A blog by ©hinaman

I had gone off Indian cricket.

For the reason, I was away from home, and
a computerphobe in a new world of net savvies,
hence unable to keep contact with news of Team India
through backdated indian magazines, newspapers and snailmail.

1996, India came to tour England, when I had other priorities.
Cricket was not a burning passion, it had taken a distant back seat.

Oneday,
Jim, a colleague at work, a cricket fanatic,
was smilingly humming “Ging Gang Gulyguly watcha…”

It was the third day of the Second Test at Lords, London.
I was at work, unable to leave the workplace to watch the match.
Jim, who was not so tied down, kept sneaking out to look at the scores.

That is when I first heard of this new Indian player called Ganguly.
Jim came and whispered in my ear, “Gangooly is playing well”.

” ‘Gangooly’ who?
Why, don’t you know?
No I didn’t.
The new Indian player?
No I didn’t…” later,

I learnt this was a new player in the Indian line up.
A chap called ‘Gangooly’ was on his debut,
had come in the day before at one-down
and had held on till stumps
and the following morning was showing great promise.

Jim, kept whispering updates,
‘Gangooly’ just hit another four…
he kindly held fort so I could sneak out
to see ‘Gangooly’ get his century on debut.

And at Lords!

Eventually went on to score a 131, with 20 fours.
he went in at 59/2, when he was dismissed it was 296/6.

Boy,
was I proud.
I explained to Jim,
that Ganguly was a surname from my neck of woods
(perhaps just to add credibility to my claims as a cricket enthusiast).

Later
I learnt of Ganguly’s further exploits
successes and failures,
his captaincy and fall from grace,
the legend of his shirt waving
and his return with style
the nicknames given to him,
by his fans, by Mr Boycott and Mr Flintoff.
I also learnt he was from my own Alma Mater, I am so proud.

Tomorrow, he returns to where it all started
probably for the last time.
A circle closing.

Jim Insall,
if you are watching tomorrow,
I hope you can again hum that tune, with the smile.

“ging Ganguly guly guly watcha…Ginggang Go Ginggang Go”……indeed.