T20 World Cup eve in Mumbai: Moon balls, blonde hair and days off

On a relaxed Friday evening at the Wankhede, a day before India’s World Cup opener against the USA, Washington’s words rang true. As Indian batsmen murdered the ball repeatedly into the stands during practice, a group of kids from a UNICEF event stood transfixed near the open nets, jaws open and necks craned, watching Abhishek Sharma and company from the closest spot possible. Those were the I-was-there moments being registered.

The rest of the stadium, though, seemed decidedly more mundane. Workers in acid-wash jeans straight out of the ’80s hammered away, erecting temporary shops that would soon dot the Wankhede’s periphery. Broadcasting units wheeled in large silver crates with jangling handles. Through small laneways connecting the working areas to the stands, the occasional worker would pop in for a quick glimpse of a player or two.

T20 WORLD CUP PREVIEW: How Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav made India and T20 soulmates to trigger a grand transformation

The groundsmen, their job done for the first game, sipped chai before trooping into the middle. They settled in a circle on the untenanted net pitches the Indians had just vacated, chatting away as the day cooled.

At around 6:15 pm, England arrived for their turn at the ground.

The Blonde and the moon ball

Will Jacks fronted the media first, and it was his hair that commanded immediate attention—he’d gone full blonde. Natural? “Well, not really. I just did it for some reasons now,” he said with a smile, offering nothing more.

Out in the middle, Sam Curran began bowling with just one stump in place and no batsman in sight. Eager eyes zoomed in, hoping to catch a glimpse of his famous “moon ball”—that ridiculously slow delivery where he cuts pace from the high 80s mph down to something around 35-40 kmph.

The moon ball had already come up in press conference chatter. Suryakumar Yadav gave a vague answer, interpreting it as a “slower ball” in general and noting how it comes down to batsmen practicing in the nets. Jacks shrugged his shoulders, admitting he “hasn’t faced it in the nets at all.” But he acknowledged how different it is. “It’s so, so slow, and it can dip on you.”

Homecoming

While USA trained in Navi Mumbai, a couple of their players addressed the media at the Wankhede. One was Saurabh Netravalkar, who once played Ranji Trophy for Mumbai alongside Suryakumar Yadav. This was a homecoming of sorts. He seemed chuffed about it, though when asked about the advantage of playing here, he smiled: “Not really, it’s been so long.”

The USA squad features players from across the world, including cricketers of Indian and Pakistani origin. In the current climate—where India and Pakistan have stopped shaking hands and no longer play each other—how does the American team manage internal dynamics?

Netravalkar chose his words carefully. “Yes, we have players from all parts of the world. We gel and bond together because of our love for the game. And no, I don’t think we have ever discussed India-Pakistan issues amongst ourselves. I don’t think so, at least. We are all proud to play for USA.”

Besides Netravalkar, Harmeet Singh and Shubham Ranjane from the USA team have also turned out for Mumbai. When asked about his former teammates, Suryakumar couldn’t resist a quip: “They have gone now to the land of dollars.” Laughter rippled through the room.

Reality check

They might well have gone to the land of dollars, but the reality of USA cricket was laid bare by Netravalkar. Right at the end, when asked how many days of leave the players had taken from their day jobs, he smiled before answering: “As of now, it’s up to the league stage. We shall see later.” More laughter all around.

Moon balls, blonde hair, dollars, and leave of absence from work for a couple of weeks—all on display in Mumbai a day before the World Cup begins, where the white ball would always be in the air.