A comfortingly arduous day which served as a reminder that World Cups are not easy to cover, especially in India, just as the South African team were reminded by Pakistan that they are not easy to play in, and shouldn’t be.
It took a few minutes under 12 hours to reach Pune from Chennai involving just under three hours in taxis to and from airports, two and a quarter in the air, a two and a half hour stopover in Hyderabad and the rest in concerted hanging around.
It was possible to catch glimpses of Australia’s barnstorming batting against New Zealand but, by the time the kidney juggling, rush hour trudge through Pune’s building site roads was over, the Black Caps had fallen just five runs short of Australia’s 388.
Even more disappointing was missing out live on the Netherlands emphatic victory by 87-runs against Bangladesh whom they dismissed for just 142. Fortunately, I’ve just seen the highlights in full. Stunning.
It was so important for the men-in-orange that a second victory confirmed their success over South Africa was not a fluke. It is more fascinating than ever to see where Ryan Cook’s coaching career takes him, and who makes him an offer.
While the Proteas gear themselves up for a long night and early morning watching the Boks in the Stade de France from the comfort of their hotel team room, temporarily ‘displaced’ supporters around the world are making plans to ignore time differences and find the relevant satellite signal.
As always, the international production at ICC events contains a happily disproportionate number of South African cameramen, sound engineers and VT editors, and they are famous for ‘making a plan’ on such occasions, whether they be rugby internationals or Currie Cup finals. And I’ve watched a few from some unlikely venues.
As much as things change, the more they stay the same. Travel in India used to be a profoundly different experience to the one we enjoy now. Air India flights were routinely late or even summarily cancelled leaving stranded passengers to sleep on terminal floors and wait, hoping for the best. These days there is even a beef-free Burger King.
Now the airports have been knocked down and rebuilt, there are lounges, deluxe coffee shops and designer boutiques. Hyderabad airport could be Zurich. But the travel time remains roughly the same, it’s just that you spend the ‘dead time’ paying R70 for an Americano on a leather chair rather R2 for a chai tea on dusty concrete.
Right, it’s time to find the boys in Bok jerseys. This is going to be one of the longer days of my life, with a long lie-in scheduled for tomorrow, as there is for the Proteas.
My dear Colin,
Many thanks old friend! It's been a wonderful return to the 'old days' for me, waking up each morning without having to worry about my broadcast call-time. It's also informative how all the 'little' things that used to be so frustrating about working in India become a little less important with a bit more age...
I'm enjoying your descriptions of the reality of a journalist on a limited budget finding his way around India. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the road - thanks to the Sunday Times with fewer privations than it seems you are experiencing - but I am more than happy to be watching from the comfort of my lounge these days. Here's hoping you enjoy it all the way to an historic South African triumph.