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Bannon, beer, Bishan?s necktop
Reclining comfortably on a leather chair in the Committee Room, the Hon'ble John Bannon (former Premier of South Australia who held office longer than Jyoti Basu), said there is a definite buzz about the Indians. The interest is enormous, the response to the tour is almost like the Ashes.
Reclining comfortably on a leather chair in the Committee Room, the Hon'ble John Bannon (former Premier of South Australia who held office longer than Jyoti Basu), said there is a definite buzz about the Indians. The interest is enormous, the response to the tour is almost like the Ashes.
On Friday, there certainly was a buzz, but from the blades of the Aussies who were on fire, with India at the receiving end. The ground contained 20,028 spectators, even the newly inaugurated Chappell stands were packed with people who kept up a lusty cheer through the day, the decibel level rising rapidly as batsmen plundered boundaries. It was a splendid day for Aussie fans — they celebrated by consuming gallons of beer.
Bannon and his mates, seated in the exclusive Committee Room, too enjoyed themselves but were, in comparison to general spectators, quieter, more restrained and sedate. They viewed the action from square-leg, next to the players' dressing rooms, their comfort ensured by trained staff.
The ambience here was formal without being stiff, hanging on walls were old photographs (Adelaide Oval in1880, Duke Of York's visit at the beginning of the century) and the shelves were adorned with old bats and a set of precious Doulton porcelain, generously donated by a collector.
Considering the dignity of this exclusive pavilion, a strict dress code applies for members. Gents are required to wear a jacket and tie but, said a notice hanging at the entrance, coats can be removed at the President's discretion on days of extreme heat. Ladies are politely reminded to maintain suitable standards.
At lunch, guests paid handsome tributes to the Chappells for enriching South Australian cricket before settling down to a sit-down meal of fish and wine.
Then, Bishan Bedi (as popular in Adelaide as in Amritsar, people are still fascinated by his flight and colourful turbans), described Kartik's exclusion as diabolical and bizarre. He too made two suggestions.
One, the Indians should concentrate not on the pitch but the Adelaide ground, which is so big that once, Ian Redpath and Paul Sheahan almost ran six runs.
They were foiled by an alert Dilip Sardesai who, displaying admirable presence of mind, kicked the ball out of the boundary and thus saved two runs.
Two, the Indians should take it easy on too much gym-work and reduce their dependence on computer analysis. Cricket, says Bish paaji, should be played by using the necktop (meaning, the brain) instead of the laptop!
