Believe it or not, the whole of last week, when the two heavyweights of cricket, India and England, locked horns, I was on tenterhooks; the battle was so gripping and intense that a mad fan like myself, I had even coordinate my call of nature and bathing breaks with the men in white in Hyderabad!
I could not part with the television screen for even a second.
In the sub-continent, we have detested the British for looting and plundering this region with both hands at the time when they ruled this terrain. They committed many heinous crimes, as most colonial masters were prone to, but, ironically, if you talk about cricket, for most Pakistanis, their second favourite cricket team is England.
Staying on the controversial subject of rivalry, It is a given that Indians do not support Pakistan, and Pakistanis can similarly never put their weight behind an Indian cricket team. The reasons range from sporting to political rivalry. It has been over seven decades since the sub-continent Partition into India and Pakistan, and we find ourselves as cric-enemies or foes.
But this rivalry has never stopped people from either side of the border from admiring each other's fabulous players like I absolutely love Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Many Indians I know are similarly fans of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Babar Azam.
As the first test match between England and India neared, my excitement for it grew exponentially. It was a series I had been waiting for from even before the World Cup.
My cricketing psychology is as strange as Benjamin Button. For decades, on the eve of a big test match, I can't seem to ever sleep a wink. Thus, as England landed in India and the Three Lions prepared to take on the Tri-Colours, my three-decades-long tradition of enduring sleepless nights continued.
The first test match between India and 'Bazball' England was about to commence in Hyderabad, and my excitement could hardly be contained.
I would like to compliment the pitch curators in Hyderabad, who produced a stellar track where both sides had a chance to win
Having witnessed some cringe-worthy performances by the Pakistan cricket team and now another episode of the revolving door at the buffoonish Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), I couldn't wait for some competitive quality cricket between two evenly matched teams.
England had beaten Pakistan three-zip in our backyard about a year ago, and I was hoping they would just maybe beat India too. But then I thought India has a fabulous home record. To their credit, India have been strong in tough cricket areas like Australia, so it would not be easy at all.
But Ben Stokes is a miracle man; his 'X' factor was bigger than any 'X' factor in the world of cricket at the moment.
My mind went to Indian players like Ashwin and Jedaja, who have more than 775 wickets between them. At the same time, India can also bat really deep, with Axar coming in at the number nine position. All of these thoughts dominated my existence the week before the Hyderabad test got underway.
Another factor that I was constantly thinking about was the 22 yards that matter the most. I knew that no one in the world would dish out the rubbish pitches we did when England toured Pakistan. The Pindi and Lahore pitches were akin to metal roads, hence the Three Lions had rightly thrashed us; all these queries excited my mind. I felt like a young maiden about to indulge in a romantic scenario.
After days of anticipation, the beautiful Thursday morning finally arrived, and my heart fluttered like a maiden who had seen her paramour for the first time; only in this case I personified cricket.
I was losing faith seeing the English spin attack being toothless. But I still clung to the belief in the alpha male butch philosophy of the English and their never-say-die approach!
In the days leading up to the match, I had found myself thinking about what combinations each side could opt for, whether India would play all three spinners and how the inexperienced English spinners would fare against a well-established home side which knew how to win. After all, India had lost just four test matches at home since 2013, which is an incredible record.
I feared the Bazball kings might suffer the same fate in India as others before they had. That could mean the viewers would witness another lopsided test series. That was the last thing I wanted, but that thought quickly evaded my mind as I believed in Stoke-ism!
I wished for Stuart Broad to play one last series, his flair, even at this late stage in his career, having the sparks necessary to set the series ablaze. But no player can play forever, and alas, all the good ones are taken by retirement.
The sides were announced, and England won the toss. This meant India would bat last on the Hyderabad track, which I suspected would carry some turn.
Before I go any further, I would like to compliment the pitch curators in Hyderabad, who produced a stellar track where both sides had a chance to win. A batter who applied himself could get plenty of runs, and the spinners got plenty of turn, but it was not unplayable like Nagpur many years ago against the poor Proteas.
This excellent wicket produced some fabulous, enthralling cricket, much to the fans' delight. It had turn and, at times, some bounce; it was by no means an easy wicket, but clearly, quality batsmen could get runs. I loved every bit of it.
I believe the English batters could have gotten 300 runs in their first innings. Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Jonny Bairstow all got starts but threw away their wickets, some to over-exuberance and some to the skill of Ashwin Bhumra and co.
.The pitch offered enough turn, but runs were not impossible to score. You could either buckle down and score, or you buckled your swash and be Ben Stokes; the man knew how to impose himself or let the bowlers dominate, which isn't a wise option.
I believe England appeared to be some 60 runs short on this track.
I was a bit scared for the British at this point, but my heart still believed in Stoke-ism and its miracles. He did not disappoint.
The English bowlers were taken to the cleaners by the Indian batters when they came to the crease. The inexperience of their bowlers seems to have cost them. In particular, Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed were below par. I noticed problems in Hartley's action; he dropped his non-bowling arm a little quicker than desired, like Pakistan's off-spinner Sajjid Khan. Honestly, that worried me. Rehan, the young leg spinner, was all over the place and at this point, things looked a little bleak, but I kept believing in the power of 'Bazball'.
I truly believe that if you want to be counted as a great, no matter the batter or the bowler that comes up against you, you have to turn up to party in the fourth innings
India, courtesy of KL Rahul and Jedaja, gained a lead of 190 runs. This is where my Stoke-ism was deserting me a tad, but I still hung on to it. I was losing faith seeing the English spin attack being toothless. But I still clung to the belief in the alpha male butch philosophy of the English and their never-say-die approach!
The third innings is usually the most important part of the soirée called 'test match', and it often sets the tone for what's in offer vis-à-vis the result of the game. Once again, it proved to be the most crucial innings of the game!
England had to clear the deficit and then give a target of around 220-230 to have a semblance of a chance; at this point, it seemed almost beyond them to do so. The Indian bowling, with their tails up, would agree with me, but in my heart of hearts, my Stoke-ism was alive and kicking. The pitch had offered 490 runs to the Indians, so if the hosts could do it, so could the Englishmen; that is what I kept chanting in my mind.
English openers Duckett and Zak Crawley started in a warrior-like manner, ready to attack and frankly take their only chance. They played switches and reverses with a strike rate in the 90's.
But before they could post 115 runs on the board, England had lost both openers, and with it, it seemed, the test match was slowly slipping away. But then came the hero of the match, Ollie Pope.
I believe now, for generations, he is the man who will come in the dreams of many an Indian fan and player to terrorise them, much like Ghabar Singh had done in Rampur in the late 1970s.
This man single-handedly attacked with caution and aggression, but he did the job to perfection, something no Indian batter could do. He was brave, wise and aggressive, and that is where my lovelies India lost the game.
Pope scored 190-something runs; this was a special innings, one for the folklore! It was a deed that neither KL Rahul nor Rohit Sharma could not emulate in the last innings, the critical fourth innings! I am afraid that toothless performance at the minute does not sit well with the Indians.
I truly believe that if you want to be counted as a great, no matter the batter or the bowler that comes up against you, you have to turn up to party in the fourth innings. For England, it was both Pope and Hartley who came not only to the party but they captured the party to win an almost impossible and incredible game of cricket.
They did well to come from behind and dent India, who were in the ascendancy during the first six sessions. But test cricket is a game that will test you all four or five days, and in a session or two, you can find yourself in the losing corner if you blink your eyes a little longer.
This was a marvellous result secured by England, who, as the tourists, had defeated the formidable hosts. They were aggressive, they 'Bazballed', and they proved to be the true followers of Stoke-ism like yours truly.
Before I go, here's a word about Hartley and his impressive improvement in the second innings, where he bowled slower, learnt his lessons, and rewarded his skipper, who backed him in the first innings. A special tribute also to the quality of Ben Stokes for backing his young team and getting their respect back. Bravo
Rajkot, I can't wait!