bed with my mom.
Suddenly, at midnight, my father woke me up and excitedly said, "India have won the World Cup". Got out of the bed and four of us saw Kapil Dev lift the cup.
Next day morning, the same picture from the TV was on the cover of Aajkaal.
It was a turning point in Indian cricket... but West Indies came back to India just after the cup and just beat India black and blue. The saving grace was Gavaskar's 29th century to catch up with Sir Don.
As I saw the emotions run high on the night we beat Pakistan in the semi finals, my mind went back to those little visuals that are still so clear in my memory. I am sure tomorrow will be another such day which will remain in thoughts and memories for years to come.
Vande Mataram!!!
