CHENNAI : Seated on a cushioned chair in her living room, 78-year-old Vijayalakshmi Subramanian’s body leans towards the screen as the semi-final match between India and New Zealand unfolds on her TV. Relief fills her lithe frame at every wicket, but she gets tensed every time the ball crosses the boundary or flies into the crowd.While Charulatha Patel may be Team India’s biggest and oldest fan from the north, Vijayalakshmi is the Charulatha from the south. Her voice trills with excitement as she speaks of the sport. Age has had no effect on her ability to remember some of her favourite knocks by the Indian cricket team.
Cricket crazy
Vijayalakshmi’s father introduced her to the sport at an age so young she cannot remember. Those were the days where the family huddled around the radio set, cranking up the volume to hear the hazily relayed play-by-play commentaries. Vijayalakshmi fondly remembers straining her ears to pick up the sound of the match.
“My father used to work with the Andhra Pradesh government, but he loved sports — he played tennis, badminton and cricket. Do you know cricketer ML Jaisimha? He used to live in Secunderabad, where we lived. My father used to go to his home and they used to play tennis together. He had a cricket ground and a lot of children played there. Actually, my marriage took place in his house,” said Vijayalakshmi. Along with her cousins, Vijayalakshmi would tentatively take a few swings with the bat and scurry across the dirt to catch the white canvas ball, but her calling always remained as a rasika for the sport.
However, many heads used to turn and noses would be thrown up at the sight of a girl so in love with the nation’s favourite sport. Vijayalakshmi shares that many would tell her father that he was encouraging her down an incorrect path, but her father paid no heed to their words. When asked what she would tell those people now, she said plainly, “Well, they’re all dead now, so what good would it do.”
In the 90s, a show on ESPN Star Sports called the Cricket Mad Head hosted by Harsha Bhogle set out to find the craziest cricket fan in India. “They came to my house, and from Madras, we were selected — me and someone from Anna Nagar. I was called a ‘Mad Head’ — but I am a Mad Head!” she said.
Superstitious overs
It’s a common belief that sportspeople are superstitious, but Vijayalakshmi changes the formula to add that even fans are superstitious. With the advent of television in the 70s, the radio set was replaced with the visuals of cricketers sprinting across the pitch. Vijayalakshmi loves to watch cricket on the television — the sight of her favourite team showcasing their best performance makes her happier than she can express.
“I have a book — it’s in Kolkata, we moved there in 1983 after the World Cup — where I used to write ‘Rama Jayam’ as the match was happening. I don’t stop writing until the match gets over, and every time I do that, India wins,” she said. Other superstitions followed in the household includes a Ganesha idol perched above the television set to survey and bless the match unfolding below, and a very specific seating order for all guests and family members.
Her loyalties firmly placed behind the men in blue, Vijayalakshmi cannot bear to see her boys lose a match. “When we lose a match, it shows in the cooking next day,” laughed her son Karthik. “We aren’t allowed to watch the match highlights, and we aren’t allowed to buy or look at the newspaper the next day. Newspapers are banned in the house.”
Another endearing quirk is Vijayalakshmi’s habit of noting down the match scorecard after every game Team India plays. “I used to write down the scorecard for every player after every match — their run total, the fall of wickets, everything. I would write it down in these notebooks — I don’t have them anymore, they’re back in Kolkata,” she said, adding that her cousins would assist her in her ministrations.
Her love for the sport has rubbed off on the entire family, and Karthik currently works in the sports and event management sector. “She initially wanted me to become a player, but that did not work out. She then put me through cricket commentary, and I was very good at that. I would be able to do impersonations very well,” he said. Vijayalakshmi said she is proud of her son in his current line of work.
Winning the World Cup
The 1983 victory is still fresh in Vijayalakshmi’s mind. “I remember staying up to watch the match in Kolkata. When we won, there was a huge celebration across the streets. I still remember the parade that happened. I went out to the balcony and watched everyone celebrate,” she said, her tone growing fond.
World Cup matches are celebrated with great gusto in her household. She recalls the boys from her apartment finding space in her living room to watch the match during the 2011 World Cup. Snacks are prepared and kept ready to sustain the group throughout the game.
Her favourite cricketer from the legendary bunch is Sunil Gavaskar. Her favourite cricketer from India’s current team is MS Dhoni. “I really love him. He is a very sincere player. Batting also, wicket keeping also — he does everything very sincerely,” she said.As we go to press, India and New Zealand lock horns for a spot in the finals, and Vijayalakshmi said, “I am feeling excited, but also very anxious. I pray we make it to the finals.” When asked if we would lose the semi-final, the answer is prompt. “No! We will win it only.”
Favourite cricketer
Her favourite cricketer from the legendary bunch — Sunil Gavaskar. Her favourite cricketer from India’s current team — MS Dhoni. “I really love him. He is a very sincere player,” she said.