The Bangalore Test: Beer and Other Unexpected Knocks

Putting up this post really late, but anyway. Got to watch days one and two, as well as one session of day five, of the second Border-Gavaskar test at the Chinnaswamy. Fantastic experience overall.

Lessons learnt:

1. The Terrace ('T' stand), located right next to the press box, is probably the best place to catch the action on this ground. It provides the optimal balance between the view-of-the-ground factor and the cost factor.

2. Test cricket is best enjoyed with beer - we in India have been missing out. In what was a first (in my experience at least), the hallway leading to the stand entrances had a stall selling Kingfisher by the pint. Around the lunch break on the first day, the security personnel started to relax a bit and gradually allowed us to bring the beer in. On instruction, they decided to get tough on the second day, so this time we repeatedly smuggled the beer in green plastic bottles hidden in a backpack. People eventually got wind of this, and started giving us dirty looks as we kept taking a swig and passing the bottle around, by which time the day was done.

3. Test cricket is best enjoyed when watched with a member of the opposition camp for company. It certainly helped that Justin, the lone Aussie among our lot, was the enthusiastic and provocative sort. During India's first innings, he had to endure much Indian mirth and winding-up when Sehwag started off like an express train and Johnson and George were spraying it around; with the roar he let out when Viru fell into Hilfenhaus' trap, you'd have thought you were in a tribal bush-war for a second.

(Sample exchange: "See I told you, your man Sehwag is plain lazy. Why can't he tie his own shoelaces?" "Well, he's just telling your bowler "Fine mate, I admit you are good enough to tie my shoelaces'.")

4. An Indian crowd loves a good Ricky Ponting bashing.

5. Expect the odd surprise individual innings at the Chinnaswamy. Marcus North, Murali Vijay, and finally Chetshwar Pujara all weighed in this time. Michael Slater in 1998, Azhar in 2000, Michael Clarke in 2004, Afridi in 2005...each one unexpected and memorable.

6. "Che" is officially the best Indian cricketer nickname in a long time. (Hat tip to Bored Cricket Crazy Indians for calling it early).

7. It's all been said, but there is nothing like the atmosphere of a packed test ground in India. It'd be great if this could be an annual thing at Bangalore. However, I have come to accept that the issue of standardising test venues across the country is far from black-and-white. Read Mahek's post on BCC! for an alternative viewpoint. My friend Shom decided to join what turned out to be a fascinating debate, and his rebuttal post can be read here.