It would stating the obvious that we areprone to superstitions irrespective of our family backgrounds, education and value systems with our mothers telling us to ‘wait’ because someone had just sneezed ! Apart from the ill-famed black cat crossing the road being bad luck, we were told cutting fingernails/toenails at night time would bring misfortune, a crow calling could be the precursor to guests arriving, itchy palms signaled the onset of money inflow and our Ma feeding us ‘Dahi’ in the morning of the exams/interviews was helpful augury for success. With passage of time and new technology most have started taking these as old rituals and adhered just to please old folks.
So it’s interesting that superstitions are still alive and thriving in our religion of ‘Cricket’! It’s safe to assume that a billion Indians follow cricket, with varying intensities ! To start from the topper, legendary Big B being a passionate follower of the game, says he never watches a match live since India tends to lose, if he’s watching ! Talking of the India’s master-batter, King Kohli, his alarming dip in form some years back, prompted die-hard fans to attribute it uncharitably to ‘unlucky’ presence of his wife in the stands !
Like folklore that’s associated with the greats, it’s said the ‘God of Cricket’ Sachin would always put on his left pad first, Kapil would look up towards the skies when coming out to bat and 1983 MOM, Mohinder Amarnath had a red handkerchief tucked in. When the scoreboard read ‘111’, English umpire David Shepard would do hop & skip ! There are stories of legendary cricketers and their idiosyncrasies that have been retold by experts on air. Added is ‘commentators curse’ which happens if one starts praising a batter on the field for his stroke-play and soon he gets ‘Out’!
Closer home, stranger things have happened in families and with friends who’d give an arm to watch an exciting Cricket match. Ladies of the house have joined the razzmatazz of IPL/WPL and can distinguish between MI, RR and DC, to name few. I remember fondly my dear Dad and my Pa-in-law, both greatest sports lovers I’ve known for their passion and inevitable despondence if India lost, which was often in the 1980s before it became a Cricketing super-power ! When Sunny, Vishy or any Indian batter approached his century, my Pa-in-law would close his eyes and pray !
As a buff, with same chair in front of the TV and the mobile switched off during an tough match going down to the wire, I understand that cricket is full of glorious uncertainties ! But yesterday I too got converted into the mad, mad ways of superstitious : I was waxing eloquent on Virat’s flawless batsmanship as he was heading towards a certain century in the ODI match against Kiwis. A friend responded on Whatsapp ‘ Nazar maat lagao abhi’. To my horror, Virat played uppishly & got out on 93 ! His ‘Folly’ or ‘Jolly’ Bad Luck ?!
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