Rendezevous with the cricket!

Anirudh got to watch his first cricket match on September 24, 2007 - the finals of the Twnety20 World cup. What better to start with a match between India and Pakistan.

We had the invites for the special screening at Priya Cinema, PVR Group at Vasant Vihar, New Delhi and watching the finals on the big screen was too tempting although we were worried Anirudh might not fuss there but we still went on thinking "Dekha jayega". So all three of us - Anirudh, myself and Hubby went there along with our cousin Bhaiyya-Bhabhi to relish the match on the big screen. Weaving through the after office traffic at 6 PM we managed to reach there just before the Pakistan was to start playing and felt sad that we missed India's batting. What a game it was..not just for us but for Anirudh too!

The PVR people had distributed whistles to all and whenever India would take a wicket the whole theater would be shouting and jumping and blowing the whistles. The first time Anirudh got so scared that he started bawling!! But later I explained to him that everyone is happy like he gets and shouts "main jeet gaya" when we play any games at home. So he understood and could relate it easy with what he does when he wins a game at home. So at the second wicket, when we all cheered and jumped he joined us with full enthu too!! He was jumping up and down, blowing the whistle shouting "Yay! Yay!"

Looking at him we all thought "Here comes another fan of the cricket!" :D And there was no stopping after that! At every wicket or good bowling he would cheer and shout along with us. He was quite amused that he was not being stopped or scolded for doing it. But I guess he was more amused that Mumma-Papa who usually stop him from shouting were doing so themselves!

When once one of the fielders caught a ball and thus getting a wicket, Anirudh immediately said "Good job! Yay! Yay!" copying us exactly as we do when we are playing throw-and-catch with him.

But that was not the end of it. After winning the game, we went to Pizza Hut for dinner and he was shouting there also. But when we stopped him saying you can't shout here he gave us such a bewildered look as if saying "Whats with them? One moment they are shouting and jumping and the next they are stopping me!" Hehehe...

On the drive back home after dinner he tells us "Mumma, crciket dekhne mein bahut mazaa aaya!" He is still in the cricket mood though. Today when I was playing cricket with him, in our living room with his plastic bat and plastic ball, he hit the ball so hard that it hit the ceiling at the other end of the room so I said "Sixer!!" and he in a very ceremonious style waved his bat in the air saying "Main jeet gaya! Yay!" I smiled and just nodded looking at this budding fan of cricket! But then who knows it may just be a short term love for the game and may wear down soon! Or maybe its just the beginning??