Colosseum of cricket

Colosseum of cricket

“I can’t believe we are here! How many great players has this stadium seen?” Taran took an imaginary swing pretending that he was a batter.

“Bowled!” joked Appa, coming up from behind him.

“That’s a six,” grinned Taran. “Let’s ask the umpire. Where’s Amma?”

But “the umpire” was not paying attention. Amma was taking it all in. “The oldest cricket stadium in India: Kolakata’s Eden Gardens; 66,000 people can watch a live match. Cricketers have said that it has seen the most energetic and boisterous crowds,” she said.

“Well, sometimes too loud and rowdy. Matches have had to be stopped because crowds were unruly,” pointed out Appa.

“Really?” asked Taran, secretly happy that it was not just children who were loud and unruly. “Turning rowdy when the Indian team is losing is bad sportsmanship in the stadium or out of it. Cricket is an emotion in India, to the extent that we forget hockey is our national sport.”

“Well, we can’t choose whom we love. It just happens,” said Amma, as Appa beamed at her.