How my obsession with cricket began and stays, Vol. I
When Yajuvendra Singh took seven catches in the Bangalore Test against the English in 1976-77, my friend Sajeev showed me still black and white pictures of the match and that drew me to cricket, which I have been romancing since then. After losing the first three Tests to 'magical' bowling by John Lever, India had fought back and won the fourth at Bangalore. By then the vaseline headband used by Lever to keep the bowl shining had been exposed by Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi. The first series that I really followed, first day by day, and virtually ball by ball was India's tour Down Under in 1977-78. The Indian team began the tour by playing four-day as well as one-day matches against state teams over a period of four weeks before the First Test at Brisbane. The Kerry Packer World Series had, by then robbed top teams like England, West Indies, and Australia of its superstars. Australia fielded a near rookie team, except for Jeff Thomson and out of retirement 42-year-ol...