ticket to cricket

this year’s matches, particularly the Boxing Day match the Indian supporters were highly visible, with thousands attending all revved up and noisy. The Swami Army and Bharat Army offered full throttle support to the visiting Indian team.

From young girls holding placards for Virat Kohli to take selfies with them to Aussie fan club The Richies, there was never a dull moment at the G. I got amazing response from the crowd. They tried to capture my attention, offered high-fives when I walked past them or went delirious with posing when I aimed the lens towards them.

The cricketers, particularly the Indian team, did not warm up half as much to the cameras though. Despite our close proximity the established players avoided eye contact, remained aloof and mostly unsmiling. Some of the newcomers however would acknowledge my presence amongst the group of press photographers and occasionally smile at me.

I recall that the Paksitani cricketers when they were in Melbourne for the last match were a friendlier lot in comparison. I would often get asked, “Ki haal hai, bhaji?” (How are you brother?)”.

Indian cricketers like Kuldeep Yadav, Mayank Agarwal and K L Rahul, however, were more willing to hold or slow down to allow for a better shot. Jaspreet Bhumra even posed for photos with his fans in front of the bays. The superstars, on the other hand, did not seem as accessible. Virat Kohli who presented his signed cricket pads to a young boy in the audience recently made an exception.

As India dominated the attack in Melbourne, the crowd was abuzz with excitement and that made for some great photos. The stadium erupted with deafening chants of “Kohli Kohli” or “India India” and the Indian tricolour flew everywhere. Creative slogans and posters popped up in the bays and little children were swept up on shoulders to allow for better viewing. There were opportunities everywhere to capture the sweeping excitement and I went completely trigger-happy. As a sports photographer I have my fair share of blurry images whilst trying to capture someone in action but the inspiration and drama of the game keeps me sharp and focussed. Just like the sportsmen that I capture with my lens, I also rely on practice, practice and more practice.