Diwali aur naya saal mubarak

“Diwali aur naya saal Mubarak” (Happy Diwali and a Happy New Year) is the one phrase you heard more than anything else in Ahmedabad when the cricket came around to the city the second time around in the Champions Trophy. It began with the taxi driver at the airport, continued to the staff at the hotel, reached fever pitch with Gujarat Cricket Association officials at the ground, and finally tipping point when an English cricket fan, who has traveled half the way round the world, pointed it out. “Even Tony Blair’s said it in his message, mate,” he said, putting his Union Jack away and cursing this state for being under prohibition. Alright then, saal mubarak to you too. He couldn’t be serious … Blair?

A quick check of the British prime minister’s press office reveals that he did indeed put out a message to his subjects on the day. “It is a time when the family is centre stage. An opportunity, more valuable than ever with the frantic pace of modern life, to reflect on what we have achieved - and on our hopes and ambitions for the future,” says the note. It’s a good thing he didn’t revisit that other Diwali theme – the victory of good over evil, as England had just been thumped by Australia and, for all practical purposes, been knocked out of the tournament.

But as the firecrackers went off at each ground – and apparently costing a tidy packet to the Board of Control for Cricket in India – the Diwali spirit was certainly doing the rounds. But, more than being an occasion for children to set off fireworks and adults to put on their best clothes and play cards all night, it is a time of the year when you put cynicism aside and celebrate the victory of all things good over the darker forces. It’s a time to renew faith, a festival, if you’ll bear with me, of rebirth.

And this year, the cricket has followed the schedule just perfectly. Only days ago Corey Colleymore, the West Indian fast bowler, known as much for his injury trouble and luckless bowling, as for his canny cutters, rushed across the world, making that arduous journey from India to the West Indies, to be with his wife Dionne for the birth of their first child. The West Indian management were perfectly understanding, and sent him on his way with their blessings. “We’ll miss Corey, he’s a senior player in our side but the first born in anybody’s life is a very important time,” said Bennett King, the coach.“We wish him and his wife all the best and hope that this special time in their lives runs smoothly.” Collymore missed West Indies’ sensational win over Australia in Mumbai, but he’s back with the squad in Ahmedabad, no doubt refreshed and ready to rejoin battle.

Moving on from Barbados to Matara, that sleepy town in southern Sri Lanka, the story is no different. Sanath Jayasuriya is often a man in a hurry, and when he carted Shane Bond, the quickest bowler in this tournament, for a big six over cover as Sri Lanka raced to victory over New Zealand, perhaps his mind was wandering back home. Soon enough he followed suit, heading off to be with his wife for the birth of their child. Like the West Indians, the Sri Lankan management was only too understanding. “Sanath became a father just before our last game. He flew back and spent some quality time with his new-born,” said Mahela Jayawardene, the captain. “In situations like these, the family always comes first.” And then, he was cheeky enough to make a wish for Sri Lankan cricket: “We have a boy who might play for Sri Lanka one day.”

Whether Sanath Jr plays for Sri Lanka or not is one thing. That Collymore missed a win against Australia is nothing. The two got to be with their loved ones when it mattered the most. But these are luxuries afforded to players these days, a far cry from the times when team managements would not even allow wives and girlfriends on tour, deeming them a distraction. The Indian players got time off as well, and rather than twiddling their thumbs wondering when the next game would come – a good eleven days after their win over England – they were back home with family. For those of us who are not international cricketers, though, it has been many years since Diwali was a quiet day at home, for it’s inevitably a time of the year when India play a home series. So when you get a phone call in the morning and hear a familiar voice saying “Diwali aur naya saal mubarak,” you thank your lucky stars and take it, before packing your laptop and notebook and heading to a cricket ground to write about a game.