Day 3: Anil who? A 5-wicket what?

Every morning, a selection of local newspapers and a printout of a couple of Spanish online newspapers are delivered to my room. Usually, Shah Rukh Khan is on every other page of every single newspaper, either on print ads, spotted the previous evening in a restaurant or club, or because of some quote he made to the press in regards to his latest movie, his upcoming movie, or his "friendship" with Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan.

Ah, but today is a new day! The first test match in the Boxing Day cricket series between India and Australia finished with a defeat of the Indian team. However, that pales in comparison with the attention given by the media to Anil Kumble, who scalped his 35th five-wicket haul during the first match. I turn page after page, reading all the articles from top to bottom, without understanding a single word. After 1/2 hour of reading newspapers, I realize that I'm back at square one. I still don't understand anything about cricket. As I get ready to go out, I prepare a mental list of questions for Amit. After all, how hard can it be to learn the rules of cricket, right?

Oh, so wrong! From the moment I see Amit, I start firing questions at him "machine-gun style". So, what's the big deal about this 5-wicket haul? Actually, what is a 5-wicket haul? No, no, wait a second... what on earth is a wicket? So what's the difference between a wicket and a batsman? Hold on a sec here... Is a spinner like a baseball pitcher? I can see Amit's frustration as I keep asking questions... How can someone not know a thing about cricket? Ah, life was so much easier when the Khans and the Bachchans were the main feature in the print media!!!

The long cab ride downtown is my very own "cricket tutorial". This is a source of Indian pride and I want to learn as much as I can about it. The way everyone comes together about an international cricket match reminds me very much of the way many countries pull together to root for their teams during the football World Cup or the Olympics. The whole city was glued to their TV sets and everyone held their breath when the fate of a point was in the hands of Tendulkar or Kumble. Just the same way my dad and grandpa would hold their breath when Spain's fate would rely on a penalty shot. I know this feeling. Regional differences are set aside for one day, and for one day, we are all one country. I make it my new year's resolution to learn more about a sport that can bring together 1.1 billion people when I go back home.