Sanal Kumar Padmanabhan
There is a story that is said to have happened during the shooting of Rajini-Mammooty team’s Dalapati. When Mani Ratnam asked Rajini, ‘What’s the matter’ when he failed to get the facial expressions he wanted in a combination scene with Mammootty, despite taking one or two retakes, Rajini’s reply was, ‘When he (Mammootty) gets angry, even if it is acting, I am afraid to look at his face’!
Reminding me of Mammootty in this story that I heard a long time ago, the batsman wearing a number 7 jersey at the crease is standing in front of the massive target of ’21 runs in six balls’ and is standing ‘cool’ to face the bowlers in his steady state.
In the spot of Rajini who is opposite Mammootty in the story, Sandeep Sharma who is standing like a star is taking the wicket of the opponent’s opening star batsman Rituraj Gaikwad by giving just 13 runs in two overs in his first spell to bowl against him.
Attempted short pitch against him, the first ball is pitched well outside the off stump and is shaped wide. The next ball which was thrown on the leg side after correcting the mistake is also evolving into a wide..
The next two deliveries of the yorker’s length missed the target and turned into full toss and the batsman at the striking end delivered it safely to the gallery and he was reeling.
Hey Sandeep, what’s up? If Captain Sanju had asked a question like Mani Ratnam, pointing to the batsman standing at the crease, Sandeep’s answer might have been, ‘When he is standing at the crease without any fear, I am afraid to throw the ball against him’!
Dhoni! For many years to come, you should keep your chest open in front of the bowlers by throwing them off their pace. We can’t get enough of this sight..
Credit: Malayali Cricket Zone