Who was India’s first ODI captain?
Who is the only player to have won 4 consecutive Man of the Match awards?
Who were the 3 Ws of West Indies?
Which player has scored a century and taken 6 wickets in one match?
Before Sachin overtook, who had the record for the highest centuries in ODI's n how much? (it looked unbeatable at one stage)
Who has taken the highest number of wickets in a single test match and how many?
India’s first overseas Test win was against whom and the team was led by whom?
Who said “whoever gets to 300 test wickets will b a very tired man?"
Which batsman faced the first delivery in ODI cricket? (His was also the first wicket to fall in ODI cricket)
Ok, so I barely got 25% of the above questions right. But what is important is that, now I do know the answers, and have gained lot more.
It all started off as our daily cricket conversation, and like every time it only added to my knowledge of the game. “I have followed cricket before Sachin overtook him (Desmond Haynes)”, said Huzi. And that had me up and listening. We were talking about who had the record for the highest number of centuries in ODI’s before Sachin overtook. I was barely recalling when I actually started following cricket closely, when Bish adds, “I know this since childhood”. So, what was I really doing when these guys were watching the game?! And, that only triggered me more to be a part of this conversation. I was learning, not only about the game, but also about my friends and myself. That’s why I feel, it’s important to be around people who share the same interests and passions as you.
“Who was the 1st ODI captain of India?” shoots Huzi. Ok, I know this one, I thought to myself. I had this advantage of growing up with my grandfather, who in my knowledge knows more about history than any other soul I know. And by History, I mean history of everything – World Wars, Indian Independence, Cricket, World Politics and even Bollywood! I remember him saying that CK Nayudu (who is also the first Indian cricketer to be honored with the Padma Bhushan) was India’s first captain. But, I forgot how important details are. Grandpa had probably also mentioned ‘in Tests’, which I had conveniently forgotten through the years. So very confidently, I say “CK Nayudu” only to realize, Huzi had asked for ODI. Read the question twice before answering, is something teachers told us before our board exams. Will remember that next time. “Ajit Wadekar” says Bish, which is the right answer.
Answers to some were really basic, but when you have people who are eager to share their knowledge, you know of things like – Sourav Ganguly is the only player to have won 4 consecutive Man of the Match awards in ODI. Extra bit of info from Bish – “In Toronto, against Pakistan. We won that series 4-1.. We were leading 4-0 and made a good score in the 5th ODI but someone from Pak hit a century. The series was in 1990’s.. 96 or 97 if I’m not wrong”. Obviously, I can find this information online, but to learn this from communication is more impactful.
You could well be a big cricket fan and drown yourself in history books of the game, read new articles, scan all stats and watch every ball of a 5-day Test… But there is something else that you gain from having a conversation with like-minded people. Communication is important, whatever be the medium. It leads to exchange of information, excitement, passion and goes on to make long-lasting bonds…
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