Nope, I am not talking about the
second test match in the ongoing India-Pakistan series (though you have to admit
most of it, especially what happened on the last day was an
elaborate charade).
This one is about
Sourav Ganguly. And no, it is not the famous one about
Sourav Ganguly and Maggie Noodles.This one though, I feel IMHO, also has the makings of a classic.
It goes like this:
It's a test match.
India are two wickets down for 350.
Sehwag and
Laxman are back in the pavilion.
Dravid, who opened the innings, is on 97.
Tendulkar is on 35 and on strike.
Tendulkar plays the 1st ball of the over to mid-on and thinking the fielder is a bit deep, sets off for a single. The fielder swoops in, picks up the ball, and in a single motion throws down the stumps at the non-striker's end. There's no need for the third umpire. Tendulkar is at least a yard away from the crease and is run out.
Next batsman in is Sourav Ganguly. He is at the non-striker's end. Dravid faces the second ball of the over.
It is a good delivery, pitching on the off stump and swinging a bit away from the batsman. Dravid leaves it well alone.
The third ball is a repeat of the second. Dravid is patient. . . Well left.
Ganguly is showing some impatience now. He obviously wants to be at the batting end. He walks over to Dravid and has a word (or two) with him accompanied with some elaborate hand gestures. Dravid shakes his head, walks back, and takes strike again.
The fourth ball pitches on the off and swings into the batsman. Dravid meets it with the full face of his bat. A textbook forward defensive stroke.
Ganguly is not happy. He walks over to Dravid again. Some more talk. Some more gestures. Dravid asks the umpire,
"How many to go in this over?""Two more deliveries," replies the umpire.
Dravid nods to Ganguly, who comes back to the non-striker's end.
The fifth ball is fast and straight. Dravid goes on to his back foot and punches the ball through the covers. The batsman cross for a comfortable single. Dravid is now just two short of yet another century.
One delivery to go in the over. Ganguly takes guard, settles in his stance, and peers down the pitch. Bowler has decided to bowl round-the-wicket to him. Ganguly doesn't seem happy with that and asks the umpire for a fresh guard. He then asks the sightscreen to be moved a bit.
It's done.
Ganguly settles in his batting stance once again. The bowler polishes the ball and starts on his long run up to the bowling crease. He has hardly taken a few steps when Ganguly drops his bat, pulls out a large red handkerchief from his trouser pocket, starts waving it excitedly and begins shouting,
"HAMARI MAANGEY POORI KARO! HAMARI MAANGEY POORI KARO!" (Fufill Our Demands! Fulfill Our Demands!).
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Now, why does he do it?
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Any guesses?
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Come on, it needs no great out of the box thinking.
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.
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Give it a try.
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.
.
Think.
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Nope?
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Okay.
.
.
.
Because now Ganguly is
on Strike.
