What’s the score?!

There is hardly any need to say about how inseparable Cricket and India are. Everyone knows its popularity and influence.
What I have here is one such real experience that left me... Well, dazed and mute!
                I’ll first go ahead and give a small background of the scenario. I was a student of a very prestigious Engineering Institute and it offers Distance-Learning Programmes.
As a final year student pursuing my Internship at Bangalore, I got a chance to invigilate the semester mid and end exams at the Bangalore Examination Center.
It was a very hilarious experience that in spite of being a student myself, I get to command a whole class full of people elder to me, some with greying hairs and other with complete white hairs, all dressed in formals, carrying pencil boxes (which we left in the middle of school itself) and water bottles, anxiously going through books to grasp something at the last minute and waiting for the exam papers.

I wanted to be that strict, no-nonsense invigilator and was adamant about giving some extra time and unforgiving for a mobile phone that is not put away or a borrowed pencil ;)

I caught people copying from each other and from notes scribbled on the table.
But I wasn’t too successful. I couldn’t silence some whispers. Couldn’t get everyone to submit papers back on time without stealing 1-2 minutes. Each time I tried to be stern and commanding, they just smiled at me as if they knew I was younger to them and that I can’t really be too outrageous in my actions.

                Then came 2011 April, 2^nd. The last end semester exam was conducted and coincidentally, India was playing its World Cup Final Match against Srilanka. It was even the last time I would invigilate since I would graduate that June.

The morning’s exam went smoothly but afternoon’s exam really marked discomfort over half the people. I tried to be nice and friendly on that day and 15 minutes into the exam I asked if they wanted match updates. Everyone was eager to know who won the toss and who would bat first.

I got my regular updates on my mobile phone put on silent mode from my other friends who are watching the match. And I announced the score at the end of every over.

I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I knew from an exam perspective it may not be right but I know the fervent following of Cricket in India.
And as if to strengthen this very fact, a person stirred from his seat not even 1 hour into the exam, handed his paper with such helpless look and I clearly saw that he couldn’t be there anymore and should immediately reach his home and watch the match.

That indeed left me dumb-struck and reaffirmed the fact that we associate so much of our lives to this Master Sport and needless to say, we revolve around Indian Cricket. During those incredible matches, we have self-imposed curfew everywhere, celebration when India wins against Pakistan, that relief and pride with every win.

We were in a pretty good shape. Though wickets have not fallen much, the run rate was not high.
Everyone finished their paper on time. I was eager myself to get to my friend’s place and watch it with her.

By the time I reached, India was due its batting innings and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the second half of the match and at the end of it… yelling, jumping and calling friends and family up with such excitement and wildness that would not have been possible if not for the passion we share for Cricket.

And thus, I had my share of Fun and Pride with Team India’s Rocking show and a reality check!!!