A yellow fever of a different kind is rippling through the streets of Chennai. This annual summer feature, since 2008, coincides with the Indian Premier League while the city roots for its favourite team, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This year is no different as the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, to the cricketing faithful, gears up for the league’s opening game, pitting defending champion CSK against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, here, on Friday. All roads leading towards Chepauk will have that yellow tinge as fans wearing their favourite jersey troop in to cheer for M.S. Dhoni and his mates.
Respect rivals too
Being the sporting ambassadors that they are, don’t be surprised when they equally applaud the exploits of a rival batter like Virat Kohli. This is a crowd that gave a standing ovation to Pakistan after Wasim Akram’s men defeated India in a nerve-wracking Test back in 1999, while centurion Sachin Tendulkar wept inside the dressing room. Chennai, Chepauk, and cricket, besides the obvious alliterative bond, have a relationship forged through all the graces associated with the willow game. This is sport, warmth, kindness and joy, all enmeshed in a wonderful amalgamation, and Chepauk has always been this and much more.
While the present is all about the instant pleasures of T20 cricket, take a leap back to the 1980s when the venue hosted some incredible Tests and ODIs. Be it the 1986 Tied Test involving the Aussies and a heart-breaking one-run loss in the 1987 World Cup ODI against the same opposition, Chepauk threw up these humdingers. The crowds applauded these results with equal fervour even if pathos was just around the corner.
Charms of Ranji Trophy
Also on display were the infinite charms of the Ranji Trophy. Back then, as it is now, the gates were open to the public and much planning went into spending a day at a Ranji fixture. There are seats now, but four decades ago there were portions that just had broad cement steps and the comforting ploy was to take along these huge bedspreads, known as jamakkalams.
You spread it on these steps, sat on it and along with a bunch of friends and cousins, watched the game unfold. The mothers and aunts would have parcelled lunch, often sambar-rice or tomato rice, and there were chips on the side. It was a picnic even if the Karnataka pair of Brijesh Patel and Roger Binny were munching into the Tamil Nadu attack. The match was allowed to seep into our veins at a languid pace while the sea breeze from the adjoining Bay of Bengal offered respite. There was a touch of Zen in the air, but cut to Friday, it will be all about lights, adrenaline, and thrills.
