The Great India / Pakistan “Bowl Out” - do you have any fingernails left??

I’m all for the Peace Talks between India and Pakistan. Really I am.

But cricket, cricket is a different question.

Here in India, cricket is an organized religion. And the India v/s Pakistan match is Midnight Mass.

(Quote me on that, rather nice isn’t it?)

It’s 1.48 in the am but everyone, EVERYONE in the whole of India has been jumping up & down in their seats. The first face off between India and Pakistan in the very first World Twenty 20 was bound to be a chilling match. Every India/Pakistan match is.

But then,

suddenly, we were 95/5 in the 12th over. Seriously people. My dad was going on about how India has never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup ODI and I was like “This is going to be a record breaking match then”.

Little, oh little little, did I realise at the time how right I was. With all the wrong thinking though.

It was our turn to bowl.

And suddenly a wicket dropped!! And then a second.

Some guy (the manager?) by the name of Chandlal (?) is telling Ravi Shastri that we have to get wickets & stay in the match until the 14th over to stay in the tourny. Yeah brilliant, we all know that buster.

Suddenly,

there’s a THIRD wicket down!!! Seriously, can we really do this???

Irfan Pathan comes to bowl.

“Come on now Irfan,” I beg my TV screen, “Give me a wicket and I’ll clear the dinner dishes”

FOURTH WICKET!!!!

I’m jumping. Seriously, I’m JUMPING!!!! I’m also screaming, it’s night, but everyone else in the whole of India is screaming too.

It’s an ad break. I go clear the dinner dishes.

And I come back - and my mum looks at me and says, “Melody…”

What is that about her tone????

“YOU’RE KIDDING ME???!!! Another wicket??? Say it’s another wicket???” I’m screaming again.

YUP. Fifth wicket.

My mum tells me to go to the kitchen and come back again. Seriously, how superstitious are we as a nation in general? I imagine every single person trying to do whatever they were doing in the last few minutes all over again, just so that over could be repeated.

From now on, I believe we can do this. We can do this. We can, we can. WE CAN. WE can do this boys. Oh, come on!

The dancers who have been entertaining the crowds by dancing each time a 4 or 6 is hit are suddenly just sitting down quietly. The Hindi commentators are saying “Bahoot aaram mil rahe hay”. Because Pakistan is just not scoring.

And then, it’s Agarkar.

Seriously, what was he doing out there?? First he drops Afridi. Then he bowls like my neighbour’s 4 year old son Ramu. No, cancel that, Ramu is better.

Suddenly Arafat is hitting out. And it looks like it’s all over. The Pakistanis are all dancing in the stands. Rejoicing.

I’m thinking, it’s not right. We can’t have come this close to lose.

Saks is on the phone with me.

11 runs required off the last over.

Now it’s 1 run from 2 balls.

And it’s a dot ball. (SCREAMSSS GALORE, no more nails left on hand, quick think if I have any date for tomorrow, realise I don’t, continue to bite nails).

Saks is going on, “They’re going to win, they’re going to win, it’s Friday”.

My mum is saying, “He’s probably going to hit a six now and finish it off”. Her tone implies that she will die if he hits a six.

And then it happens, the last, the very very very last ball is bowled. Poor Sreesanth, I feel for the kid.

Pure, unadulterated, heart stopping silence.

“Nail Biting Finish” doesn’t begin to describe it.

And it’s over. WE DID IT!!!! WE WIN!!! Actually, we tie. But seriously, it’s as good as a win anyway isn’t it?? The fact that we could snatch away something that should have been their’s from right under their noses!!!!! Ah!!!!!!!! The sweet smell of winning Pakistan

I’m still on the phone with Saks, I wish my parents good night and then put on my PC; I’m going to blog.

And suddenly she’s saying, “Wait, what is this? The match is not over”

“Of course it’s over you dolt,” I say, “It’s tied, it’s over”

“No no, go back,” she says, “there’s something happening on the field”

WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING???

Everyone seems to be back on the field. But no one, not a soul, seems to know what’s going on. In fact, both teams are laughing and joking and patting each other on the back. Even the umpires seem confused, looking into several large sheets of what must be a rule book. Dhoni’s with them, also seemingly trying to understand what to do. They’re telling him where to place the boys, where the others must stand.

For what seems the longest time no one knows what is happening. I’m sure at this point, both teams would have been happy with the draw and just wanted to go home. But no. No, there’s going to be a tie breaker.

Yup, a hockey and footy-esq sudden death and penalty shoot out finish. I’m half expecting Beckham to walk up from somewhere.

Apparently each team has to choose 5 bowlers to try and hit the wickets & get a best of 5. After that I’m not sure. I don’t think anyone else is either.

After what seems like another eternity, the teams have both chosen their 5 bowlers. Please, please, please don’t take Agarkar, I’ve implored my TV Screen again. Mercifully, they haven’t.

It’s the “Bowl Out”.

Seriously, what are the odds, at the first World Twenty 20s, the first India Pakistan face off, there’d be a tie and the new rule of the “Bowl Out” would have to be implemented. I imagine bookies all over the world going nuts.

And then it starts. India first (there was a toss). It’s Sehwag. He bowls, he hits the wickets. One green tick for India. Everyone’s still laughing. My dad says all bowlers can do this easily. I imagine the match never ending.

And then Arafat from Pakistan comes. AND HE MISSES!!!! CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE???? Yes, he has, he has, he has!!! It’s a red cross for Pakistan.

Then it’s Harbhajan. Again, clean bowled. Another green tick for us.

It’s Pakistan’s turn again. Gul. HE MISSES. I wonder, is this match fixed??

Then little Uthappa goes up. Again it’s clean bowled

And suddenly it’s Shahid Afridi. He’ll hit the wicket of course, how could he not? But, WILL YOU BELIEVE THIS???, he doesn’t. This match probably IS fixed, but what they heck, we’ve won.

The third red cross for the Paks - and we’ve suddenly WON the match. No, not tied, WON it.

I’m exhausted. My nails are bitten off completely. But I’m super thrilled. I’m up trying to get this post written in between gTalking with friends who’re also rejoicing. It takes me more than an hour to write this.

Because, heck, EVERYONE is rejoicing.

Victory smells good.

Tags: Agarkar, Arafat, Beckham, Bowl-Out, Dhoni, Gul, Harbhajan, ICC-World-Twenty-20, India, Irfan-Pathan, Pakistan, Peace-Talks, Sehwag, Shahid-Afridi, Sreesanth, Sudden-Death, Uthappa, Victory