WE THE PIONEERS OF TWENTY 20 GACCHI CRICKET - THE TERRACE CRICKET

WE THE PIONEERS OF TWENTY 20

- Gachhi Cricket - The Terrace Cricket

 

As I pass by this site at Hughes Road ( Pandita Ramabai Marg) I imagine that there still stands the AJINKYA MANSION and ----

 ---- A tennis ball comes down the terrace. Thud --- it has fallen  on the roof of the temple opposite, another thud---it is down on the road below.---“Ball please”--- “Throw the ball, please”, we are all shouting from the gachhi (terrace)above. Ganpat and Laxuman already down on the road to fetch the ball. The ball is retrieved by Ganpat of course (he can spot or even smell the ball, it seems). Then you hear, “the whole team is out”. “Ha, ha, ha!”---- the laughter in unison of the opponents. “No way, it was not off the bat”. “It’s a tenner”. The scene ran past my eyes. I almost laughed out loudly.

 “Hey bhai, kanha khoye ho?”, a shout from the taxi driver, jolts me back to the reality. The Ajinkya Mansion stood no more.  but my journey down the memory lane continues.

Every Sunday afternoon (almost every Sunday) there would be a knock on the door.  Even without opening the door I would know that Sandeep had come to tell us that it was time to leave. It was our routine on Sundays- all four of us – Sandeep, Amar, Siddhartha and I would leave our house and assemble in the terrace of Ajinkya Mansion much before others would. Soon the other regulars would join. Jay, Viju, Badu, Kiran, Salil, Dilip, Amit, Laxuman and Ganpat were the other regulars. We, the regulars played practically every Sunday - the practice games. The other gang would join the fun on the Match Day ( a monthly affair). Mahesh, Suresh, Anik, Nrupal, Ashit, Paras and a few others that enabled us to form the two teams fighting for the Jenma Trophy (needless to say sponsored by Mahesh). Kunal must have come twice or thrice at the most. He had stopped playing ever since he had that verbal exchange with Kiran, his uncle. He had dropped a few catches and the uncle was very furious with him.  Nikhil and Pravin came once in blue moon. Akshay too came some times.

Mahesh and Jay would invariably be the opposing captains. In case I had done well in the practice game on the previous Sunday, I would land in Jay’s team, if not then was thrown in the other team and so was the fate of the other regular players as well. Viju always kept wickets for Mahesh's team and Jay kept it for his own team. Jay had a big say in making the rules of the game. We all know that cricket is a funny game and our rules made it more so. If a ball bowled went full toss out of the terrace the batting team would get a Tenner (ten runs). As the luck would have it – the first tenner ever given to the opponents was by none other than Jay. Then there was this funny concept of the Whole Team Getting Out. In case the ball hit by a batsman went down and out of the terrace, the whole team (remaining batsmen) was declared out. I remember – I was playing for Jay’s team (I remember quite clearly) and had opened the innings for them. After scoring some runs, I saw a juicy full toss from Mahesh and bang- I hit the ball – high-high it went- Oh no! Out of the terrace! The whole team out! The rule was soon abolished. Mahesh had a unique way of fielding – falling flat on the ball- stopping the ball, more by the body mass than his own anticipation. Ashit bowled both off breaks and leg breaks with same grip.( I confess now -  I always found it hard to guess which way the ball would turn) Laxuman’s grip was equally unique- holding the blade of the bat with his left hand and the right hand just lightly touching the handle – he would take the left - hander's stance and pivoting his body on his toes he would swing his bat with all his might. Either bowled or a six were the only possible result. Jay was an expert in the reverse sweep stroke until once Bandu ( playing for the opponents) had scored more runs by reverse sweeping. A new rule was immediately framed - Reverse Sweep not allowed.There was no running between wickets.(most of us were simply unable to run - being obese, bulky,over weight, etc. Sandeep and Kiran being the exceptions) No ones, twos or threes – We dealt only in boundaries. A hit on the parapet wall scored a ‘4’ and a full toss hit , a ‘6’. Then there was this tenner by default. Bowling was under arm and each batsman was allotted 4 overs, one each from four different bowlers. Thus each team would play around 20 overs.  So you see we were the first – to start the limited overs Twenty-20 Cricket. Had there been Under- Arm Cricket World Cup, many of us would have played for India.

We were free from match fixing. We fought fiercely. At times the tempers would run very high. There would banging of bats on the floor (thank God Ajinkyas and Dhurandhars occupied the floor below and not any tenant) and throwing of caps on the ground and shouts of “No way, no way” Nrupal , Kiran , Mahesh and Jay were experts in throwing tantrums. Perhaps Bandu was the coolest one. Umpiring was the prerogative of the batting side. Some times we did have a guest umpire, mostly Amber mama and whenever he did officiate, Mahesh’s team would invariably lose. All the umpiring decisions were then ruled in favour of the opponents. May be wanted to prove a point –that he would never favour his son or his team. Nevertheless, all of it was a great fun. In between the serious business of playing, we had some lighter moments too. Once, a ball had fallen down in the chowk below and Ganpat ran across and peeped down to spot the ball so that he could retrieve it without wasting time in searching for it. As he dashed across he banged against Sandeep who was also leaning from the terrace parapet. Sandeep’s spectacles went cart – wheeling down below and fell in the chowk as well. After the customary apologies Ganpat ran down.He soon found the ball the specs as well and then he shouted from the chowk , “ चष्म्याला काहीही झाले नाही, फक्त काच फुटलाय आणि एक कधी तेव्हढी तुटलाय. बाकी चष्मा ठीक आहे -Chasmyala kayhi zale nahi. Fakat kanch futli aani aik kaddhi tutli baki chasma thik aahe!” (Nothing has happened to the specs. Only the glasses are smashed ----)  Up until now Sandeep had taken every thing sportingly ( he had even remarked that it was just an accident) But now Sandeep was seething with anger! And it was like rubbing salt to the wound, when Mahesh joked " It's okay. Get them. Sandeep will use them as magnifying glasses". Now Sandeep was fuming. But then he was in Mahesh's team and even batted without the specs, scoring good runs for the team. That was sportsman spirit for you.He was declared the Man Of The Match.

After the match – the dinner party, the Revolving or rather Rotating Trophy (as it always remained in Jay’s Consulting Room) would be handed over to the winning captain with all the fan fare, snaps being taken, thank you speeches and what not. But most of us more interested in the glasses in our hands and jokes and gossiping sessions. Arvind  bhauji was always in his elements and enlivened the party with his crispy jokes. He was also informative, encyclopedia on Foods - what was good in the Police Canteen, which Irani served the best keema pav, where were the best Falooda or  Ferni joints, so on and so forth. (Kunal must have had his grooming lessons done here)  Sandeep has inherited this gift (to some extent). SANDEEP!--- that reminds me—Once after our match Jay had announced that Sandeep Patil was to come for the party as the chief guest. No one believed him .We thought that it was one of his usual dhap (bluff). But there he was! Sandeep Patil had come with Ramdas Padhey. Their wives too had accompanied them. Naturally he was offered a drink. Initially, he declined to accept our offer. But after a lot of coxing by all of us, he went, had some discussion with his spouse and he said, “I shall have a beer”. I do not know what made him change his mind or was he seeking permission to drink? There were others too, who hardly participated in our cricket matches but came and made these parties enjoyable. Kunal with his Striptease Act – the twisting and wriggling motion  of his torso, turning his neck from one side to the other, then removing the T - Shirt and throwing it in the crowd (at this juncture some one stopped him from going any further) – The whole act was a treat to watch. Nitin’s Don Scene – Khainke pan Banaras walla – was always fresh. (His sudden passing away was very shocking and sad).

 As I stand near this construction site, oblivious of the traffic and the people around, I look up --there isn't any terrace------ hear no shouts from above of 'ball please'---  huge metallic sheets block my view, hiding the site where once stood tall  - Ajinkya Mansion.

And clink - clank - the loud metallic sounds and the 'Haya hoosh' and 'Gop - Nikal' of the labourers is all that I hear..
But memories come rushing back ---Simply nostalgic.

Vinay Trilokekar