Arya Sekhar Chakraborty contributes in the rising cricketing fever ahead of Freedom Trophy. The countdown begins.
Come 2 October and one of the most eagerly awaited cricket series of the year will commence, with India taking on South Africa at Dharamsala in the first game of the three match T20 series. The sleepy Himalayan town is home to probably the most scenic cricket ground in the world, with the breathtaking Dhauladhar range in the backdrop.
The Proteas are in India for a full series this time, with the itinerary also comprising four Tests and five one day internationals (ODIs). The two sides, for the first time, will battle for the Freedom Trophy. Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have declared that all series between the two sides in the future will be titled Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series, in remembrance of the two undisputed national leaders who played a vital role in liberating India and South Africa respectively.
The Proteas are in India for a full series this time, with the itinerary also comprising four Tests and five one day internationals (ODIs). The two sides, for the first time, will battle for the Freedom Trophy. Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have declared that all series between the two sides in the future will be titled Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series, in remembrance of the two undisputed national leaders who played a vital role in liberating India and South Africa respectively.
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Two legends one frame |
Jagmohan Dalmiya, former BCCI president, had said just days before his untimely death that the freedom struggle is what binds the two countries. Gandhi and Mandela played a pivotal role in this regard and used non-violence and non-cooperation as a common weapon, which not only inspired the world but also redefined history. That inspired BCCI and CSA to dedicate the trophy to Gandhi and Mandela, he added.
Anurag Thakur, the Indian cricket board secretary, recently said, “BCCI on behalf of every citizen of our country is able to pay tribute to these great leaders by naming the series after them and appeal to each and every citizen of our country to imbibe their ideals and follow the path advised by them”.
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A much awaited series |
Chris Nenzani, CSA president, on his part, said, “The revered names of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela leave us with a huge responsibility to live up to the legacies they have left us. Above all else they stood for doing the right thing and persevered at great personal cost to achieve freedom for their country regardless of how long it took them.”
CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat, echoed Nenzani and said, “For the people of both our countries there is no greater duty than to uphold the ideals of both Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. As cricket loving people we must fight hard to win on the field of play but never forget to do the battle in the spirit of these two great men.”
Both sides had fought several memorable battles on the cricketing field, ever since their bilateral series began in 1991. India, for one, will be high on confidence following the Test series win in Sri Lanka after 22 long years. The Gandhi-Mandela series will provide opportunity for rookies like Sreenath Aravind and Gurkeerat Singh to prove their mettle at the highest level for the first time. Captain Virat Kohli will be a much relieved man with Shikhar Dhawan regaining his fitness. Dhawan holds great record against the Proteas. The key to India’s success will be sticking to the basics as they are a tremendously dominant team in their own backyard. Indian T20 and ODI captain MS Dhoni will be back in the team after three months. He will be all set to prove his critics wrong, who had earlier tipped in giving the captaincy to Kohli, even in the shorter versions of the game.
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Playing for pride |
A keen contest is waiting to unfold within the next few days. Cricket aficionados from both countries will be glued to their TV screens, lapping up some top class cricket.
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The writer is a freelance contributor. Comments personal
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