And here we are, the final. The denouement of 4 days of intense cricket, this game is more than just deciding a winner. The tournament has fostered a community around the quaint Sangam ground over the years, with people across batches coming together to mingle, learn, laugh, share and cheer for their friends. From spectating to pitch curation, everyone present is consummately involved. Thus in a manner that may seem obtuse, the final is also an occasion for those of us who flock at Sangam to celebrate the spirit of community this tournament imbues within all of us with each passing year.
This year’s final, featured two veteran teams, HS14 and HS15. Both were deserving of their spots and worthy of the title in their own right. HS14, as anyone around from the past 5 years or a little before would tell you, has been the best team in the tournament, bar none. Two time winner and now five time finalist, they have become the face of the tournament, deeply involved in its organization and everything related to it. It was almost a given that they would be in the finals. And their performances were yet another iteration of this belief, with coordinated, consistent efforts unlike the opposition.
HS15 can only be characterized by one quality: grit. Up until this edition of the tournament, they had never made it past the group stages. But their constant presence and determination have been inspiring. Their toils finally bore fruit as they pulled off dominating wins over their group counterparts and dug deep to pull a stunning win against the Scholars in the semi finals. They were worthy opponents for a team as regal in their superiority as HS14.
The toss was made and HS15 won the toss, choosing to bat. It was a puzzling decision, given that batting wasn’t a strength of theirs. Vimal and Aswin stepped out to bat. Aswin was the leading run scorer and wicket taker in the tournament, so his stay would be crucial for HS14. But the plot went awry for both Aswin and HS15 in the second over, Santosh taking a catch off his own bowling. The innings began to crawl. Vimal, the finisher for HS15 in the semifinals, was unable to score at all, making only 4 runs off 25 balls. In fact, by the time his wicket fell in the 8th over, the score had only gone up by 12 runs to 19. His wicket triggered a flurry of entries and departures on and from the crease, with Rathnika falling in the same over, Avinaash, Deva and Sumit in the next for an increment of just a run. Ananthu and Sourav made scores of 8 and 1 each, making them two of just five players who scored, even if in single figures. The capitulation of the batting order was horrendous and it all came to a cease in the 14th over for a total of 33.
What more do we say? HS14 sent out Rakesh and Sukruth to bat. The target was achieved by the third over. An interesting fact: both teams gave away the same number of extras, 12 runs. It was a sad end to the final, given how well HS15 had played their last three matches, but to paraphrase Burns well out of context, ‘the best plans of mice and men often go awry’. And here, the rot in the plan stemmed from the moment of the toss, where they had chosen to bat. But they can take heart from the discipline they displayed in the semi finals and use it to greater effect next year.
HS14 has become the best HS team ever. Period. Their laurels have been often mentioned here, so we need not recount them-. But they deserve to be commended most for what they have done for the game, with their spirit on and off the pitch. Their selflessness in fostering the department sporting scene is what I will remember. So, for all you’ve done, thank you. It is now up to us, to share what we have seen with the coming batches and inspire them.
The post match affairs were of much fun. HS16 paid tribute to the outgoing batch by presenting them a custom designed bat. The champions wrote their messages on the bat and autographed it. This bat is to be displayed in the department for the coming batches to wonder upon and hopefully, get inspired. Several of the team members spoke on their experiences and hopes for the tournament. The trophy was presented to the captain Santosh following which photo sessions began.
I cannot say if there was a tinge of poignancy to the whole setting, nor will I stuff in any more labored prose for the same. What I did notice was the serenity of things happening around me. In one part of the ground, some were slowly making a move, discussing dinner plans. Elsewhere a few of the winning team were relaxing on the edge of the ground, spectating like myself. Some were still having photos taken. And people still stuck around, playing cricket. As normal as it seems, there was a charm inherent in how life kept moving on around me, regardless of my attempts to freeze it in sentiment. But the community that has grown around this ground will remain, sans some faces, and with some new. Hopefully. Until next year then.
Report and pictures by Rahul Jose
Article 19 