The Ashes
The death of a cricket fan
I have to admit, albeit shamelessly, that despite India getting pasted at the ongoing 4-match Test series against Australia, I had woken up diligently to watch them perish day in and day out.
Along with me, there have been countless who would have patiently seen yet another dream India winning a Test series in Australia being butchered mercilessly. As India sank to yet another defeat in the Perth Test on Sunday, there was an ardent fan thousands of kilometres away who lost his battle with his life.
Yes, here is a real life story of a tea-seller in a remote place in central part of India—Nagpur. I first met Mohan Gawande during my trip to Nagpur to cover the World Cup 2011 games last year.
Passionate, proficient and a keen student of the game, Mohan’s shop was not like a normal tea-selling shop in Sitabuldi, Nagpur. With a small TV set to be abreast with what was happening in the world of cricket, Mohan read the game much like thos who write about it and rant about it sitting in the commentary box.
During one of my conversations with him, Mohan predicted that India’s batting will be thoroughly exposed if the much-hyped middle-order fail to perform. Well, one didn’t have to Albert Einstein to read that, but Mohan looked very worried. Despite coming back after my stint there, I often conversed with him, and his relatives had begun to worry about his state of health. Much like the Indian team, Mohan’s health had taken a beating. He was bed-ridden for the last 2 months as a bout of pneumonia had taken its toll.
For someone who took pride in announcing that he has watched most of India’s matches across the world in the last three decades, Mohan firmly believed that this team would make a mark in the series Down Under. During my last conversation with him just after the debacle in the Sydney Test, Mohan had mentioned, “Somehow I feel we were not up to the mark. Indian team is waging a losing battle against Australia, much similar to mine with life.”
He breathed his last on Sunday. While my heart goes out to his family, I do not know how many more Mohans across the world would have died (mentally) after seeing such a sorry show put up by this Indian team.
Today, I don’t want to mull on the reasons of India’s defeat in Australia. There is a silent prayer on my lips as I wonder whether cricket in India too will meet a fate akin to Mohan. I surely hope not.
