Arrival of cricket in the geographical domain of Annyatha Mulyaheena, Tulati in the year 1978. Specially written for Yubashakti Club Tulati, dt.13.02.2015.

Arrival of cricket in the geographical domain of Annyatha Mulyaheena, Tulati in the year 1978.

Specially written for Yubashakti Club Tulati, dt.13.02.2015.

Now India is in the ICC world cup 2015, wishing all the best to my national team let me revive my childhood memoir of the arrival of cricket in our field Nuagadia Padia, that field whose dimension was more than Barabati stadium plus Baliyatra ground combine at that time.

It is interesting sports enthusiasm has not decreased in my village as I see members of Yubashakti club are organizing football and cricket tournaments every year with good performance of the host team. They are also going to higher level in nearby tournaments.

Never think the sports in our village was poor in your parents and grandparents generation.

You ask the great field or you ask Maa Hingula or the banyan tree of the drum beaters sahi you may get the answer. The sporting activities in 1970s were too high. I was born in 1967 and was a sixth class student in 1978 when I saw what the game of cricket is about.

 Our village culture was pro sports. Sri Binod Mohanty whom everybody feared more than a tiger also encouraged sporting activity. When a trophy our then club named as Bazi Rout yubak sangha did win it was being carried with the roaring of three cheers for Tulati, for Bazi Rout etc and we all were saying Hip Hip Hurrah without knowing its meaning.

 I got my both wrists broken when fetching Black Berry from Nakhamara in between Haladigadia and Sundara pokhari on a Sunday, Sisira Sahoo(Babuladada), Sashranshu Sekhar Mohanty(Bipinidada) Subash Barik and me went there but I came back with both wrists broken and they brought me home. I feared thereafter to be too active in exhaustive sports.

This made me a Chess player and Volleyball booster.

The team of foot ball was leaded by a great sports man of entire area Sri Prafulla Mohanty (Hariada) whose team mates were Shalluvai, Aswinidada, Tunkadada, Sukutadada, Kathiabhai, Baliavai, Kartika bhai and others. Aswinidada is the link between 1970s and 1980s. If Prafulla Mohanty was the leader of 1970s, Sukharanjan Mohanty (Puniavai) was the leader of 1980s.

Imagine 1978 when there was not a single motor cycle in the village and the only one available with Sri Narayana Mohanty of Pandula which once or twice Hariada brought to ride was a scenery for us and the smell of the burning petrol of the Bullet was sweet and to smell it we ran after the vehicle, at that time we started playing cricket.

 In rural India cricket entered just after 1983 after Kapil`s team own the world cup at Lords defeating the mighty West Indies. Of course people listened cricket commentary with their radio sets. These were the college educated youth who witnessed the game in city areas.

The whole of the village youth were spending their time from 4.30 pm to evening in the field. The main team played in the main ground, children played here and there. The Dalit people played separately that was too difficult for me to accept. Same people can play with us in school but cannot do it off school. But there was no tension over that issue. The vast field could have accommodated ten more football fields. No one told football as soccer.

Volleyball was played only in winter on the opposite side of the village(east). Here also almost the same names were in the best list.

I was a sixth class student means it was in 1978  on the day of Prathamaastami the village was in festive mood. The village youth staying in Bhubaneswar or cuttack as students or as employees notable among them Padana bhai, Baina Dada, Apata Dada, Anadi dada, Kuturadada, Arunavai(nephew of Kathiavai) and all the footballers gathered on the field with new things called Bat, a ball that is too small in comparison to the football or volleyball, sticks called stumps or wicket in combination, bells, helmet, Pads, gloves of two type  and other cricket gears never seen by us before. Some were with white trousers and shirts that created odd feeling. How a game can be played with full dresses was my dilemma as with sports one gets sweats that never suits to covered robes.

It was soon played and I think even Puniavai, Bipinidada, Suryamani bhai played with them. I was a spectator; many villagers from all sahis saw it. I remember one telling, “what is the fun all are standing, one throwing the ball and the other hitting it and then two or three are running, rest are idle”. In one sense he was correct as in soccer all the 22 players are active all the time where as in cricket only 13 are on the field at a particular time. Rest 9 are sitting for there turn. Out of the 13 only three or four are active with each ball.

Before start of the game the city guys trained the country guys the entire rule. The most important training was what is a bowling and what is a throw. One stood as an umpire I can`t recollect his name.Television came to Indian public in 1982 with Delhi ASIAD. It became rural craze only after Ramananda Sagar`s Ramayan was telecasted in mid 80s. So none of us imagined how cricket is played.

  It was not interesting to any one and could not replace football or volleyball for next five years. After 1983 people talked about cricket more and more and everywhere it started dominating. One hour`s post school football or volleyball was enough exercise for the boy and enough practice for the game. But one hour`s cricket is neither adequate for the boy`s need for exercise nor it is adequate for learning the game of cricket. However it touched the imagination of people as India became the champion and there was every chance in each of the world cups India had a chance. This is because only a few countries play it. We can never achieve even the 100^th position in football or volleyball. The craze increased in 1985 when India won another big tournament in Australia where Ravi Shastri became champion of champions and the car he was prized was much discussed. Then the three consecutive centuries by Mohamad Azharuddin. 

 Moreever it was marketed too well by BCCI and match fixers.

As regards to other games India and Pakistan were power centers of Hockey and our national game suffered the most. Our villagers of course did not play hockey at any time. The youth of 1970s also played Badminton with good standard. Our chess players were fine. Middle aged persons like Late Sri Ananda Chandra Mohanty liked to play with kids like us and we learnt so many tactics from him. Our carom was too strong. I have heard my elder brother Kartikvai, when with white was taking all dots including the queen when he started. Opponent not getting any chance. I had not seen it as when I was able to know carom he was playing with his weak left hand voluntarily. Once I asked him about it. He answered it happened a few time but by chance. Verify the fact asking him or his friends.

Cricket was very new in the village, once I remember Hriada was in first slip, he caught a ball very low almost just as it came from the face of the bat diving forward with great control of body rolling with an action even now I am visualizing, which was far better than international standard. It is true for that catch only I developed liking Cricket. In Cricket the faculty of fielding gives me more pleasure to see as it comes unexpected and one`s sporting reflex is the master of the situation that no coach can provide. So to me the all time best cricketer in the world is Jhonty Rhodes.

I remember people were playing the PASHA (YUDHISTHIRA AND DURYODHAN PLAYED IN MOHAVARAT) in our village in 1970s mostly people around Madan Mohan badi.

The concluding remark is many a time I saw a group of women played that game of Pasha with tremendous passion. (mostly near Athayadada the present vice chairman`s house). Our women were at par if not on field but at least off field games. Girls were swimming in majestic Kastura pond and the Nuagadia.

If you are interested please ask Bishianana to show old Panjika of 1978, find out the day of prathamastami  to get the exact date of DAWN OF CRICKET in Tulati. Also ask some elders to know who stood as the umpire in the first game.

Once again let us the people of Tulati wish good luck to Indian team. ( will edit later.)