World Cup 2019 diaries, India vs Afghanistan: Journey of 22 yards on a train

“The train is a small world moving through a larger world” - Elisha Cooper

Train journeys have a charm that air travel can never match. Yes, it is time taking, tiring, but along with the scenery around comes an opportunity to meet and talk to strangers whom one would never expect to meet again.

While, with the advent of technology most people are glued to their phones and have an earphone plugged in while travelling. But even then, given the larger duration and the fact that humans are social animals we indulge in conversations especially on train journeys. These conversations can start off with the weather, politics or sports among various other things.

Train journeys have an old school charm to it

Being a cricket fan, I was initially disappointed to be travelling from Chennai to Bengaluru on the day India was slated to play Afghanistan in the World Cup 2019. But I had never thought that following the match on the train with fellow passengers would be such an enriching experience.

As I got into the Shatabdi, I was looking for the Ticket Collector (TC) since I wanted to upgrade my ticket to the Executive Chair Car. After bugging him few times, he asked me to take an empty seat in the compartment, till he figured out my assignment.

Let’s watch the match together

So, I took a vacant seat and a person of almost my age walked in to sit next to me. He immediately took out his mobile and started streaming the India-Afghanistan match. By this time, I was just checking the score online, but seeing him I also decided to stream the match on my iPad. While I was just switching it on, he immediately told me that we could watch it together on his phone or on my iPad for a bigger screen experience.

After an initial struggle with the network connections, we eventually started watching the match. India was batting and had already lost four wickets. With last 15 overs remaining, we were hoping for a power finish by Dhoni and co.

Dhoni and me both stumble

While Dhoni’s charge was restricted by Rashid Khan as he got stumped, my enjoyment was momentarily interrupted by the TC who had come to issue the upgraded ticket. He asked me to pay the difference amount and at that moment I realised that I was short of cash by ₹200. Since he wasn’t ready to take the payment by card or mobile wallets, I told that I will go to my original assigned compartment.

Watching all this, my match buddy offered to pay the amount. I politely refused his offer, but then he suggested that I could pay him through the mobile wallets. This didn’t seem a bad option to me. So, I embarrassingly took the money (paid him back immediately) and an upgraded ticket was given to me. We resumed watching the match as the Indian batsmen were finding it difficult to take advantage of the slog overs.

“Pandya is already out”

As there was a bit of lag in the streaming, an uncle who was seated beside kept on continuously updating us whenever a wicket fell. Hence, when we would be hoping for a six by Hardik Pandya, he would smile and say, “Pandya is already out”. There were many others who were keeping a tab on the progress of the men in blue. It was a festive atmosphere.

The Indians ended their innings at 224 runs for 8 wickets and in the break time we discussed about our jobs. I learnt that the man with whom I was watching the match was the owner of an organisation which catered to sustainable products to save water.

Bumrah and our connection return to bring a smile

Bumrah's spell was the differentiating factor

From the beginning of the Afghan innings, both the Indian players and we were in a soup. The players because of the strong response by the new entrants to the world of cricket and us because of the intermittent internet connection. With Afghanistan placed in a solid position at 106 runs for 2 wickets, Jasprit Bumrah and our connection brought a smile to our faces. Bumrah accounted for two wickets in the 29th over and we heaved a sigh of relief.

Little did we know that Mohammad Nabi was not going to give up early. Around the time the seventh Afghan wicket fell in the form of Rashid Khan, the train had already reached Bengaluru Cantt where I had to get down. I bid goodbye to my co-passenger who had made watching the match an enjoyable journey and also thanked him for the help with the cash.

Though, both us had lot of discussion on what should be the strategy of the Indian team. But in all this excitement, we both forgot to tell our names to each other. But does it really matter?

Coming back to the match, I watched the last couple of overs on my way back to home in the cab. It was indeed a thrilling finish which thankfully India won courtesy an excellent penultimate over by Bumrah and a last over hat-trick by Mohammad Shami.

As I reached my home, my mind took me back to another match that I had followed while on train. It was the India-Pakistan match in the Independence Cup in 1997 at Chennai, when Saeed Anwar had scored 194 runs (the highest score in an ODI then). Not surprisingly, India had lost the match then despite a century by Rahul Dravid.

At the end of the day, cricket was the real winner

Fans during the India Afghanistan match

The other difference (apart from India winning it this time) was that, back then we were listening to the commentary on All India Radio instead of streaming it online. It was a different era when smartphones had not intruded our lives. From an experience perspective, yes viewing the match has its own plus points. But then listening to commentary on radio had a charm of its own.

Nevertheless, the emotions were the same as they are now and that is what really matters. Common interest and a journey had united many of us back then, like it did now and at the end of the day however cliché it may sound, cricket was the real winner both in the match and in my journey.