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Ball game

After a whale of an Ashes, the India-Zimbabwe series seems no better that para/gali cricket. And even the commentators are feeling the effect of it. Watching in a post-lunch daze, I heard Sunil Gavaskar exclaim, “Well, that’s a plop ball!” Plop. How well it sums up the series.

This is what happened. The voluble Harsha Bhogle and Sunny were jabbering inanities as a soporific session was on. Zaheer Khan bowled a bouncer which rose and then the trajectory wilted till the keeper caught the ball near his ankles. Here is the commentary excerpt:

Sunny: Well, that’s a plop ball!

Bhogle: Sunny, now what’s a plop ball?

Sunny: You see, balls that don’t carry through. It loses steam and the trajectory dips. Maybe, it’s because the soft side of the ball grips the surface.

Bhogle: (laughing) So, there must be a quack ball, a plock ball, a schlock ball….
[The inanities go on]

Sunny: There is a curve ball, a speed ball, a zap ball…

Bhogle: There you go! Another plop ball.
(Both laugh)

Sunny: And of course, there’s the dot ball.

*****************************************************

With so many balls around, I wonder why the Indian team lacks them.

Comments

Tridib said…
Good post. In fact, this reminds me of those famous commentary gaffes, like this all-time favourite: "The bowlers Holding the batsmans Willie!"
12:43 PM
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