During India’s first innings in the Mohali Test against England, Jayant Yadav – the newly inducted Indian off-spinner – was playing a brilliant hand, lower down the order.
At 381-8, and with no other notable batsmen left, Yadav ensured that India got a sizeable lead by continuously farming the strike and playing some crisp shots along with it.
It was a fascinating period of grueling Test cricket where a young Yadav showed remarkable maturity. Strangely, however, the Indian commentators on air during that stage kept discussing something completely different – about steamed idlis in Chennai.
Sadly, moments like these aren’t an aberration these days during the Indian home cricket season. And it is here that one really misses the voice of Harsha Bhogle.
One means no disrespect towards the current crop of Indian commentators, but listening to Harsha speak about the game was an experience in itself.
It has been about nine months since we last heard Harsha in the commentary box. His mysterious removal by the BCCI post the ICC World T20 2016 still remains, well, a mystery.
Theories are abound on the reason why Harsha was never taken again in the commentary team by the Indian cricket board, but even while we dwell on that, the cricket season is at its peak in India and his voice is being dearly missed.
Of Quotable Moments and Delightful Anecdotes
For more than two decades now, Harsha Bhogle has been the voice of Indian cricket. Scores of cricket enthusiasts have grown up listening to him reciting the goings-on in the field with loving detail.
His was the voice that people don’t just enjoy listening to, but can also relate to. There is a certain effervescence and geniality about Harsha’s voice that makes watching the game, even in dour moments, consistently fun.
One could clearly feel his child-like enthusiasm and passion about his job, quite akin to the way Sachin Tendulkar felt about his game throughout his career.
In 1996, When Mohammad Azharuddin smashed Lance Klusener for five consecutive boundaries in an over in the Kolkata Test between India and South Africa, it was Harsha Bhogle who was on air.
As Azhar went berserk, Harsha’s almost childish wonderment and enthusiasm at the incredible scene was extremely relatable.
“This, to put it quite frankly, is unbelievable stuff,” he said in disbelief. We concurred wholeheartedly.
When Yuvraj and Kaif Led India to Victory
Then, when a young Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif staged one of the most remarkable fightbacks in ODI cricket on that balmy afternoon at Lord’s in the NatWest Series final between India and England in June 2002, it was again Harsha who was on air.
Regardless of what happens further in the game. It’s these two young men. Two brave, young men, who have put their hands up and have announced their arrival to the world.
Another instance that comes to mind is during Yuvraj Singh’s stunning knock of 70 off 30 balls versus Australia in the semifinal of the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007. As Yuvraj unleashed one magnificent stroke after the other, Harsha on air said:
Why do we have boundaries here? Oh, the boundaries are only in our minds, not on the ground.
Harsha also had a terrific knack of producing some delightful anecdotes just at the appropriate moments. Sometimes it would be recounting tales of how he reacted to Sunil Gavaskar’s heroics in the West Indies in the summer of 1971 or India’s famous World Cup victory in 1983.
At other times, it could be him giving some fascinating information about a particular city the match was being held in.
The oranges of Nagpur, the puchaks of Kolkata, the winters in Mohali or the beaches of Chennai – the timing is the most crucial aspect of these anecdotes and Harsha rarely got it wrong.
One can only hope that Harsha Bhogle returns to the commentary box soon, doing what he does best. Because though no one is bigger than the game, cricket needs voices like his. And so do we.
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