HOWZAT: Cricket, The Heart and Soul of India
“HOWZZATTT!!!” – rings the Cricket field with the desperation-filled cry of the bowler as he appeals to the umpire with eyes filled with passion and fire. The spectators hold their breath, waiting for the umpire’s decision. Slowly, the man with the hat raises a single finger in the air. “Out”, he says.
And the crowd goes wild.
Such is the game of Cricket: a British game that Indians have made their own. It is a dread-filled game that is enjoyed by all, regardless of age and gender. We Indians are no strangers to the game, but still, if you’re one of those who’d like to know more about their favourite sport, then read on below.
1. Like baseball, Cricket is a bat-ball based game. It is played between two eleven-men teams in a 22-yard pitch with wickets at each end.
2. At a given time, one of the teams bats while the other bowls. The offensive team, the batting team, score runs by striking the ball aimed at the wicket.
3. The defensive team, the fielding team, on the other hand, tries to prevent the batting team from scoring runs by trying to dismiss the offensive team’s batters.
4. There are many ways to dismiss the batters. The most usual method is “bowling them out” – hitting the wickets with the bowled ball. It results in instant dismissal.
5. Another method is to catch the ball that’s been hit by the batter without letting it hit the ground first. Yet another is to “run the batter out” before they have entered the crease (the safe zone) while they’re running for runs.
6. The match is adjudicated by two umpires, the third umpire for support and a match referee during an international competition. The umpire has the last say to decide whether a batter is out or not.
7. The inning ends when the fielding team has bowled all the overs or when ten batters (of it) have been dismissed. The two teams then switch roles. The now batting team must score the target runs to seize victory.
8. There are many forms of international Cricket. T20 matches last for twenty overs or Test matches that are played over five days.
9. The players’ jerseys vary according to the match type. Players usually wear their club or country colours. But during test matches, they wear an all-white jersey.
This ends the tour of “some facts on Cricket,” making beginners understand “what is it”? Concludingly, Cricket is a game that is vital for India’s existence, a game that gives Indians power. Take, for instance, the 2020s IPL. The tournament gave people a necessary distraction from the chaos that the pandemic caused.
Blog Edited By Ritika Gupta
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