Bangalore 2010: Cricket in the time of the Commonwealth Games

Press Box 2020

India and Australia snuck in a thriller of a two-Test series in the shadow of the Commonwealth Games in India in 2010. For the first time in ages, cricket took a back seat in the newspapers and on television, in India and it was a pity, because the action on the field was taut, tense and memorable.

Ricky Ponting got shaded in Mohali by a VVS Laxman special, in one of the last games where batsmen were allowed a runner. The rule might have changed since, but you had to be a beaten Australian captain to remember that game for a runner rather than Laxman’s heroics.

The second Test, in Bangalore, a ground where India did not always arrive expecting to win, was easier on the nail-chewing, but had many highlights.

With Laxman out injured there was a debut for Cheteshwar Pujara who began shakily but more than made up for it in the second innings, announcing that he belonged at the highest level.

Remember Sreesanth, the gun bowler overseas who did not always have the best time in India? And Pragyan Ojha, the man who was Man of the Match in Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test?

You may remember that Australia had Marcus North, Nathan Hauritz, and the likes but it takes Bharat Sundaresan to remember Adelaide’s own Peter George from that game. George played that one Test and it was all over for him.

Even as India won, Anand Vasu suggests that this was the first time an Australian attack came to India without that fear factor. All good bowlers in that line-up, but not one than opposition batsmen would fear.

The Tendulkar-Ponting run-fest rivalry, M Vijay finding his feet, the joys and challenges of open air press boxes and much more from Bangalore.

Bharat the outsider eats a lot at Koshy’s and hangs out on Church Street while fails to understand what cool means in a city that oddly felt like home long before it actually was.

But, most importantly, Bangalore gave Bharat one of the greatest moments of his life. What was that? Well, you’re just going to have to listen to find out.

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