Cricket in TDR by Individual

An eMagazine for TDRites

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Dear TOSA ites, 

Excellent rewind and flashback by Murthy. Many may not be knowing, .....his grandfather, Great Sivasamba Iyer was an ardent follower of Cricket with all the statistics in his finger tips. He used to listen the Radio commentary with school boy's interest. TDR Cricket  is a great phenomenon and transformation will be there in every 10 years. I do have with me the memories of TDR Cricket ......in my proud possession.  Let me also share.....By the by, I think, by now, Murthy would have completely enjoyed his teens while writing the column.

The king pin of TDR Cricket during my days was none other than Kittappan, the Bhisma Pitamahar of TDR Sports activities. On Saturdays, we have 5 periods and used to start playing from 3 p.m.  Sundays....the game will start from 9 a.m. Lot of aspirants will be there and the Selection Committee will have only one man,.....  just one man...... and that was Kittappan. 

In Mahadana street itself, we used to play between North and South. Upto Bhajanai madam is known as South and after Bhajanai madam.....it is North. Thrilling and real fighting strategies, placements, batting, fielding placements, selection process.....everything will be chalked out some 2 days early. I used to play for North, whether it is Kabaadi or Cricket,  although I was residing at 181, Mahadana Street.  Those days, I always used to be in TG's house, (87, Mahadana Street), and carried the identity of North. I do not know, perhaps, that may the reason, the Destiny decided that I have to work in North. I was in Jaipur for 4 years and at Lucknow, this is my second tenure....about to touch third year. My first tenure at Lucknow lasted three years. Be it that be.....let me come back to the main subject. 

The very reason which prompted me to touch upon this area is to bring to light the tough competition we witnessed to have a berth in the TDR team.....team means....to be in the daily playing eleven. My days veterans were Singidi, Sundaram (both Writer Jayarama Iyer's sons, Seshasayee, his brother Mali, Sundaram Dr. Mali, Vasu, Ramani, Ramamurthy...(TVR's sons), Kicchu (Vaanchi's brother), paramasivam. Ganesan, Suppuni (TG), Mohan, Ramesh (Thiagaraja Iyer's family) to name a few,. (I might have missed some names,.... those veterans may kindly forgive me). Besides, friends from school, Madavilagams and other 4 veedhis will be there.  Virtual war will be there to find a place in the playing 11. We should be at the mercy of Kittappan who will select players for both the teams.  Of course, he will select two balanced teams. Whether it is basket ball or volley ball or Cricket.....he is the permanent selection committee chairman. 

Once, I played very well and scored 32 runs. It is a big score those days. When the selection process came up on the next day....I told Kittappan

Kittappa.....Take me.....Kittappa....take me.....Yesterday my individual score was 32.....my individual score was 32.....He has got no answer and took me in to the team. Yes....my performance spoke louder.....Unfortunately, on that day, I scored only 4 (அமாவாசை பருப்பு ...சும்மா ..சும்மா  வேகுமா?).  Next day, selection process came up. Kittappan ignored me stating that " Yesterday, your Individual score was only 4. I retaliated stating that ....my team won by 3 runs and that is because of my individual score of 4.  On that day also, I got a berth in the team.

 

On that day, I took a spectacular catch at the deep point,,,running some 15 yards (even now, I could not believe... how I took that catch0. Thus, gradually with my individual performance, I cemented my place in the team.  In the process, kittappan used to call me ...always...as Individual. Thus, one

 " Individual"  was born.

 

In TDR, there were 4 or 5 Suppunis. தடி சுப்புணி, வின்சென்ட் சுப்புணி, மகாலிங்க சுப்புணி, ஆத்தங்கரை சுப்புணி, it went on like that.  After passage of time, even my teachers used to call as Individual....particularly Drill Master Ganesa Iyer. During Sangamam II, many friends asked me, why you are being called as Individual ? I was not having time to explain the full story. But, now Murthy gave me the opportunity to share this.

 

This is nothing but to highlight the difficulties we faced in getting a place in TDR playing 11 and the dearth of players we had at that time. Once myself and Mohan (Thiagaraja Iyer's son) batted for more than 90 minutes.......went for lunch....came back and again batted for another one hour. Great மலரும் நினைவுகள்.  

 

In kabaadi also, we were a winning combination.....Suppuni, Ganesan (TG's brothers), kulla Baalu (தற்போது உயரமாக இருக்கிறான்), Amirdhalingam(88, Mahadana Street), Sundaram Dr. Mali, அடியேன் and Akkarai Durai......this was the team combination.....Continuously, we won the tournaments for 6 to 7 years. On more than one occasion, I came to the rescue of the team,  as a last man or last but one man.....went for a ride....brought back all the players and won. TG  சும்மா இருப்பாரா?  He also told everybody....the match was won, out and out by Individual., individual performance.  Somehow, the name stands even now.

 

I have received mails from some friends requesting me to reveal the reasons for the " Namakaranam " and its backdrop. I have to thank Mr. Murthy for giving me an opportunity to share this by opening the TDR Cricket episode.

I really pity Murthy that he could not get a batting chance till he left TDR.....we have to fight for it....Then only we will get.  During Sangamam IV, let us play Cricket for one hour.....Murthy will be the opening batsman and his long cherished dream will be fulfilled.  By the by....the Ground where Murthy was mentioning is none other than our Dwarakapuri, where our TOSA friends are constructing houses. 
வாழ்க .....வளர்க....வளமுடன்...
Regards
Individual Subramanian.     

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Regards,

Individual Subramanian