✪ Tendulkar, sandstorm, and Namibia
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_padding=”3px||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”width: 75% !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_main_element_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_main_element_phone=”width: 100% !important;” custom_css_main_element_tablet=”width: 75% !important;”][et_pb_blurb title=”K R Nayar” image=”https://cricketlovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/K-R-Nayar1.png” icon_placement=”left” content_max_width=”1100px” image_icon_width_tablet=”” image_icon_width_phone=”” image_icon_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” content_max_width_tablet=”” content_max_width_phone=”” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.13.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Poppins|700|||on||||” header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”#E02B20″ header_font_size=”16px” body_font=”Poppins||||||||” body_text_align=”left” body_text_color=”#565656″ custom_padding=”|||550px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”|||20px|false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_blurb_image=”width:70px;” image_max_width_tablet=”” image_max_width_phone=”” image_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]Senior cricket writer & analyst
[/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.13.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”8px||||false|false” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Dubai. It was a windy day in Dubai and there was a sandstorm in certain areas before the India-Namibia match. Many cricket lovers here recalled Sachin Tendulkar’s knock at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium against Australia in 1998 on a similar sandstorm day, which then came to be known as the ‘Desert Storm’ knock.
This story was published in The Telegraph, India
The match against Namibia was India’s first T20 encounter against them. The only time India played Namibia was in the 2003 World Cup (50 over) in South Africa. Interestingly, in that match Sachin Tendulkar had emerged the Man of the match cracking 152 runs. Sourav Ganguly too had scored 112 and India won by 181 runs.
Bharat Army and love for Indian team
Many spectators had come to Sharjah with the poster “We still love you India.” India’s global support group called the Bharat Army turned up with drums and constantly waved the Bharat Army flag from the stands. Many wore blue T-shirts with Bharat Army printed on them. A Bharat Army member proudly claimed that “we have come to stand with our team.” Commenting on India’s exit, another spectator said: “Semi-final without India is like a sweet dish made without sugar.” An Indian fan had a poster which said: ‘If only India…” Since the debate still continues on why India lost their first two matches, someone from the crowd asked, “Can someone tell me whose brain was it to not select Ravichandran Ashwin for the first two matches?” Former Indian wicket keeper Farokh Engineer had come to watch the match. He visited the press box and spent some time interacting with journalists.
Jokes on India’s chances
While walking towards the stadium, one could hear many discussing the jokes going around in social media related to the Indian team’s exit. Until the Afghanistan-New Zealand match, everyone was discussing India’s chances of making it to the next stage. But once it was clear that India had been eliminated, the joke was that if India can beat Namibia in three overs, then they can go home early. So when Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to field, someone said that the jokes were not off target and that the team was planning to go home at the earliest. Namibia batted all of the 20 overs to the thrill of a few Namibian fans. Incidentally, Namibians usually turn up in large numbers only for the Dubai Rugby Sevens.
Last huddle as captain.
A fan was heard telling why he came for the match despite the India-Namibia match being an inconsequential one. He said that there are many things one may not witness again like Virat Kohli’s final game as the T20 captain, the last huddle by Kohli as captain, and the last coaching for the trio of Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar. To this remark, another fan quickly chipped in. “This is India’s 150th T20 international match. Nothing is inconsequential in a World cup and when India plays,” he said. Listening to this conversation, someone added, “we may never see India play Namibia again for some time.” When the Namibian wickets began to fall, an Indian fan shouted, “Don’t worry… everyone will get to bat against India.” Except Bernard Schotlz everyone got to bat since they lost only eight wickets.
Namibia’s wise man and carrom balls
As usual, the vociferous comments from spectators in the stands were interesting. When David Wiese bowled four dot balls in the fourth over, someone shouted that Wiese is a ‘wise man’. Similarly, when Namibia lost two wickets when their score was in the nineties, there was a remark that it was the nervous nineties time for Namibia. When Ravichandran Ashwin produced his carrom ball deliveries, a fan remarked loudly that Namibia have only played the game of carrom. When captain Gerhard Erasmus hit a reverse sweep and gloved the ball, someone remarked,” please learn to play with a straight bat before playing such shots.” However, during the post-match speech, when Erasmus said “Hopefully we have inspired a few people with our performances to take up the sport,” many stood up and cheered for him.
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