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Piyush Chawla goes dizzy after dismissing Kevin Pietersen at Edgbaston
© Getty Images
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There are several ways to describe this series but the one that first comes to mind is ‘fun’. It didn’t the titanic quality of the 2005 Ashes, or the miraculous touches of Australia in India 2001, but it will be fondly recalled in years to come. It was fun because of the diverse skills on view – quality left-arm swing in the Tests, intoxicating spin in the one-dayers, flashes of batting brilliance – but it was mostly fun because of the intensity with which the teams went at each other. They even haggled over Jelly Beans.
It often appeared like two teams slugging it out on neutral territory. India often received more vocal support – Birmingham’s transformation to Mohali was quite something – and were never made to feel under siege. Irrespective of the result there were joyous scenes at the end of every game. The grounds were packed for the Tests, and overflowing for the one-dayers. Surprisingly it was India’s tour game at Northampton that saw the most jam-packed audience. The sight of tickets going for ₤500 on the morning of the final one-dayer at Lord’s was both staggering and heartening.
It was enjoyable because both teams entertained. There was hardly a dreary phase with both sides doing their best to make things happen. Piyush Chawla and Ramesh Powar didn’t hesitate to toss it up in the one-dayers, going for wickets despite the pressure, and Andrew Flintoff ran in as if his life depended on it.
Personally it was fun covering the tour. It wasn’t one where you had to spend half your time in airports or where you were knackered halfway through. It’s not often that India go through entire tours without major controversy but it was a feature of this series that allowed the cricket to be the focus.
There’s an easy feel about watching cricket in England, in a semi-serious, semi-relaxed state. They chat, sip, chat, sip (except at Lord’s where they mainly sip) but keep an eye on the cricket. It’s more serious than the Caribbean – where audiences tend to treat cricket as ‘just a game’ – and more easy-paced than in India and Pakistan – where it’s often far more than a game.
One moment that stands out? When Piyush Chawla bounded in at Edgbaston and, for the second match in a row, foxed Pietersen with a legbreak that didn’t spin. The ecstatic celebration that followed, Chawla running towards point with his arms outstretched, encapsulated the themes of this series: aggression, risk and a whole lot of fun.
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