Quintessential India

Bangalore, Wednesday 8th October 2008

Picture this scene in your mind. It's the day before the start of the test match series. Adjacent to the M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru is a patchy grass and red dirt area the size of half a dozen soccer pitches. On the side closest to the ground hundreds of police officers are being briefed for their security detail during the match. Next to this scene are 50 or more young teenage boys boisterously engaging in 3 separate games of cricket with overlapping fields of play (a scene not dissimilar to what you might see in the schoolyard of any cricket playing nation). To the right is a main road choked with dissonant traffic. Further around a cow is grazing and appears to be blissfully unaware of the surrounding chaotic activity. Adam and arrive to this scene with our guitar in hand. We find a grassy spot on the fringe of the action and start working up a rendition of The Beatles "With a Little Help from My Friends". Within seconds we are surrounded by a dozen or more curious youngsters. As they realise we are rehearsing the same song over and over they slowly disperse. Satisfied we have nailed our arrangement of the song; we wander over to one of the games of cricket and join in the fun. Our guitar and other possessions become part of the structure that serves as the stumps at the bowlers end. The kids graciously let Adam and I have a bat and bowl an over each. Cricket, crowds, chaos and cows - a slice of India given a western twist by our presence.