Myth-Busting : Indian cricket behind the deadlines

 



Name :  Myth-busting : Indian cricket behind the headlines
Author : Gulu Ezekiel
Year of Publication : 2021
Genre : Non-fiction, Cricket
Rating : *** ( Three stars out of 5)

Any Indian cricket fan will explain why Kapil Dev's immortal 175 not out vs Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup was not recorded on video : BBC workers were on strike that day. This is a standard quiz question across the country. Gulu Ezekiel painstakingly ties the loose ends and proves that the BBC strike is a myth and the reason for the innings not being available on video is something more prosaic (Read the book to find the reason). Another example is how when the word Viv Richards is mentioned, we think of the swagger, the gum-chewing big man walking out without wearing a helmet. The author tries to unearth circumstances when even the Great Viv wore a helmet. These are two examples from a delight of a book which finds meaning in the otherwise mundane and celebrates the game. When a person purely loves a form of art ( cricket or cooking or poetry or whatever) and pays tribute to it, the outcome is touching. This is one such work - if you love cricket, you will enjoy this gem.

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