The Indian cricket fan - a blend of extreme passion and reaction

The crowd comes out in huge numbers for the Indian cricket team, wherever they play

Living true to the reputation of being an avid Indian cricket follower, the writer tuned in for the highly anticipated Freedom Series between India and South Africa, which commenced from 2nd October in Dharamsala.

The series opener put an end to the days of restless countdowns and endless throwbacks to preceding encounters. The excitement reached fever pitch as the Proteas landed in New Delhi, days before going head-to-head with India in what was going to be an enthralling competition.

Starring unanimously respected players AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla, among others, the battle that would last 72 days promised to be nothing less than an extravagant affair.

2nd October 2015, Dharamsala – As the marquee series neared inauguration at the picturesque Dharamsala, supporters voicing their support for both teams filled the stands in huge numbers. The match began. The excitement knew no bounds.

As Rohit Sharma attacked and counter-attacked Imran Tahir and Chris Morris with a host of delightful strokes that earned him praise from even the staunchest of critics (yes, me included!), a TV grab of a banner by a self-proclaimed ‘well-wisher’ caught the attention of the thousands who had not been privileged to witness the proceedings live from the mountains.

The illogical fan that plagues cricket

After the early dismissal of Shikhar Dhawan, the onus was on Virat Kohli to give adequate support to Rohit Sharma, who looked all set for an encore of his 264. The opener was going hammer and tongs at whatever the Africans threw at him.

As the Delhiite walked down the dressing room to take his stance amidst the green turf that was covered with droplets of dew, a piece of paper with scribbling invaded the walls of Kohli’s private chamber, as it was displayed time and again on the big screen.

It read – “Stop dating, Kohli. Start batting instead.”

Yes, much has been written about the fickle mannerisms of the Indian cricket loving public, who would even go to the extent of blaming the number of advertisements a cricketer appears in for a failure. Just when you witness a decrease in these baseless accusations, you see an upsurge in personal attacks and comments, where every step taken with an equally famed partner garners brickbats, much to the horror of the people in question.

Firstly, how often has the old-age adage, ‘separating the professional from the public’ done the rounds? We live in a country where personal life is synonymously stated along with the cricketing statistics of a player, with every performance directly linked to the presence of his loved one. The cliché, unfortunately, does not hold relevance in India.

The cricketer is often accused of bringing together his cricketing affairs with his private intimate affairs. Does this mean that the cricketer, a grown-up individual who has sacrificed his childhood, giving his blood and sweat just to see his frame adorned in the Indian jersey, has no distinction between the personal and professional realms? Wouldn’t we all want the unconditional backing of a special someone once a while, in success and failure alike?

The truth is that the professional Indian cricketer tries hard to keep the two domains as distinct from one another as possible, but they inevitably converge, transcending into teatime gossip for the majority of the year.

Surely a player who, at the age of 18, set aside his personal sorrow and grief to resume playing an inconsequential Ranji Trophy tie just hours after his father had set off on his heavenly abode, deserves better. “Experts” questioning his maturity are just immature and downright shallow.

It does not matter that Kohli made a brisk 43 in the match. The banner, I am sad to say, would have been tucked away safely, only to be brought back to the ground when another match is played. Irrespective of the hundreds scored or ducks registered, as long as his significant other remains with him, Kohli will continue to face such “criticism”.

5th October 2015, Cuttack – From the scenic Himachal Pradesh, the action shifted to the humid Cuttack for the second T20I. With the series at stake, a noteworthy performance from MS Dhoni’s boys was not only expected, but also almost guaranteed.

Wearing passion with fervour, a 44,790-strong crowd came out in full force, hoping to see their team spoil the African party, only to be miserably disappointed as the innings progressed. Lack of coordination between the batsmen, a host of mistimed shots and a sense of hapless cluelessness at the accurate bowling maintained by the visitors saw the Indians cave in meekly, squandering for a paltry 92.

Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties alright, but even the most optimistic of optimists wouldn't have bet on a run chase infected with thrills and ‘chokes’.

Barbarism at Barabati Stadium

Just before the start of what was meant to be a lop-sided run chase, a section of the crowd ransacked all morality and ethics, raining down plastic bottles upon the field. However, with no players on the pitch, the matter was soon under control.

But it happened a second time and then a third, as the bunch of 11 Indians stood appalled at the reaction being meted out to them, by the very same supporters who should have rather pledged to stand by the Men in Blue during a rough phase.

Kohli, shaking his head in disbelief at the immaturity on display, summed up the feelings of each Indian cricketer who had taken the field at the Barabati Stadium with his facial expressions.

It is in these circumstances that one’s heart goes out to these beings, who have taken the responsibility of playing cricket for India. If one bad comment at your workplace is enough to demoralise you, ever imagined how an average cricketer copes with the harsh words that are hurled at him every single moment of every single day, despite regularly pumping in more than his best for the jersey?

If you think cricket revolves only around money, with the players not caring about failure or success as long as the pockets are full... well, I can't even complete the sentence – it's that absurd.

Lastly, one cannot stress adequately on the fact that a loss hurts the players much more than it will ever affect you or me. Sitting miles away from the thick of the action, vociferously voicing your support can never be equivalent to actually scoring runs or taking wickets out in the middle.

If you do not respect cricket, do not demean it

No, I am not an ideal fan either. There can never be an ideal fan, can there? Cricket is a passion as much as it is a religion. Anger, coupled with criticism arising out of a tint of sadness, is only natural. However, when the tint takes the hue and a streak of aggression, the fine line between logic and sheer stupidity is breached.

India has prided itself on being a cricket-loving nation, but by channelizing this passion into an aggressive anger that lets down the hard-working cricketers along with the country, we put forth a bitter truth. This cricket-loving nation, full of ‘plastic’ fans, will hold on to the love for the game as long as favourable results are in the bag. The alternative is just not an option.

A cricket fan who has tried to rally behind her players, celebrating their success, crying with anguish (and yes in anger too at times!) at their failures, has been let down by the legions of “supporters” who should have supported their team instead of stooping down to such barbaric actions.

If you cannot love your players, at least do not disrespect them. And if you cannot handle a loss, do not be there to celebrate a triumph either. That is all.