Food versus Cricket ?
The 22 year-old in me recognizes two things as truly epic – Food and Cricket. To your dutifully raised eyebrows, I hereby list down a comparative study of menu items and cricketing stars.
1. Hyderabadi Biriyani and VVS Laxman
The wristy, willowy, sinous style of Laxman is comparable to the blending of Mughlai and Andhra cuisine which as resulted in brilliant cricket and biriyani respectively.
Hyderabadi biriyani takes a really long time to cook on a rather tricky apparatus consisting of steam on coals. Laxman’s career did take a rather long while to mature since his test debut in 1996 till the memorable score of 281 in the second innings of the Australian tour of 2001, breaking Gavaskar’s highest Test record score of 236. There was no looking back since then for both the delectable food and dangerous cricketer.
There are three major varieties of Biriyani – Kacchi, Jappu and Pakki. As the variation in style of cooking goes, they have a lot in common with the phases in the cricketing career of Monsiuer Laxman viz. Test, ODI and IPL. All three glorious in their differences and unique in their own way.
2. Chicken Soup and Rahul Dravid
Dependable, easily digestible, rich in calories and extremely healthy chicken soup instantly makes you feel better about life and everything in it. The same can be said about Rahul Dravid’s undying sportsmanship and steadfast track record of reassuring performance. Now here is a man who can fix things, much like a good old bowl of soup to an upset tummy.
3. Spicy enchilada and MS Dhoni
Incredibly spicy, aromatic and flavourful, you’d know the archetypal enchilada a mile away from the rest of its Mexican counterparts. The leader and trend setter Dhoni is much like the piquant peppers stuffed inside. Pungent yet toothsome at the same time.
4. Roast Beef and Sachin Tendulkar
A classic with its own legion, roast beef needs no introduction. The God of Cricket incarnated in human form walks amongst us to this date; Sachin is up there amongst the clouds as a good juicy mouth watering well-provisioned chunk of roast beef with red wine jus.
5. Butter Chicken and Kapil Dev
Pure awesomeness on a plate, rich and proud, both butter chicken and Kapil Dev are well known to each and every household in India. A national icon and superstar, if I ever have a hallway of fame of all the things I utterly adore, both would stay next to each other. Butter chicken is to Indian Cuisine what Kapil Dev is to Indian Cricket. Period.
6. Masala Dosa and Yuvraj Singh
I am fully aware of the scale of controversy that I have whipped up by the above phrase. A wafer thin crisp hot pancake or dosa as the desis call it, hits the spot on any day. From Kashmir to Kerala, you can always find fans of Masala Dosa. Yuvraj Singh has the same appeal all over the country. A crowd favourite with his fair share of hecklers, Yuvraj Singh is here to stay and conquer. Undoubtedly a star in its own reckoning and a matter of great pride and pleasure to the grand state of Punjab, Yuvi is a fighter. Stage I cancerous tumour or bowlers who think too much of their spin, Yuvraj Singh is here and will be here for a long long while.
7. Rasmalai and Sourav Ganguly
Once a favourite, always a favourite. Herr Ganguly would always have his own mind-share in the consciousness of all cricket enthusiasts till kingdom comes. His was a period of grandeur and magnificence which will stay in all our minds, much like calories of rasmalai on our hips. A standard of reference for good cricket, Mr Ganguly always leaves a sweet after taste. Much like saving the best for the last, no words will be quite enough to describe the dessert that is Ganguly’s career trajectory.
The analogy of food with cricketers should not and will not stop here. The next time you come across abrasive personalities, take a second and think about it. Are they tangdi kebabs in the making? While I wish a life full of cinnabons and muffins lined up for your consumption in all of your environments, let’s not forget the commonalities between awesome food and splendid cricket.
Both take a lot of planning, leading, controlling and most importantly perfect delivery at the right time to make it all happen and work together as a perfect blend. I hope that this has been some food for thought.