If you like India-Australia test, you will love the Ranji Trophy

Kolkata: In terms of sheer pedigree, the test series between India and Australia is surely platinum-class. But if drama is your preferred poison, the Ranji Trophy semifinals pack a magical punch.

Watching a top-end sporting encounter is like dining at Dumpukht or Bukhara. Iconic experiences, which will not let you down, occasionally spring a few surprises but overall they are rather predictable. 

Unlike say the first class tussle I am talking about, which has more layers of intrigue than the most bulbous Babushka Doll. Quite like earnestly seeking an authentic biryani in the bylanes of elderly Lucknow.

As in the case of Dumpukht, the dramatis personae in the test match arena are pretty much ‘been there, done that’. Whether Gill gets to play or Rahul is eased out, they are already galavanting in the cruising altitude of recognition and wealth. Thanks to the deluge of international opportunities and injury propensity, the operating pool at the highest level is closer to 35 and not the earlier 15.

But that is not the case with the Bengal MP encounter, where unlike the Saurashtra-Karnataka semifinals, there is absolutely nobody enrolled for national duty or a recent prolific dropout. Yet with talent and ambitions separated by hardly half a degree from the nationally enrolled, such is the depth of calibre. Their stories are riveting and well worthy of OTT serialisation, but then, in India, we don’t quite have a serious sports movie culture.

Anustup Majumdar has an FC/List A average of over 40 and has been a magnificent run-getter for Bengal, but as he turns 40 the end is indeed near. Sudip Kumar Gharami can play over the infield as well as anybody I have seen but is clearly not in the good books of national selectors. While Abhimanyu Easwaran has been knocking so hard on the doors of selection, including a successful A Team captaincy, that the wood must be pure Burma Teak for still standing true.

Manoj Tiwary, now MP, had a few outings in national uniform, before falling foul of MS Dhoni’s scheme of things. Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar are live incumbents as is Shahbaz Ahmad and successful outings will surely bolster their cause. For a few others, the ceiling will clearly end with Ranji Trophy and seek coaching or umpiring assignments to sustain incomes, now that the PSU job is neither guaranteed nor aspirational for sportsmen.

In the MP squad, the script is no less compelling. Rajat Patidar has earned T20 certification but there are too many recent cases like Venkatesh Iyer where the long haul is a mirage. Avesh Khan is venomous and Kumar Karthikeya is skillful and both seem to enjoy a RAC ( Reservation against Cancellation) stature for the coveted blue cap. There are others with fabulous tales to tell and surely a meaningful inspiration for the generations to follow.  

Not that the stars of the day do not make a worthwhile copy, as it comes with the territory of performing under the arclights. But arrival certainly diminishes the pathos of the journey and this is true across all pop culture vocations. Then the narrative moves on to the tenure of the stardom, evaluated for the here and now and not so much the envisioned future. Think of Bollywood and you will know what I mean, the past becomes a staccato interview narrative and not a matter of public interest. This is a pattern applied even to doctors, lawyers and successful professionals - once blessed with stature, the journeys are no longer juicy destinations.

What certainly adds to the drama, whether for Awadhi food or competitive Cricket, is the seductive joy of self-discovery, a version of the famed Ikea Effect. Wherein, the invitation to co-create an experience or outcome enhances significantly the involvement levels of the customer or viewer. The difference between shopping in a flea market or a reputed mall - in the latter the filtration dims the delights of explorations and in an increasingly inquisitive society, the difference is stark. Indeed the difference between test matches and domestic first-class, where existing stardom makes performance rather routine and not a romantic exception.

BCCI is actually missing a trick by ignoring this stretchable customer insight - an organic penchant for investigation which is a superlative of native curiosity. Ranji matches, or Vijay Hazare, should not be aired live but instead, appear as weekend edited capsules - interactive highlights packages that lure the cognitions and emotions of viewers. I remember a series called ‘Road to Wembley’, aired on Bangladesh TV and viewed via primitive booster, which fuelled the love for EPL in parts of India. Nobody has the appetite to watch even test matches live but this episodic narrative, aided by Tollywood expertise, can aggravate a nascent affection.

There is something inherently arduous about seeing proven successes thrive and that is true for genuine lovers across spheres of influence-music, arts or athletics. Being underdogs usually in at least one, if not more, parameters of living, we empathise with other underdogs. Folks with jostling merit who are off the A-List perhaps for destiny and maybe for ambition or implementation. Ranji matches spontaneously evoke this acumen for drama, unlike the biggest stages which are coliseums of acknowledged arrival.

As I conclude this piece, Bengal and Saurashtra seem well set for the final of the Ranji Trophy, unless more disruptions are in store. Saurashtra’s Arpit Vyomahesh Vasaveda’s 202 has evidently worked better than Karnataka’s Mayank Agarwa’ls 249 and the meagre contributions of Manish Pandey and Devdutt Padikkal will certainly not bolster their red ball credentials. While the allround efforts of Bengal will most surely enthuse the ardent lover of the game, as analysts will struggle to identify the non-performers.

In the finale, I must confess that the Test Match circus is akin to a full-fledged feature film, aided by special effects that amplify the credentials of structured success. While Ranji matches are like theatrical productions, across the nook and cranny, where the skilled yet unsung revel in the moods of the day, the script is just a guide and not a millstone. I would sincerely request every reader to follow both in equal sincerity, for in the treaties of twain lie the prescription for civilisation.