Travelogue - Australia Part 2

They had a board with all players who had scored centuries and taken 5 wickets and it was good to see 6 Indian players in both lists of which except one I have had the privilege of seeing in action all others.

No prizes for guessing that I ended up exchanging more cricket stories with the guide, but if he was impressed, the only thing he took me to see with a flourish was a photo pf Sachin Tendulkar with Donald Bradman. He proudly said that there were only 3 prints of this photo made. One was given to Sachin, one to Bradman and the third what he showed us hanging on the wall.

One can then climb higher and get a wonderful view of the Rod Laver stadium where the Australian Open Tennis championship is held. The elderly gentleman who gave us the tour is also seen in this picture. Unlike in India where the cricket stadiums seem to be the exclusive domain of VIP’s, the powerful and influential, every stadium here and elsewhere I have visited allow visitors and have conducted tours. Invariably the guides are elderly senior citizens who not only find immense pleasure in sharing their memories but also feel proud to take you around. Without meaning to be cynical, a current TV advertisement shows a top-ranking Indian cricketer giving an advertisement about how the groundsman helped him succeed in cricket. While I am sure the cricketer in question earned crores for this advertisement, the groundsman referred and shown, I am equally sure at best would have earned a pittance in comparison for this. This change is what we need in India – the end to elitism, the artificial walls between the people who pay big money to watch cricket but can’t enter the hollowed portals of stadiums they fund and hey we still want to encourage sports in India with such attitudes. We just don't realise that it is only when the youngsters come face to face with such stadiums, museums, etc that they get inspired to pursue a game or a profession.

Further, these stadiums allow visitors to share a slice of history with mementoes and such which not only generate revenue but also bring excitement and involvement of citizens, which again is missing in India. At the MCG I got the opportunity to buy a cricket ball which after all these years continues to be a prized possession.

The MCG has a lovely huge mural, wall to wall that shows various sports played at the stadium even though we have more of cricket than others, understandably. The cricket bats signed off by top 10 run getters and Australian captains kindle fond memories and what is important to understand here is that world over, organisations like the MCG create and preserve the legacy of the game with such priceless mementoes for the public to see for posterity. In India on the other hand everything is monetised to a point that they become private wealth and private memories. That India prides on being socialistic while these countries like Australia, Europe, USA are considered capitalistic is a irony not to be missed.

No story on Australian cricket can be complete without the mention of the famous Ashes – the trophy between England and Australia with its own unique history. I went to meet the senior leadership of a potential customer and as in every place the bonds of cricket speeded up the relationship during first meetings. As we spoke and discussed official issues, at some point my customer graciously offered to get me a chance to experience the history of the Ashes. Apparently, his wife ran a boutique hotel in the iconic building and grounds where the incident happened and he invited me to lunch there.  You can read a bit about the place here.

RUPERTSWOOD MANSION

THE ASHES

I was thrilled to visit this historical place and got a grand tour of the place including the wine cellars and the grounds where the incident happened.

There is still a picture of the teams that played that historical match on these grounds and where a mock cremation of the bails happened and the legendary “Ashes” trophy was born.

As we went around, then sat for lunch with the conversation veering to – what else but cricket – my hostess decided to show me a memento they had made in a limited quantity – a replica of the Ashes trophy. I commented that I wished I could buy it and she was so gracious that she decided to gift it to me seeing my boyish excitement all along the tour. Whatever value it may or may not have to me it’s a prized possession to display.

The excited visits in Melbourne completed, we headed to Sydney. And this time Kelvin was smarter. He simply refused to ask me what I wanted to do. Instead, he gave me a quick tour of the usual popular places like the Opera House and the Harbour bridge, though in the time available climbing to the top was ruled out.  So, I never got the chance to see the SCG.

Kelvin maintained this strategy and at Brisbane gave me a lovely lunch at a seaside café but ignored any reference I made to the Gabba cricket ground at Brisbane.

What is unique about this nation is that it is also a continent in itself. Barring for some sea side locations there is little human habitation. 90% of the population is in just 5 cities. To get a perspective of size, Australia has 7.7 Million Sq. Kms of land area with a population of 25.85 Million compared to India with 3.3 Million Sq. Kms with a population of 1,405 Million. With 60% lesser land mass we have 54 times the population. That 35% of Australia is practically desert area is a data to ponder about. These pictures convey the reality of Australia.

In recent times many scoffed at what they felt was over kill and even ridiculous, the Covid lockdown strategy adapted by Australia. Maybe yes, but just imagine if India was just 5 cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, 90% of the population and economic activity in this area and nothing else in between them, likely we would also lockdown in a similar manner.

One interesting aspect as I travelled around that country was a general complaint on reduced employment opportunities, lack of specialised manpower, which meant immigrant workers. Between the two there is a dichotomy that needs better analysis. However, at airports and such we had to do everything ourselves including loading the bags to the conveyors, unlike in India where even to use the kiosk for check in, there is a person in attendance to help.

The biggest attraction for a Indian especially to visit Australia is the fact that they are "normal" folks like us and drive on the left side of the road. Indians can drive around easily even though some quaint half turns at traffic signals when turning right can confuse you.

One very interesting experience I had in Australia - which incidentally, was with our own Indian Taj hotels. Staying at the Taj I refused coffee at the breakfast table much to the disappointment of the lady there. But then I refuse coffee even in India when traveling outside Bangalore. She insisted that I tell her why and give her a chance. I managed to tell her how I liked my coffee and sure enough she got it for me - perfectly as I liked it. The next day the lady was missing and someone else was there and so I again refused coffee. Upon being asked why I said that I liked it in a particular manner and the lady present there on the previous day knew what I wanted. Soon I got my coffee perfectly and just like the previous day. Surprised, when I asked how - apparently the earlier lady had left behind a written note on how exactly my coffee should be prepared. That was really impressive and dare I say typical of the Taj group of hotels!!!

What I missed was taking a drive along the gold coast which is supposed to be not only beautiful but also one of the best drives in the world and the other was not being able to accept the invite of Kelvin to get me into the MCG on Boxers day for a test match with the best view. But hey, I did get a lot of cricket excitement and one can't have everything in life.