Sitting amidst the crowd at Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s new press box and feeling the pulse of the match

By K.R. Nayar

The new press box at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium is amidst the spectators. That gave me the opportunity to listen to the comments from the spectators clearly. Some of these comments were really funny and the pulse of the match could be felt very closely. 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni with Suresh Raina steered Chennai to the target. Photo: CSK Twitter 

The new press box at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium is very close to where the action happens in the stands. In the 80’s, the press box used to be close to the team dressing rooms, and used to be tucked in. But this new box is positioned in such a way that a straight lofted shot could well land in the press box and hence it’s better to take a good look at the batsman after every delivery before getting engrossed in keying in the report. So before I type, I tell myself "Watch out for a six!"

A heavy sandstorm engulfed the whole stadium just as the match was about to start on Friday. Twenty-three years ago, when a sandstorm had first stopped play, I was there in the press box and fortunate to witness one of the greatest knocks from Sachin Tendulkar. After yesterday’s (Friday) sandstorm ended, when Virat Kohli began with two successive boundaries, I wondered whether it would be another knock on par with Tendulkar’s knock. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

But what I did enjoy was the queries from spectators seated close to the press box. When the toss was delayed due to the sandstorm, someone asked: “Why should toss be delayed due to the sandstorm?" There was a quick response from his neighbour. “Maybe the coin can get lost in the sandstorm!”

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli before the toss. Photo RCB Twitter  

Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli were seen in conversation for long before the match. It made one wonder whether Dhoni, who is the mentor of the Indian team for the oncoming T20World Cup, was meeting Kohli for the first time. So lengthy was their conversation in the middle while waiting for the toss that someone asked: “Are they picking the eleven for the T20 World Cup’s first match?" Of course, within minutes everything changed, and they played as rival skippers strategizing against each other.

What was clear from the crowd reaction on Friday was that Dhoni, despite retiring from international cricket, remains the crowd’s favourite more than Kohli. During the toss, the chant ‘Dhoni, Dhoni’ got loud, and when he won the toss I thought the cheers would bring the roof down.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrives for the match. Photo: Sharjah Cricket Stadium 

Kevin Pietersen, who is one of the commentators along with Sunil Gavaskar, was seen using his mike as a bat and demonstrating his back-lift and shots. It looked like he wanted to go out and bat. Incidentally, his last T20 match was at this venue when he played in the Pakistan Super League for Quetta Gladiators against Islamabad United on March 15, 2018.

When Virat Kohli hit his first six, the giant scoreboard stated: “Smooth Operator”. That raised a chuckle among many. An interesting advertisement of Red Label tea came up on the screen when the partnership between Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal was in full flow. It said: “Game is brewing”. Little did anyone think then that the Bangalore innings would go on like what happens when we sip hot tea … hot when we start drinking it and then go cold as time progresses. Bangalore paid the price for slipping from 90 for no loss in the first ten over to 66 for 4 in the last ten.

Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli after their century partnership. Photo RCB Twitter 

When Kohli got out for 111 after his 41^st half-century in the IPL, I was reminded of umpire David Shepherd who officiated many matches with umpire Dickie Bird as his partner here. At the score of 111, he always made it a point to lift one foot off the ground. Whenever he officiated on Friday the 13^th, he would tie a matchstick to his finger just to ensure he was touching wood to bring good luck.

'Whistle podu' for the winners Chennai Super Kings. Photo CSK Twitter  

In those last four overs, when Bangalore lost five wickets scoring just 25, the crowd could not resist applauding Dhoni’s captaincy. His field placements and rotation of bowling were remarkable. It was like he was conducting a class for Kohli on what he should be doing during the oncoming T20 World Cup.

When Dhoni came out to bat with 24 runs needed from 25 balls to win the match, the crowd chanted MSD…MSD. Dhoni fans were sure he would not lose this match. Fourteen years ago, it was on this very day that he lifted the T20 World Cup for India in South Africa.