The namesake - The rise and the rise of K L Ragul
- Caravaan desk
It was December 26th, 2014. Tens of people braved the sun to throng Melbourne Cricket Ground. They watched with a heady mix of emotions as K L Ragul, wearer of cricket whites, carrier of bat, striker of ball, walked out to bat. And holed out in the first innings for 3. He had arrived. A few days earlier. In Melbourne. By aeroplane.
Cut to 1990 types. Senior Ragul was a worried man as he walked to and fro in a middle class house in Bangalore. Karnataka was in a socio-political cultural situation of sorts. As if to mirror the State's vague circumstances, the birds and the leaves around the house were also inscrutable. It was an important day in Senior Ragul's house. It was the day when other important events must have been happening across the world. I mean, if you pick up the newspaper of that day or google a bit, you'd surely find some stuff. Ragul arrived in this world, a tiny child (hopefully). The hospital, Ragul, and his parents were unavailable for comment. Even the hospital janitor's now retired and untraceable.
Back to 2014. KLR failed again in the second innings. The parallel to Don Bradman, who failed famously once, in his last innings, was not lost on anyone, especially in our writing team. The world had gotten to see hardly a glimpse of KLR. KLR was undeterred.
"He couldn't believe himself. I mean the bowler", said an unrelated veteran cricket journalist who supposedly watched the match live on TV, "I mean who'd think KLR would fail miserably in both innings".
The next few days were the toughest out of the few days that KLR had played international cricket so far. 5 out of 10 days to be precise. He was in the eye of a storm. "He would go quietly to the nets everyday and come back to his room quietly", said someone who claims he was also staying at the same hotel as the Indian team. "I didn't see him at the breakfast buffet one day and I was so worried", he continued, "but then there he was! And I think he ate some apples that day" he concluded, painting a vivid picture of the storm-eye that was mentioned earlier.
KLR was no stranger to failure. He'd failed many times in other matches as well, going back all the way to street cricket. "Gully cricket those days was serious. If I hit a six I'd be in a good mood. If I got out for a duck, very bad mood", reminisces one of our writers, capturing the universality of emotions that gully cricket brings out in people including KLR.
At nets one day prior to the Sydney test, again all eyes were on KLR. And in a shocking few seconds, he took Dhoni's keeping gloves. While it was well known that KLR could keep, no one thought he would be asked to keep for the Indian team. What was going on? There was only one thing going through every onlooker's mind. Would KLR become another batsman-keeper like his namesake, Ragul Dravid?
Dravid, the wall, the gentleman, the guy who'd do anything for the team. Fun fact - Dravid once stood in a line to buy milk in the 90s. The 90s - inarguably, a period of great churn and development in the country.
But KLR in his characteristic way, dusted something off the gloves and returned them to Dhoni. Unlike his namesake, Dravid, KLR would not keep, at least not yet.
Fun fact #2 about Dravid - he has a test wicket! Of some guy.
Sydney, 2015. KLR walks out to bat. All 12 people in the crowd watch with bated breath. A cover drive. Everyone takes a deep breath. People would now speak of the other Ragul - KLR. The namesake has arrived. In Sydney, probably by air though there are direct buses also from Melbourne.
- Caravaan desk
It was December 26th, 2014. Tens of people braved the sun to throng Melbourne Cricket Ground. They watched with a heady mix of emotions as K L Ragul, wearer of cricket whites, carrier of bat, striker of ball, walked out to bat. And holed out in the first innings for 3. He had arrived. A few days earlier. In Melbourne. By aeroplane.
Cut to 1990 types. Senior Ragul was a worried man as he walked to and fro in a middle class house in Bangalore. Karnataka was in a socio-political cultural situation of sorts. As if to mirror the State's vague circumstances, the birds and the leaves around the house were also inscrutable. It was an important day in Senior Ragul's house. It was the day when other important events must have been happening across the world. I mean, if you pick up the newspaper of that day or google a bit, you'd surely find some stuff. Ragul arrived in this world, a tiny child (hopefully). The hospital, Ragul, and his parents were unavailable for comment. Even the hospital janitor's now retired and untraceable.
Back to 2014. KLR failed again in the second innings. The parallel to Don Bradman, who failed famously once, in his last innings, was not lost on anyone, especially in our writing team. The world had gotten to see hardly a glimpse of KLR. KLR was undeterred.
"He couldn't believe himself. I mean the bowler", said an unrelated veteran cricket journalist who supposedly watched the match live on TV, "I mean who'd think KLR would fail miserably in both innings".
The next few days were the toughest out of the few days that KLR had played international cricket so far. 5 out of 10 days to be precise. He was in the eye of a storm. "He would go quietly to the nets everyday and come back to his room quietly", said someone who claims he was also staying at the same hotel as the Indian team. "I didn't see him at the breakfast buffet one day and I was so worried", he continued, "but then there he was! And I think he ate some apples that day" he concluded, painting a vivid picture of the storm-eye that was mentioned earlier.
KLR was no stranger to failure. He'd failed many times in other matches as well, going back all the way to street cricket. "Gully cricket those days was serious. If I hit a six I'd be in a good mood. If I got out for a duck, very bad mood", reminisces one of our writers, capturing the universality of emotions that gully cricket brings out in people including KLR.
At nets one day prior to the Sydney test, again all eyes were on KLR. And in a shocking few seconds, he took Dhoni's keeping gloves. While it was well known that KLR could keep, no one thought he would be asked to keep for the Indian team. What was going on? There was only one thing going through every onlooker's mind. Would KLR become another batsman-keeper like his namesake, Ragul Dravid?
Dravid, the wall, the gentleman, the guy who'd do anything for the team. Fun fact - Dravid once stood in a line to buy milk in the 90s. The 90s - inarguably, a period of great churn and development in the country.
But KLR in his characteristic way, dusted something off the gloves and returned them to Dhoni. Unlike his namesake, Dravid, KLR would not keep, at least not yet.
Fun fact #2 about Dravid - he has a test wicket! Of some guy.
Sydney, 2015. KLR walks out to bat. All 12 people in the crowd watch with bated breath. A cover drive. Everyone takes a deep breath. People would now speak of the other Ragul - KLR. The namesake has arrived. In Sydney, probably by air though there are direct buses also from Melbourne.
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