We don't own a TV. Thats also the reason why we've never sat down glued to the idiot box watching a cricket match in progress. Despite the hype of the Twenty-Twenty and IPL in our country, we didn't miss not watching a match. (Most times we couldn't figure what the furore was all about.)
Until the housing society we live in decided to make this World Cup LARGE - 16 x 12 feet LCD screen, food stalls, DJ music that pumped up the volume with every lost wicket (of the opposing side) and every sixer or boundary.
It was fun to put it mildly. The atmosphere was electric, as we watched Shahid Afridi's dismissal at the India-Pak semi-final, crackers burst, the DJ played LOUD bhangra and every single person - lounging on the grass, or occupying a chair jumped up and burst into a spontaneous dance! People high-fived, kids screeched, young and old alike celebrated in jubilation at India's world cup victory.
My daughter realised cricket was cool. She now knows most cricketing terms (she's a fast learner) and even in a restaurant, her eyes veer towards the TV screening the IPL matches. She cheers, she gets mad with bad shots/bowling, she prays, and screams "wicket wicket wicket" when India really needs it (fingers duly crossed).... Although she is still confused about which IPL team she wants to support, she has found an endearing new interest.
The son, on the other hand, went down every evening, cricket bat and ball in tow (replaced by the completely useless bey-blade), soon after the semi-final but came right back up and exclaimed, "I can't bat, because the bat is too heavy. But I can ball."
And bowl he can! He sprints and has learned the jumping-in-air move before throwing the ball at the batsman. He practices at home (scaring the daylights out of me as the ball bounces off my precious crystal ware), and the cricket gear has found an almost permanent place in the living room.
He also likes watching but even during a match, he'd rather play.
Me thinks, there is good reason to maybe, just maybe, buy a TV!
Until the housing society we live in decided to make this World Cup LARGE - 16 x 12 feet LCD screen, food stalls, DJ music that pumped up the volume with every lost wicket (of the opposing side) and every sixer or boundary.
It was fun to put it mildly. The atmosphere was electric, as we watched Shahid Afridi's dismissal at the India-Pak semi-final, crackers burst, the DJ played LOUD bhangra and every single person - lounging on the grass, or occupying a chair jumped up and burst into a spontaneous dance! People high-fived, kids screeched, young and old alike celebrated in jubilation at India's world cup victory.
My daughter realised cricket was cool. She now knows most cricketing terms (she's a fast learner) and even in a restaurant, her eyes veer towards the TV screening the IPL matches. She cheers, she gets mad with bad shots/bowling, she prays, and screams "wicket wicket wicket" when India really needs it (fingers duly crossed).... Although she is still confused about which IPL team she wants to support, she has found an endearing new interest.
The son, on the other hand, went down every evening, cricket bat and ball in tow (replaced by the completely useless bey-blade), soon after the semi-final but came right back up and exclaimed, "I can't bat, because the bat is too heavy. But I can ball."
And bowl he can! He sprints and has learned the jumping-in-air move before throwing the ball at the batsman. He practices at home (scaring the daylights out of me as the ball bounces off my precious crystal ware), and the cricket gear has found an almost permanent place in the living room.
He also likes watching but even during a match, he'd rather play.
Me thinks, there is good reason to maybe, just maybe, buy a TV!
