Now it’s the turn of Harmanpreet, Smriti, Renuka and Kranti, Pratika and Richa to light up the Diwali sky with anars and Ganga Jamuna siren and aaloo bombs and grand shower and dancing wheels. Against New Zealand and then Bangladesh. But Indian cricket fans have been treated to some memorable cricket spectacles during Diwali all these years.
Curiously, all of India’s finest batting names have lit up Diwali for cricket fans. From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to MS Dhoni to Virat Kohli, and not just within India.
MS Dhoni
Perhaps the most famous one was at Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur, 2005 when bilaterals were still interesting. The long-haired Dhoni had been India’s wicket-keeper for a while, but his real batting powerplay was on full display against Sri Lanka – perhaps the earliest precursor to the 2011 World Cup final.
Dhoni tonked the ball to all parts of the ground and smacked an unforgettable 183*, a magical score that has endured in minds even 20 years later. Two years on he took India to the T20 World Cup followed by the ODI title. But it was that 183 in a more joyous Diwali than now, that set him on the path to greatness.
Call it the Grand shower or red bijli innings.
Sunil Gavaskar
In the Diwali season of 1983, and in a much slower format, Sunil Gavaskar managed the improbable and once again it was West Indies, his favourite opponents in Tests at Delhi, when Diwali Tests were a tradition in the capital and the second Test was underway on October 29.
He hit 121 off just 128 balls to equal Don Bradman’s record of 29 Test centuries, a record that had stayed alive since 1948. Gavaskar was in blistering form as he reached his century in just 94 balls after a 50 in 37 balls. Gavaskar went on to score 34 centuries in all, but ensured Indian celebrations that started in June 1983 went on till November with the Tests and his crackling fireworks against Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall.
Curiously, just a Test ago, Gavaskar had been facing a torrid time, his batting falling out his hand after a Marshall bouncer at Kanpur in the first Test. The belligerent hook shots at Delhi were a fine counter attack, deserving of Diwali spectacle.
Its firecracker equivalent – dancing wheels.
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Sachin Tendulkar
While Sachin Tendulkar has 11 ODI centuries and 6 in Tests during and around Diwali, perhaps his most famous Diwali outing was as a bowler. Those born and alive in November of 1993, will never forget the glee of the Hero Cup semifinal of that year. South Africa had bren relatively new in international cricket, but boasting of a team with dependable batsmen.
Tendulkar sporting a French beard and a close crop, was already a batting phenom, but besides sprinting his singles hard and hitting delectable strokes, he also regularly put in bowling shifts as captains turned to him for his mix of all sorts of bowling – leg break, googly, offspin, anything. Tidy spells and knack of taking wickets, he became a go-to for captain Azharuddin.
Calcutta was buzzing and Eden Gardens witnessed a brilliant last over thriller. India had managed inly 195, half of those (90) scored by Azhar, and 48 by Pravin Amre. South Africa needed 6 off the last over when Tendulkar was handed the ball with Brian McMillan on strike. A single brought Allan Donald on strike, and the tight bowling tied him down before he could bring McMillan back on strike. But such was Tendulkar’s sorcery, the big hitting McMillan just could not break free to hit that 4 needed to win, and India went into the finals with firecrackers going off all over the country.
The last over was like pop pop crackers, or Laxmi bomb maal (garland).
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Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli however needed to bat India out of trouble in Diwali of 2022. It was Pakistan as opponents, and the high pressure match saw India collapse to 31/4 chasing 160. Kohli would take apart Pakistan thereafter with such calculated carnage in Melbourne to kick off fireworks at the 2022 T20 World Cup.
With Hardik Pandya, another cool customer for company, Kohli went about rebuilding and Haris Rauf has perhaps never recovered frim Those two Sixes in the last over to go past their 159/8. Their 113 run partnership is etched in Indian minds, as a Diwali gift, with 48 scored off the last 3 overs, the ultimate Ganga Jamuna anaar (flowerpot fountain) of it all.
In firecracker terms, it was the hydrofoil bomb.
